EPL stars to watch in AFCON 2023

The 2023 African Cup of Nations edition will kick off on January 13, 2024, in the Ivory Coast. Sadio Mane will be instrumental as Senegal looks to defend the title they won two years ago. You’re probably wondering why AFCON 2023 while the matches are being played in 2024. Well, the finals were initially scheduled for the summer in the northern hemisphere but were postponed to January 2024 to avoid the rainy season in that region.

Unfortunately for some EPL teams, some of their stars will have to leave for international duty. This piece looks at some EPL stars to watch during this tournament. If you are planning to wager on the tournament events, this will help you when making predictions. In the meantime, reading this Betano registration process explained by Bettors NG guide will help you get started faster. Let’s look at some EPL starts that could decide the AFCON tournament.

Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest)

Ivory Coast will have four players from the EPL joining the national team to help them compete for the AFCON title. Nottingham Forest’s Serge Aurier, Willy Boly, and Ibrahim Sangare were all named in The Elephant’s squad. Additionally, Brighton’s Simon Adingra will be joining the rest.

Being the hosts, Ivory Coast will expect their EPL stars to lead the charge as they look to win the title on home soil. Ibrahim Sangare is expected to continue his good form in midfield and help Jean-Louis Gasset’s men be competitive.

Mo Salah (Liverpool)

Mohamed Salah is set to lead Egypt at the AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast. He will be the skipper of coach Rui Vitoria’s 27-man squad. The Liverpool forward will head into this tournament in the form of his life.

In 2023, Opta numbers show Salah scored 24 goals and provided 15 assists across the calendar year. He is the only player to reach 15 goals and 15 assists in the top five European leagues. If he continues his attacking form, supported by the likes of Mohamed Elneny, he will give Egypt a good chance to win the tournament.

Yves Bissouma (Tottenham)

The arrival of Ange Postecoglou has helped revive Yves Bissouma’s career at Tottenham. The previous managers didn’t know how to deploy the midfielder. However, Bissouma has been a key player for Tottenham this season.

While Mali has not released their squad names yet, it is expected that Bissouma will be among the first names on the list. If he can replicate his Tottenham form at the AFCON, then Mali will be a tough opponent for their opponents.

Andre Onana

The Manchester United goalkeeper has had a tough start to life at Old Trafford. All eyes will be on him as he represents Cameroon in the AFCON. The 27-year-old had retired from international football in 2022 after falling out with Eto, the FECAFOOT president. However, he was persuaded to return and will feature for his country in AFCON 2023.

The interesting bit is that United and Cameroon have agreed that the goalie will join his international teammates immediately after United’s match against Tottenham on January 14. After that, he will be available to play for the Indomitable Lions against Guinea on January 15. If he can replicate the form he had when he helped Inter reach the Champions League final, Onana will be a key player for Cameroon.