Like every two years, several star Premier League players join the ranks of the African teams preparing to compete in the African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast (January 13-February 11). France 24 has selected five players from the English championship who will be talked about.
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Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)
We no longer present the Liverpool striker and captain of the Pharaohs. At 31, Mohamed Salah has won several prestigious trophies with the Reds – including the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020 – but the African Cup of Nations is missing from his record.
While Egypt holds the record in the competition with seven coronations (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010), “King Salah” will undoubtedly want to win an eighth cup in Ivory Coast with his selection . Especially since he is in good shape this year: Liverpool is currently fighting for the title, and Mohamed Salah contributes greatly as co-top scorer in the English championship (14 goals).
On the eve of CAN 2024, the star striker is in ideal shape, enough to delight all football fans… except his club coach, Jürgen Klopp, who recently joked about his absence: “If I said that I wished him good luck, that would be a lie. From a personal point of view, I would be happy if they were eliminated in the group stage, but it’s probably impossible, they can go through and win (the CAN).”
Mohamed Salah with Egypt : 94 matches, 53 goals and 31 assists.
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Mohammed Kudus (Ghana, West Ham)
The West Ham attacking midfielder already has contrasting international experience with Ghana. Since his first selection in 2019, Mohammed Kudus first experienced a missed appointment with the Black Stars when he was injured shortly before CAN 2021.
This year, he is therefore playing his first African Cup of Nations and will surely be keen to do well in the competition, as he has already done in the colors of Ghana during the 2022 World Cup, with a double scored against South Korea (3-2 victory).
Mohammed Kudus with Ghana : 30 matches, 9 goals and 3 assists.
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Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco, Manchester United)
For years, he has been one of Walid Regragui’s centerpieces in the composition of Morocco’s selection. The current Manchester United defensive midfielder will still be one of the executives expected to fly the colors of the Atlas Lions in Ivory Coast.
The control tower of the Moroccan midfield shone during the 2022 World Cup, and there is no doubt that he and his selection – semi-finalist in Qatar – will be awaited at the turn by the other nations during this CAN 2024.
Sofyan Amrabat will also want to break the “curse” that pursues the Atlas Lions – only one African Cup of Nations won, in 1976. During CAN-2021, the midfielder was already a starter in midfield during the premature elimination of Morocco (2-1 defeat in the quarterfinals against Egypt). This time, they will look to draw more inspiration from the U23 team, which won its first CAN last July.
Sofyan Amrabat with Morocco : 50 matches, 2 assists
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André Onana (Cameroon, Manchester United)
Despite his young age for a goalkeeper (27), the Manchester United goalkeeper is… a returning player in the selection. Before being selected for CAN 2024, André Onana was at odds with Cameroon. Sanctioned for indiscipline during the 2022 World Cup after an argument with coach Rigobert Song, the player had immediately announced his international retirement…before finally reversing his decision last summer.
Before this episode, André Onana had been a solid last line of defense for the Indomitable Lions since his first selection, in 2016: he did not concede a goal in almost half of his matches played for the selection.
The one who has already participated in two CAN (in 2019 and 2021) will be keen to defend the Cameroonian colors again in Ivory Coast… unless his club retains him until January 14 for the Premier League match against Tottenham, before releasing him to play with his selection against Guinea… the next day.
André Onana with Cameroon : 37 matches, 30 goals conceded and 16 clean sheets.
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Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast, Nottingham Forest)
At only 31 years old, the Nottingham Forest defender will take part in his… fifth African Cup of Nations! And this one will have a special flavor for him and the Elephants, since it takes place at home.
Serge Aurier is a leader in his selection: with more than 80 matches under his belt, the Ivory Coast captain has also already won a CAN in 2015. There is no doubt that his international experience, and particularly the path to get there in the final, will be a valuable asset for the Elephants.
Serge Aurier with Ivory Coast : 84 matches, 3 goals and 14 assists.
Lstatistics mentioned in This article comes from Transfermarkt and was published on January 8.