5 upcoming players to watch out for in AFCON 2021
The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is a great tournament for clubs to scout upcoming talents, just like the Copa America or Euros. Clubs will keep a watch to find out whether they can unearth the next Mohammed Salah or Sadio Mane or find players to meet their current needs.
These are five upcoming players you should watch out for in AFCON 2021.
#5 Pape Matar Sarr
Tottenham player Pape Matar Sarr, (On loan at Metz) with a stunning performance against PSG today! 🤩 https://t.co/frnKC3wLXY
Pape Matar Sarr was highly impressive for Metz in Ligue 1 after joining them in the summer transfer window of 2020. The 19-year-old central midfielder's performances in France attracted quite a few potential suitors from all around Europe.
Tottenham Hotspur went ahead and signed the youngster in 2021 before loaning him back to Metz for the 2021-22 season.
An excellent ball carrier with elite tackling numbers, Sarr could be very important for Senegal in the AFCON. Antonio Conte will be watching.
#4 Taiwo Awoniyi
In Victor Osimhen and Emmanuel Dennis's absence, Taiwo Awoniyi will be tasked with carrying the goal-scoring burden for Nigeria at AFCON. And if recent form is taken into consideration, the striker is quite capable of doing the job well enough.
The 24-year-old has scored nine goals in the Bundesliga this season while leading the line for surprise package Union Berlin. Awoniyi was a part of the Liverpool academy from 2015 to 2021 before moving to Germany permanently.
An impressive AFCON could put him back on the radar of the big clubs.