AFCON 2021: CAF Unveils Top Group Stage Performers With 3 EPL Stars

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled its top performers in their team of the first round of the AFCON 2021.

The team Includes Watford’s William Trust – Ekong (defender), Naby Keita (Liverpool) and Yves Bissouma (Brighton).

The group matches of the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021 ended on Thursday.

Thirty-six games were played including 26 wins and 10 draws for 68 goals scored, an average of 1.88 goals per game.

On the close of the first round, the Africa’s football governing body made its team public.

The team is made up of a tactical formation of 4-3-3. Finishing top scorer of this first round with 5 goals, Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar leads the attack.

Within the team, Egypt and Morocco each have two representatives. The other nations come with one player each. André Onana, Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah and Karl Toko-Ekambi are among the substitutes.

Mohamed El Shenawy conceded just one goal in the first round of the tournament, the fewest any goalkeeper conceded in the tournament.

Ahead of El Shenawy was Ahmed Hegazy, who was commanding in all 3 games played.

Achraf Hakimi was One of the reasons why his team bagged 7 points in a tough group C. He scored a stunner from a set piece to gift his side a late equaliser against resilient Gabon.

Like Hakimi, William Trust Ekong was equally a top performer for the Super Eagles in group D. He was utterly brilliant in his interceptions and scored a goal against Burkina Faso on the final day.

Reims left – back Ghislain Konan embraced his defensive duties ever so well with the Cote D’Ivoire. To cap his performance was a wonderful show against Algeria on the final day, keeping Riyad Mahrez quiet in 90 minutes.

Naby Keita will unfortunately be missing the round of 16 unfortunately, due to two bookings. He scored a superb goal in Guinea’s loss to Zimbabwe. Prior to that, Keita had picked up two man of the match awards in games against: Senegal and Malawi.

Gambia’s Musa Barrow partners with Bissouma and Keita in a diamond midfield. Barrow scored Gambia’s equaliser against Mali.

Having stayed away from the selection for two years, Yves Bissouma has made his comeback with some style. The Brighton and Hove Albion man has one of the best passing completion rates in the competition so far.

Soufiane Boufal picked up a man of the match performance against Ghana, with his lone goal winning the Atlas Lions 3 points, and another goal from the bench against Gabon in his side’s 2-2 draw on match day 3.

Moses Simon is on the books of pundits as best dribbler in the tournament thus far. Added on his trickery was a goal against Sudan.

Cameroon’s skipper, Vincent Aboubakar leads the attack line with 5 goals scored for team Cameroon. The Al Nassr man has scored in all games played so far by Cameroon, and is set to break Samuel Eto’o’s record of scoring more than 5 goals in a single AFCON tournament, for the Indomitable Lions.

Coaching the side is Super Eagles coach – Augustine Eguavoen.