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EnglishDa Big Kahunaz Set to Battle: Top Ballaz in Da AFCON 2023!
🏆 It’s time fo’ da CAF Africa Cup of Nations action fo’ kick off in Ivory Coast when da hosts face Guinea-Bissau on January 13 at da Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
Senegal, dey da defending champs aftah dey wen beat Egypt on penalties at da last edition in Cameroon.
Hea’s one good lookin’ at our top 10 ballaz whose performances stay go be crucial if dey side stay like fo’ lift da trophy on February 11:
- Mohamed Salah: Egypt
Da hopes an’ dreams of one nation stay rest on one man’s shoulders. If Egypt stay like fo’ add to deir record seven continental titles, den Mohamed Salah go gotta bear da brunt of da work fo’ da Pharaohs. Egypt neva win an AFCON title since 2010, an’ Salah stay wen lose in da final in both 2017 an’ 2021.
Dis edition of AFCON might not be da 31-year-old’s last, but it go be da last one where Egypt can truly boast dat da king stay still at da peak of his powers. How much international goals Salah go add to da 53 he wen already net, in only 93 appearances, stay like be da decisive stat fo’ Egypt’s hopes fo’ erase da memory of defeat in da final of da last AFCON by Senegal.
Da last #TotalEnergiesAFCON Player of da Tournament winners.
Who wins da next one in Côte d’Ivoire? #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Zgll6qWAab
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 7, 2024
- Sadio Mane: Senegal
Even dough not set fo’ be as defining one role in da Senegal team as his former Liverpool teammate Salah stay to Egypt, Sadio Mane stay still da main man fo’ his nation. His loss to da Senegal team at da Qatar 2022 World Cup cannot be overstated. As reigning AFCON champs, da Lions of Teranga stay thought fo’ be da African team dat could break through to da semifinal stage in da global event fo’ da first time.
Without Mane, da Lions lose deir bite an’ no can repeat deir previous best of one quarterfinal appearance as dey wen get well beat in da group by da Netherlands an’ in da round of 16 by England. Da 31-year-old’s 39 goals in 100 appearances fo’ his country simply no can be replicated. It’s hard fo’ see how Senegal defend deir crown if Mane fail fo’ fire.
- Victor Osimhen: Nigeria
Victor Osimhen wen become da hottest property in world football last season when he wen finish as leading scorer in Serie A, helping Napoli to deir first league title since 1990. Denied one crack at da 2022 Qatar World Cup by Nigeria’s playoff defeat by Ghana, AFCON 2023 marks Osimhen’s first chance fo’ shine on da international stage.
If Nigeria stay like fo’ lift deir fourth crown, an’ only deir second in 30 years, den it stay likely dat Osimhen go stay very close to securing da tournament’s leading scorer accolade. Da 25-year-old already wen get 20 goals in 27 appearances. No shortage of riches fo’ Nigeria in deir attacking options, but da 2023 African Player of da Year go need fo’ carry either da goalscoring fo’ his team or da workload fo’ keep da focus of da defences on him an’, in doing so, free up space fo’ others.
pic.twitter.com/trkhIRb8RT
— Victor Osimhen (@victorosimhen9) December 17, 2023
- Mohammed Kudus: Ghana
Kudus wen take da Premier League by storm wit West Ham dis season – someting one player transferring to England rarely does in deir first year. Da midfielder stay 12th on da list in da English top flight fo’ goals per minute – not bad fo’ one midfielder in one team where even da strikers stay demanded to work back first an’ foremost. Da 23-year-old, who wen score 10 goals in 24 matches in all competitions fo’ da Hammers, first catch da attention of European clubs when Danish side FC Nordsjaelland bring him from Ghana at da age of 17 – one relative latecomer in da modern football world.
His rise from dea stay know no bounds as, two years later, he wen snap up by Ajax where he impress greatly in his three seasons in Amsterdam, as well as at da 2022 World Cup.
Ghana go love da impact he could get in providing extra quality behind one forward line of da Ayew brothers an’ Inaki Williams.
- Youssef En-Nesyri: Morocco
On one far different note to dat of Salah, Mane an’ Osimhen, Youssef En-Nesyri’s performance in front of goal stay likely fo’ hold da key to Morocco’s ambitions. Da historic achievement of reaching da World Cup semifinal in Qatar leave deir manager Walid Regragui wit one clear mission ahead: fo’ win da 2023 AFCON. Fo’ do so, Morocco need fo’ find goals.
