AFCON 2025 is due to kick off very soon – who made it into our XI of the best players at the tournament from the Premier League?
Our XI is particularly top heavy – there isn’t a lot of quality at the back, but it features some real monsters going forward. Could this be a sign of things to come at AFCON? Will it be a high scoring tournament?
GK: Andre Onana
We are cheating a bit with our inclusion of Andre Onana, as he is currently out on loan from Manchester United at Trabzonspor – however, we had to include him due to the lack of any other AFCON goalkeepers in the Premier League this season.
Onana’s story at United won’t be looked upon fondly – while he made a few spectacular saves for the Red Devils, they are overshadowed by the plethora of mistakes he made between the sticks.
RB: Noussair Mazraoui
The second Manchester United player on our list – like Onana, Noussair Mazraoui has faced criticism this year, though it was nowhere near as virulent as the tirade launched at the Cameroonian shot-stopper.
He hasn’t been helped by manager Ruben Amorim, who has shunted the Moroccan around the pitch – he has played nine Premier Legaue games this season, occupying three different positions.
CB: Calvin Bassey
Nigeria’s Calvin Bassey is the archetypal old-school centre-back. While not technically proficient, he is very brave and possesses an indomitable physical frame that makes him unstoppable in aerial duels.
While he is prone to the odd mistake at Fulham, owing to his lack of ability on the ball, he’s a great asset to any team if his weaknesses can be accomodated.
CB: Axel Tuanzebe
Axel Tuanzebe was once a promising defender at Manchester United – now, aged 28, he hasn’t quite lived up to the standard that some may have hoped.
Tuanzebe is, however, still among the most capable defenders at AFCON. He plays for Burnley at present and will represent DR Congo at the tournament.
LB: Reinildo
Reinildo beats out a couple of other top left-backs for this position – including Manchester City’s Rayan Ait-Nouri. While the City man might be the objectively better player, Reinildo has been outstanding for Sunderland this season.
Outside of a red card received early on in the campaign, the battling Mozambican has been almost fautless at both ends of the pitch.