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#3 Sadio Mane - Senegal
Captain of Senegal, Sadio Mane, will be one of the biggest stars at AFCON this January. The Liverpool forward has been ever-present at Anfield over the last five years, regularly popping up with important goal contributions. Mane is quick with the ball at his feet, has an unmatched work rate and is great at shooting from all distances.
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Mane may not be one of the most esthetic players out there, but he is a coach’s delight. He carries out on-field instructions to a T and rarely runs out of gas over the course of a match. His defensive contribution is also something to write home about.
The UEFA Champions League and Premier League winner has taken part in 78 games for his country so far. He has scored 25 goals and provided 18 assists, with five goals and an assist coming at AFCON alone.
#2 Riyad Mahrez - Algeria
Algeria skipper Riyad Mahrez has been dominating the Premier League for a while now. He first won the top-flight title with Leicester City before repeating the feat twice more with Manchester City. Most importantly, he played a crucial role in all three title-winning seasons.
The right-winger is one of those few players who tends to deliver equally for both club and country. The 30-year-old played a starring role for Algeria at the AFCON in 2019, helping them to the title for the second time in their history.
The captain led from the front and scored three goals in seven games in the last iteration of the AFCON. His most memorable goal came in the semi-final against Nigeria. The Algerian international scored a direct free-kick in added time to win the game for his country.
#1 Mohamed Salah - Egypt
Liverpool number 11 Mohamed Salah is not only the best player in Africa, but also one of the best in the world right now. Captain of the Egyptian team, Salah is known for his electric pace, ability to contribute to his team’s build-up play, and ruthless finishing. The 29-year-old has all the qualities to set AFCON alight over the next month.
Since joining Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, the Egypt international has arguably been Liverpool’s most consistent performer. This season alone, Salah has found the back of the net 16 times in the Premier League, emerging as the division’s leading goalscorer. He has also provided nine assists and is currently the English top-flight’s joint-leading assist provider.
For his country, Salah has played in 73 games so far, registering 43 goals and 24 assists. Given his form at the moment, we are backing him to add plenty more at the AFCON this year.