Deir defence stay deir rock an’ stay securely guarded by Sofyan Amrabat, but deir attack need fo’ find da net more regularly an’ criticism stay been planted at da feet of En-Nesyri. Da 26-year-old’s return of 17 goals in 61 matches stay not exactly one embarrassment at da international level an’ Regragui stay highlight da Seville striker’s work rate fo’ da team as one key element of deir success. France famously win da 1998 World Cup without one recognised goalscorer, so perhaps Morocco no need fo’ panic. Dey get, however, some incredible goal scorers at da tournament who might just pinch one tight game fo’ deir side an’ leave da Atlas Lions licking deir wounds.
Da Atlas Lions stay practicing deir celebrations already @EnMaroc | #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 🦁 pic.twitter.com/rk1UDarPng
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 10, 2024
- Andre Onana: Cameroon
Onana’s return from international retirement in goal fo’ Cameroon could be as problematic fo’ da coach as it stay, no doubt, welcome fo’ da fans an’ his teammates. His dismissal from da World Cup squad during da tournament an’ subsequent retirement appear fo’ spell da end of dis international career – at least while Rigobert Song stay in charge of da team anyway.
Da 27-year-old’s recall to da squad in September fo’ da AFCON qualifiers stay one shock. Whether Onana an’ Son stay bury da hatchet or not, da ultimate sweeper keeper’s role go be vital to his team’s chances of success.
- Riyad Mahrez: Algeria
Mahrez captain Algeria to victory in da 2019 final against Senegal but one repeat in Ivory Coast no appear on da cards. Da winger stay one magician in da Premier League winning da title wit both Leicester City an’ Manchester City.
It was wit da former where one tightly knit group of players, sprinkled wit some star-studded magic, defy all da odds imaginable to secure deir first English top-flight crown. Dey had only ever been runners-up previously an’ dat was in 1928-29. Da 32-year-old, now wit Al Ahli in da Saudi Pro League, get one impressive 30 goals in 89 appearances fo’ Algeria.
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire!
Da official ball of da #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 stay enjoying da beauty of da city ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/F62v7ufEbQ
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 7, 2024
— Article —
NOW IN ENGLISH
Top 10 Players to Watch in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations
<p>Da Big Kahunaz Set to Battle: Top Ballaz in Da AFCON 2023!</p><p> It’s time fo’ da CAF Africa Cup of Nations action fo’ kick off in Ivory Coast when da hosts face Guinea-Bissau on January 13 at da Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.</p><p>Senegal, dey da defending champs aftah dey wen beat Egypt on penalties at da last edition in Cameroon.</p><p>Hea’s one good lookin’ at our top 10 ballaz whose performances stay go be crucial if dey side stay like fo’ lift da trophy on February 11:</p><ol><li>Mohamed Salah: Egypt</li></ol><p>Da hopes an’ dreams of one nation stay rest on one man’s shoulders. If Egypt stay like fo’ add to deir record seven continental titles, den Mohamed Salah go gotta bear da brunt of da work fo’ da Pharaohs. Egypt neva win an AFCON title since 2010, an’ Salah stay wen lose in da final in both 2017 an’ 2021.</p><p>Dis edition of AFCON might not be da 31-year-old’s last, but it go be da last one where Egypt can truly boast dat da king stay still at da peak of his powers. How much international goals Salah go add to da 53 he wen already net, in only 93 appearances, stay like be da decisive stat fo’ Egypt’s hopes fo’ erase da memory of defeat in da final of da last AFCON by Senegal.</p><p>Da last #TotalEnergiesAFCON Player of da Tournament winners.</p><p>Who wins da next one in Côte d’Ivoire? #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/Zgll6qWAab</p><p>— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 7, 2024</p><ol start=2><li>Sadio Mane: Senegal</li></ol><p>Even dough not set fo’ be as defining one role in da Senegal team as his former Liverpool teammate Salah stay to Egypt, Sadio Mane stay still da main man fo’ his nation. His loss to da Senegal team at da Qatar 2022 World Cup cannot be overstated. As reigning AFCON champs, da Lions of Teranga stay thought fo’ be da African team dat could break through to da semifinal stage in da global event fo’ da first time.</p><p>Without Mane, da Lions lose deir bite an’ no can repeat deir previous best of one quarterfinal appearance as dey wen get well beat in da group by da Netherlands an’ in da round of 16 by England. Da 31-year-old’s 39 goals in 100 appearances fo’ his country simply no can be replicated. It’s hard fo’ see how Senegal defend deir crown if Mane fail fo’ fire.