The African Countries Set To Feature Premier League Players At AFCON 2025

ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST – FEBRUARY 11: Players of Ivory Coast lift the trophy at the end of the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Final match between Nigeria and Ivory Coast at Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on February 11, 2024. Ivory Coast won the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday after beating Nigeria 2-1 in the final. (Photo by Fareed Kotb/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Anadolu via Getty Images

From 21st December to 18th January, all eyes will be on Morocco as the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) takes centre stage. The continent’s premier football tournament consistently captivates audiences worldwide, and after the global attention garnered by the previous edition, this year promises even more excitement.

The 2025 AFCON will showcase Africa’s finest talent, including a growing cohort of players currently competing in the English Premier League. Below, we break down the African countries that could field players from the Premier League, their international experience, and the impact these players are expected to have for both their nations and their clubs this season.

Algeria

Player: Rayan Ait-Nouri (Manchester City)

Caps: 19

Algeria have sharpened their tactical identity under Vladimir Petković, mixing controlled possession with disciplined pressing triggers. Rayan Aït-Nouri’s Manchester City education, positional structure, build-up patterns, and defensive resilience- aligns naturally with that approach. Even with limited club minutes, his 19 caps give Algeria a reliable presence on the left in moments that require both control and caution.

Burkina Faso

Players: Dango Ouattara (Brentford), Issa Kabore (Manchester City), Bertrand Traore (Sunderland)

Caps: Ouattara – 35; Kabore – 53; Traore – 85

Burkina Faso’s fast, pressing identity benefits from a blend of youth and experience. Dango Ouattara’s directness, Issa Kabore’s energy and tactical discipline, and Bertrand Traoré’s 85-cap leadership give the Stallions multiple weapons for transition-driven football. Premier League readiness ensures they are built for the physical tempo AFCON demands.

Cameroon

Players: Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Carlos Baleba (Brighton), Andre Onana (Manchester United), Blondy Nna Noukeu (Sunderland)

Caps: Mbeumo – 27; Baleba – 11; Onana – 53; Noukeu – 0

Cameroon’s model: power, speed and fast counters, aligns seamlessly with their Premier League contingent. André Onana brings sweeping, distribution and composure behind a high line, while Bryan Mbeumo adds incision out wide. Carlos Baleba and Blondy Nna Noukeu provide youthful versatility in midfield and goalkeeping depth. Together, they raise the tactical ceiling of a traditionally explosive squad.

DR Congo

Players: Yoane Wissa (Brentford), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham)

Caps: Wissa – 34; Tuanzebe – 7; Sadiki – 13; Wan-Bissaka – 6

DR Congo’s recent tactical profile blends possession phases with sharp transitions and intermittent high pressing. Yoane Wissa offers goal threat and physical forward play, Aaron Wan-Bissaka anchors defensive duels, while Axel Tuanzebe and Noah Sadiki add depth and composure. Every Premier League player fits a strategic plan that relies on adaptability and resilience.

Egypt

Players: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Omar Marmoush (Manchester City)

Caps: Salah – 107; Marmoush – 40

Egypt combine compact defensive structures with controlled possession and efficient wing transitions, a system built to spotlight Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool talisman, with 107 caps, remains the focal point of chance creation and finishing. Omar Marmoush adds valuable rotational depth, ensuring Egypt can maintain wide pressure throughout the tournament.

Ivory Coast

Players: Hamed Junior Traore (Bournemouth), Malick Yalcouye (Brighton), David Datro Fofana (Chelsea), Martial Godo (Fulham), Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest), Willy Boly (Nottingham Forest), Simon Adingra (Sunderland), Maxwel Cornet (West Ham), Emmanuel Agbadou (Wolves)

Caps: Traore – 13; Fofana – 3; Diallo – 11; Sangare – 52; Boly – 22; Adingra – 26; Cornet – 31; Agbadou – 16

Egypt combine compact defensive structures with controlled possession and efficient wing transitions, a system built to spotlight Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool talisman, with 107 caps, remains the focal point of chance creation and finishing. Omar Marmoush adds valuable rotational depth, ensuring Egypt can maintain wide pressure throughout the tournament.

