The 2022 African Cup of Nations is well underway folks and the big guns are already edging towards the knockout phase. Senegal, Nigeria and Ivory Coast all look capable of going deep into the competition and they all have Premier League players in their sides.
There are plenty to pick from, but let’s take a look at four of the England based stars who can write the headlines at AFCON 2022; two midfielders, an attacking wide man and a proven striker.
Sadio Mane: Senegal
In our preview of this AFCON tournament my SBOTOP colleague asked whether this could be Senegal’s year and it could well be when you look at the array of riches in the team. The AFCON 2022 betting odds reckon that a group containing Napoli centre back Kalidou Koulibaly, Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and PSG star Gana Gueye is the one to beat, and when you throw Liverpool’s lighting fast striker Sadio Mane into the mix then you have the favourites right there.
Senegal have four points from two games, a 0-0 draw with Guinea and a 1-0 victory over
Zimbabwe as Mane scored a 90th minute penalty. In a low scoring competition Mane could turn out to be a star performer if he replicates the form he has showed in five prolific seasons at Anfield where he has scored 82 goals in 178 games and he’ll surely increase his tally of 27 for the Lions of Teranga.
Thomas Partey: Ghana
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has been making progress at the Emirates and the Gunners look like genuine top four contenders. He has shored up his back line, and the form of Thomas Partey in midfield has also been cause for optimism. But Partey is one of four Arsenal players away at AFCON, alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mohammed Elneny and Nicolas Pepe, so the Gunners will have to cope without him for a few weeks.
He arrived at the Emirates with a big reputation after making his name at Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, but his progress in England has been beset by injury. Only now are the Gunners fans seeing what an asset he is in the centre, with his all action displays and sturdy protection of the back four. But just as he seems to be settling in North London, Partey is attracting attention from mainland Europe again as Juventus have enquired about his availability in a potential swap deal, with Arthur Melo going the other way.
Whether Partey will still be an Arsenal player at the end of the transfer window remains to be seen, but he has work to do in Africa in the meantime. Ghana’s AFCON 2022 results have so far been disappointing, with one point from two games leaving their qualification in some doubt.
Wilfred Ndidi: Nigeria
There are no such worries for the Super Eagles who are top of Group D with two wins from two; an impressive 1-0 victory over Egypt and a 3-1 win over Sudan. Two Leicester City players are in the Nigerian ranks, striker Kelechi Iheanacho and midfield star Wilfred Ndidi.
Since his arrival from Belgian club Genk in a £17m move to the KingPower Stadium in 2017, Ndidi has emerged as one of the most accomplished and powerful midfield generals in the Premier League. He has been a big influence at the club which has spent much of the last two campaigns in the top four places and, at 25 years of age, he is just going to get better and, with him in the side, the Super Eagles are a good bet for a place in the final.
He’s not a goal scorer by trade, hitting the net seven times in 159 games for the Foxes and yet to open his account for the Super Eagles, but Ndidi is a player every African side would love to have in their dressing room.
Maxwell Cornet : Ivory Coast
Burnley winger Maxwell Cornet has exploded onto the Premier League scene since his switch from Ligue 1 side Lyon to East Lancashire. He attracted attention last season with four goals for the French side against Manchester City in the Champion League and that persuaded the Clarets to shell out £15m for him, and he’s proved to be a brilliant acquisition. Cornet has scored six goals in 13 games for Burnley, all spectacular efforts including a stunning volley against Leicester City, and he’ll be well worth keeping an eye out for as the tournament progresses. The Ivory Coast are fancied to make the last four and Cornet might have a ‘goal of the tournament’ up his sleeve.
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