The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations will finally take place this month, following a seven-month delay. 24 teams from Africa will battle it out to be the AFCON champion. This is a selection of 12 players who we think will make an impact at the tournament – some are obvious, some less so.

Cote D’Ivoire  reached the quarter-finals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, led by Manchester United player Eric Bailly in the heart of defence. Bailly will be directing affairs from the back once more in Cameroon, ably aided by former Spurs, Paris Saint-Germain and current Villarreal defender Serge Aurier. ‘The Elephants’ will also be boosted by the arrival of twin-threat Wilfred Zaha and Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe up front. Egypt made it to the last eight in Tokyo and they were knocked out by eventual champion Brazil. Their star man Mo Salah was named in the Olympic squad but eventually dropped due to his club Liverpool’s decision not to allow him to travel to Japan.

‘The Pharoahs’ will have a huge boost with Salah ready to star in Cameroon: Egyptian fans will be hoping that the current Premier league top scorer can help fire them to a record eight African title.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-5089981496810613&output=html&h=165&slotname=9061296982&adk=95119653&adf=2698566572&pi=t.ma~as.9061296982&w=660&fwrn=4&lmt=1641623387&rafmt=11&psa=1&format=660×165&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fstar-studded-afcon-gets-underway-in-cameroon%2F&flash=0&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMC4wLjAiLCJ4ODYiLCIiLCI5Ny4wLjQ2OTIuNzEiLFtdLG51bGwsbnVsbCwiMzIiXQ..&dt=1641634782491&bpp=26&bdt=4621&idt=26&shv=r20220104&mjsv=m202112060101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Ddd6d1dbd01139fee-227fb0a16fca00db%3AT%3D1628514740%3ART%3D1630659468%3AS%3DALNI_MYUh9iXyz7duhiFlUiS85JhnKdwjw&prev_fmts=0x0%2C728x90%2C160x600%2C160x600%2C660x280&nras=1&correlator=2126489374925&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=668275253.1617516278&ga_sid=1641634780&ga_hid=2049831373&ga_fc=1&rplot=4&u_tz=60&u_his=6&u_h=800&u_w=1280&u_ah=760&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.1&dmc=2&adx=79&ady=1258&biw=1148&bih=611&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44750774%2C31063946%2C21067496&oid=2&pvsid=1585563233296031&pem=536&tmod=460&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Frestructuring-not-threat-to-nigerias-unity-ohanaeze%2F&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C760%2C1164%2C626&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=1152&bc=31&ifi=6&uci=a!6&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=buMQgexYp8&p=https%3A//thenationonlineng.net&dtd=63

Coach Carlos Queiroz has bolstered the Egyptian squad with the call-up of Salah, Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny, Al Ahly keeper Mohamed El-Shennawy, and Aston Villa winger Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan.

Senegal are stacked with star names too like Salah’s Liverpool strike partner Sadio Mane, world-class centre-back and captain Kalidou Koulibaly, who plays in Italy for Napoli, and the Premier League duo of Edouard Mendy and Chiekhou Kouyate joining PSG’s Idrissa Gana Gueye. Then there’s Algeria who have an attacking line-up that’ll give defenders waking nightmares, led by Mahrez and West Ham winger Benrahma with Adam Ounas (Napoli, Italy) and Islam Slimani (Lyon, France) ones to watch too.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-5089981496810613&output=html&h=280&slotname=8912298143&adk=4226576526&adf=159289874&pi=t.ma~as.8912298143&w=660&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1641623387&rafmt=1&psa=1&format=660×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fstar-studded-afcon-gets-underway-in-cameroon%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&fwrattr=true&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMC4wLjAiLCJ4ODYiLCIiLCI5Ny4wLjQ2OTIuNzEiLFtdLG51bGwsbnVsbCwiMzIiXQ..&dt=1641634782624&bpp=3&bdt=4753&idt=3&shv=r20220104&mjsv=m202112060101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Ddd6d1dbd01139fee-227fb0a16fca00db%3AT%3D1628514740%3ART%3D1630659468%3AS%3DALNI_MYUh9iXyz7duhiFlUiS85JhnKdwjw&prev_fmts=0x0%2C728x90%2C160x600%2C160x600%2C660x280%2C660x165&nras=1&correlator=2126489374925&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=668275253.1617516278&ga_sid=1641634780&ga_hid=2049831373&ga_fc=1&u_tz=60&u_his=6&u_h=800&u_w=1280&u_ah=760&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.1&dmc=2&adx=79&ady=1735&biw=1148&bih=611&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44750774%2C31063946%2C21067496&oid=2&pvsid=1585563233296031&pem=536&tmod=460&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Frestructuring-not-threat-to-nigerias-unity-ohanaeze%2F&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C760%2C1164%2C626&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=1152&bc=31&ifi=7&uci=a!7&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=Sz8h2QGRQp&p=https%3A//thenationonlineng.net&dtd=28

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At the back the experienced Issa Mandy, who plays in Spain’s La Liga with Villarreal, is rocklike. Then there’s Morocco’s Sevilla trio of goalkeeper Yassine Bono, and attacking double threat Munir El Haddadi, and Youssef En-Nesyri.