Mali

Players: Cheick Doucoure (Crystal Palace), Yves Bissouma (Tottenham), Boubacar Traore (Wolves)

Caps: Doucoure – 16; Bissouma – 42; Traore – 4

Mali’s identity continues to rest on a robust midfield core, ball-winning and tempo control. Yves Bissouma and Cheick Doucouré bring exactly that, with Premier League-tested composure under pressure. Boubacar Traoré’s energy provides an additional edge in transitions, making Mali a quietly formidable side.

Morocco

Players: Chadi Riad (Crystal Palace), Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland)

Caps: Mazraoui – 35; Aguerd – 51; Talbi – 2; Riad – 3

Morocco’s modern blueprint, one of compact organisation and devastating transitions, reflects the tactical DNA behind their global rise. Premier League-based profiles support that approach: Noussair Mazraoui anchors the defensive structure, while Chadi Riad and Chemsdine Talbi contribute pace, composure and progressive intent when transitioning from defence to attack.

Mozambique

Player: Reinildo Mandava (Sunderland)

Caps: 52

Mozambique traditionally rely on defensive shape and width for chance creation. Reinildo Mandava brings exactly that: leadership, balance on the left flank, and defensive reliability. His Premier League experience could elevate Mozambique’s structure against higher-ranked opposition.

Nigeria

Players: Frank Onyeka (Brentford), Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest), Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest), Ahmed Abdullahi (Sunderland)

Caps: Awoniyi – 35; Iwobi – 91; Onyeka – 36; Bassey – 37; Aina – 48; Abdullahi – 0

The Super Eagles blend expressive attacking play with tactical organisation, and their Premier League core is central to that strategy. Alex Iwobi’s ball circulation, Frank Onyeka’s energy, Calvin Bassey’s versatility, Ola Aina’s defensive intelligence, and Taiwo Awoniyi’s presence up front provide depth across the pitch. This all means that Nigeria will enter AFCON with one of the most physically and technically equipped squads.

Senegal

Players: Abdallah Sima (Brighton), Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton), Pape Sarr (Tottenham), Habib Diarra (Sunderland), El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham)

Caps: Sima – 9; Jackson – 26; Jackson; Sarr – 75; Gueye – 121; Ndiaye – 32; Pape Sarr – 36; Diarra – 13; El Hadji – 12.

Senegal’s traditional strengths: athletic pressing, disciplined defending and explosive wide play, perfectly complement their Premier League talent pool. Idrissa Gueye remains the heartbeat in midfield, Ismaila Sarr adds wide penetration, and Nicolas Jackson supplies vertical threat in the final third. With experience at every level, Senegal remains one of the tournament favourites.

South Africa

Player: Lyle Foster (Burnley)

Caps: 24

South Africa leans toward possession-based, fluid attacking football. Lyle Foster gives Bafana Bafana a disciplined focal point, combining hold-up play, direct running and physicality, helping link technical midfielders with penetration in transition.

Tunisia

Player: Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley)

Caps: 39

Tunisia remain one of Africa’s most tactically disciplined sides. Hannibal Mejbri fits seamlessly into that identity, offering creativity and ball progression without compromising the team’s defensive work-rate and organisation.

Zimbabwe

Players: Marshall Munetsi (Wolves), Tawanda Chirewa (Wolves)

Caps: Munetsi – 35; Chirewa – 11.

Zimbabwe traditionally rely on midfield steel and powerful forward play. Marshall Munetsi provides muscle, control and tactical discipline in midfield, while Tawanda Chirewa, still building experience, adds pace and creativity from wide positions.

Experience, Heart, and the Unpredictable Magic of African Football

Not every nation has Premier League representation — Angola, Benin, Botswana, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia will rely on domestic talent, but this doesn’t mean that they should be counted out at all, as we know that African football is about heart and has an unpredictability that makes every moment special. Players returning from England’s top flight carry more than technical skill; they bring tactical intelligence, physical resilience, and the high-tempo decision-making honed under some of the world’s most competitive conditions. For their national teams, this translates into leadership, composure under pressure, and a capacity to execute strategies that can turn matches which will have millions of eyes on them from both the EPL and across Africa.