</p><ol start=3><li>Victor Osimhen: Nigeria</li></ol><p>Victor Osimhen wen become da hottest property in world football last season when he wen finish as leading scorer in Serie A, helping Napoli to deir first league title since 1990. Denied one crack at da 2022 Qatar World Cup by Nigeria’s playoff defeat by Ghana, AFCON 2023 marks Osimhen’s first chance fo’ shine on da international stage.</p><p>If Nigeria stay like fo’ lift deir fourth crown, an’ only deir second in 30 years, den it stay likely dat Osimhen go stay very close to securing da tournament’s leading scorer accolade. Da 25-year-old already wen get 20 goals in 27 appearances. No shortage of riches fo’ Nigeria in deir attacking options, but da 2023 African Player of da Year go need fo’ carry either da goalscoring fo’ his team or da workload fo’ keep da focus of da defences on him an’, in doing so, free up space fo’ others.</p><p>pic.twitter.com/trkhIRb8RT</p><p>— Victor Osimhen (@victorosimhen9) December 17, 2023</p><ol start=4><li>Mohammed Kudus: Ghana</li></ol><p>Kudus wen take da Premier League by storm wit West Ham dis season – someting one player transferring to England rarely does in deir first year. Da midfielder stay 12th on da list in da English top flight fo’ goals per minute – not bad fo’ one midfielder in one team where even da strikers stay demanded to work back first an’ foremost. Da 23-year-old, who wen score 10 goals in 24 matches in all competitions fo’ da Hammers, first catch da attention of European clubs when Danish side FC Nordsjaelland bring him from Ghana at da age of 17 – one relative latecomer in da modern football world.</p><p>His rise from dea stay know no bounds as, two years later, he wen snap up by Ajax where he impress greatly in his three seasons in Amsterdam, as well as at da 2022 World Cup.</p><p>Ghana go love da impact he could get in providing extra quality behind one forward line of da Ayew brothers an’ Inaki Williams.</p><ol start=5><li>Youssef En-Nesyri: Morocco</li></ol><p>On one far different note to dat of Salah, Mane an’ Osimhen, Youssef En-Nesyri’s performance in front of goal stay likely fo’ hold da key to Morocco’s ambitions. Da historic achievement of reaching da World Cup semifinal in Qatar leave deir manager Walid Regragui wit one clear mission ahead: fo’ win da 2023 AFCON. Fo’ do so, Morocco need fo’ find goals.</p><p>Deir defence stay deir rock an’ stay securely guarded by Sofyan Amrabat, but deir attack need fo’ find da net more regularly an’ criticism stay been planted at da feet of En-Nesyri. Da 26-year-old’s return of 17 goals in 61 matches stay not exactly one embarrassment at da international level an’ Regragui stay highlight da Seville striker’s work rate fo’ da team as one key element of deir success. France famously win da 1998 World Cup without one recognised goalscorer, so perhaps Morocco no need fo’ panic. Dey get, however, some incredible goal scorers at da tournament who might just pinch one tight game fo’ deir side an’ leave da Atlas Lions licking deir wounds.</p><p>Da Atlas Lions stay practicing deir celebrations already @EnMaroc | #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/rk1UDarPng</p><p>— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 10, 2024</p><ol start=6><li>Andre Onana: Cameroon</li></ol><p>Onana’s return from international retirement in goal fo’ Cameroon could be as problematic fo’ da coach as it stay, no doubt, welcome fo’ da fans an’ his teammates. His dismissal from da World Cup squad during da tournament an’ subsequent retirement appear fo’ spell da end of dis international career – at least while Rigobert Song stay in charge of da team anyway.</p><p>Da 27-year-old’s recall to da squad in September fo’ da AFCON qualifiers stay one shock. Whether Onana an’ Son stay bury da hatchet or not, da ultimate sweeper keeper’s role go be vital to his team’s chances of success.</p><ol start=7><li>Riyad Mahrez: Algeria</li></ol><p>Mahrez captain Algeria to victory in da 2019 final against Senegal but one repeat in Ivory Coast no appear on da cards. Da winger stay one magician in da Premier League winning da title wit both Leicester City an’ Manchester City.</p><p>It was wit da former where one tightly knit group of players, sprinkled wit some star-studded magic, defy all da odds imaginable to secure deir first English top-flight crown. Dey had only ever been runners-up previously an’ dat was in 1928-29. Da 32-year-old, now wit Al Ahli in da Saudi Pro League, get one impressive 30 goals in 89 appearances fo’ Algeria.</p><p>Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire!</p><p>Da official ball of da #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 stay enjoying da beauty of da city ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/F62v7ufEbQ</p><p>— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 7, 2024</p><ol start=8><li></li></ol><p>— Article —</p>
