Osimhen, Zambo Anguissa, Banda, N’Dicka and Bennacer… Like the other championships, the ranks of Serie A teams are depopulating to fill those of the African selections for the CAN in Ivory Coast (January 13-February 11) . France 24 has prepared a selection of five players from the Italian championship who will have the opportunity to be talked about.
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Victor Osimhen (Nigeria, Naples)
Just named African player of the year 2023, Victor Osimhen has big ambitions for the CAN, as he announced following his award: “We have a lot of talented players with Nigeria. The goal will be to win the CAN in January. We will be 100% focused.”
In Italy, the Nigerian confirmed all the talent already seen in Charleroi and Losc. He has become essential and largely contributed to Napoli’s third title in history, scoring 26 goals during the 2022/2023 season.
Victor Osimhen will have the heavy responsibility of carrying his country to a coronation, supported by an armada of Super Eagles with Italian accents, between Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan) and Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC), but which also includes Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City) , Moses Simon (FC Nantes) and Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen).
Victor Osimhen with Nigeria : 28 matches played, 20 goals, 8 assists.
Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon, Naples)
Victor Osimhen did not take Napoli to their third league title alone. He was able to count on a whole squad and in particular on the Cameroonian André-Franck Zambo Anguissa to organize the game.
Having played for OM, Fulham and Villarreal, Zambo Anguissa is the archetype of the “box-to-box” midfielder, this tireless all-round midfielder, as comfortable in defensive tasks as in the opponent’s area. In Naples, the Cameroonian also became a leader.
And among the Indomitable Lions? Supporters too often criticize him for not being as strong as at club level. He recently responded to criticism: “I don’t play with the same players, we don’t have the same automatisms, not the same pitches and not the same football. So you will never see the same Zambo as in Naples. But I always give 100%.”
André-Franck Zambo Anguissa with Cameroon : 51 matches played, 5 goals, 2 assists.
Lameck Banda (Zambia, US Lecce)
A pure product of Zambian football, Lameck Banda could reveal himself to the world during the CAN 2024. The small 1.69 m winger is slowly but surely climbing the ranks of football: starting from Zesco United, he is now enchanting Lecce after stages in Russia (Arsenal Toula) and in Israel (Maccabi Netanya and Maccabi Petah-Tikva).
In Serie A, he became the first Zambian in history to score in the Italian championship in November 2022. This year, he has had a great start to the season with two goals and five assists in 15 appearances.
The “Chipolopolos” will be able to count on him and Patson Daka (Leicester) to carry it. And why not dream of an exploit 11 years after their resounding victory in the competition.
Lameck Banda with Zambia : 11 matches played, 3 goals, 1 assist.
Evan N’Dicka (Ivory Coast, AS Roma)
First at Eintracht Frankfurt and now at AS Roma, the 24-year-old central defender has established himself as one of the best in his position on the European scene.
Born in France to a Cameroonian father and an Ivorian mother, Evan N’Dicka finally chose the maternal selection in June 2023 after a long series. A choice which will allow him to experience a CAN at home under the colors of the Elephants. He should be unanimous in a defense of Côte d’Ivoire in full renovation.
Evan N’Dicka with Ivory Coast : 5 matches played.
Ismaël Bennacer (Algeria, AC Milan)
Ismaël Bennacer will be there. The coach of Algeria, Djamel Belmadi, has decided to take him to Ivory Coast even if his playing master has only just returned from a serious injury which kept him away from the field for seven months. His five small appearances with AC Milan were reassuring and Fennec showed himself in rhythm, even capable of delivering a decisive pass for which he has the secret for Pulisic.
“Can we win the African Cup of Nations? Of course. When we go to a competition like this, and we are also a good team, all the players have in mind to win it,” he said. -he told Goal Italy.
Ismaël Bennacer with Algeria : 46 matches played, 2 goals, 5 assists.
The statistics come from Transfermarkt and were recorded on January 5.