But they won’t have Barcelona’s exciting 20-year-old wide man Ez Abde as Xavi has convinced him that Barca need him and he has an important role to play over the next few weeks. And we still haven’t talked about a certain Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who’ll lead the Gabon line.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-5089981496810613&output=html&h=280&slotname=3755657467&adk=2450216773&adf=2199210496&pi=t.ma~as.3755657467&w=660&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1641623387&rafmt=1&psa=1&format=660×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Fstar-studded-afcon-gets-underway-in-cameroon%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&fwrattr=true&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMC4wLjAiLCJ4ODYiLCIiLCI5Ny4wLjQ2OTIuNzEiLFtdLG51bGwsbnVsbCwiMzIiXQ..&dt=1641634782958&bpp=53&bdt=5087&idt=53&shv=r20220104&mjsv=m202112060101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3Ddd6d1dbd01139fee-227fb0a16fca00db%3AT%3D1628514740%3ART%3D1630659468%3AS%3DALNI_MYUh9iXyz7duhiFlUiS85JhnKdwjw&prev_fmts=0x0%2C728x90%2C160x600%2C160x600%2C660x280%2C660x165%2C660x280&nras=1&correlator=2126489374925&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=668275253.1617516278&ga_sid=1641634780&ga_hid=2049831373&ga_fc=1&u_tz=60&u_his=6&u_h=800&u_w=1280&u_ah=760&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.1&dmc=2&adx=79&ady=2276&biw=1148&bih=611&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44750774%2C31063946%2C21067496&oid=2&pvsid=1585563233296031&pem=536&tmod=442&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fthenationonlineng.net%2Frestructuring-not-threat-to-nigerias-unity-ohanaeze%2F&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C760%2C1164%2C626&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CeEbr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=1152&bc=31&ifi=8&uci=a!8&btvi=3&fsb=1&xpc=ES3ikWGDjW&p=https%3A//thenationonlineng.net&dtd=68

You could go on.Like Nigeria’s Leicester City’s holding midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and his Foxes teammate Kelechi Iheanacho.

MOHAMED SALAH (EGYPT)

Probably the best performing player in world football across 2021-22 will be at AFCON 2021, with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah hoping to lead Egypt to their first Africa Cup of Nations title since 2010.

Salah has been in frighteningly good form in the domestic season so far, continuing his excellent career at Liverpool since joining the club in 2017-18. In all five seasons he’s been at the Premier League side, Salah has scored at least 20 goals, with his goal in his last appearance against Chelsea his 23rd of 2021-22. With 16 goals and nine assists, the Liverpool star has 25 goal involvements in the Premier League already in 2021-22, having played just 20 games. He’s averaged a goal involvement every 71 minutes in the Premier League this season, which is his best rate in any top-flight league campaign across his career.

Across all competitions, Salah has 23 goals in 26 appearances this season for Liverpool. The record for a player across all competitions for Premier League clubs is 44 goals which is currently held by Salah himself from 2017-18, level with Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002-03 for Manchester United.

A major part of Salah’s game is his ability to run at opposition defences in the build up to a goal. In the Premier League this season, he’s scored five goals and assisted four more following a ball carry of at least five metres – those nine goal involvements are four more than any other player.

Salah comes into this Africa Cup of Nations tournament with 10 previous appearances and four goals across his two tournaments in 2017 and 2019, with Egypt hoping his goals can fire them to glory this time around after a disappointing exit in the Last 16 to South Africa in the last edition.

KAMALDEEN SULEMANA (GHANA)

The transfer of Kamaldeen Sulemana from FC Nordsjælland to Rennes wasn’t headline news outside of Denmark, but the move for a reported €20 million came with some pressure attached. That fee was record tally received by a Danish club, but it’s proven money well spent for the Ligue 1 side so far in 2021-22.

Still only 19 years old and the third youngest name in Ghana’s squad for this tournament, Sulemana has enjoyed his time at Rennes across the first five months – he’s scored four goals and assisted two more in just 996 minutes of Ligue 1 action.

What attracted Rennes to the young Ghanian star? In last season’s Danish Superliga, he attempted 246 take-ons – almost double the number of LoukaPrip, who attempted the second most (126). If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is. Only Lionel Messi attempted more (261) in the entire top five European Leagues last season.

Kamaldeen harnessed his pace and dribbling skills to also lead the Danish Superliga for take-ons in opposition half (199), nearly double that of Jesper Lindstrom in second (104) also led the league for take-ons in the opposition box (34).

Sulemana made his full senior debut for Ghana in October 2020 in their match against Mali. At the time of writing, he is yet to score in six appearances for the Black Stars, but there’s every chance he could break his duck in this tournament.RELATED POSTS

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EDMOND TAPSOBA  (BURKINA FASO)

Still only 22 years old, Edmond Tapsoba’s qualities have been obvious since he joined Bayer Leverkusen in January 2020 from Portuguese club Vitória Guimarães.

The Burkina Faso central defender is dependable – only making one error leading to an opposition goal in his 54 Bundesliga appearances – but also comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Across his Bundesliga career, he’s rarely given possession away, averaging a 90% pass accuracy, but should passing options be unavailable, Tapsoba is also one of the most adept defenders at carrying the ball out of defence and progressing the ball up field.

Since 2020-21, only one player has averaged more ball carries per 90 minutes than the Burkinabé defender (24.3), while Bayern’s Alphonso Davies is the only player to average more progressive ball carries per 90 than the Burkina Faso international (13.5). At 6-foot-4, he is an imposing figure in both boxes and will be a threat at set-pieces for Burkina Faso at this tournament, as shown with his recent Bundesliga goal against Greuther Fürth in December.

Despite having host nation Cameroon in their group, Burkina Faso should expect to qualify for the knockout stages at AFCON 2021. Having an in-form Edmond Tapsoba in the heart of their defence will be crucial to securing that.

ANDRÉ ONANA  (CAMEROON)

André Onana comes into AFCON 2021 with little football under his belt. The Cameroon goalkeeper will likely be the first choice in goal for the host nation in the tournament, despite playing just two competitive matches for Ajax in 2021-22 after a global ban following a failed drugs test.

Now backup at Ajax, Onana has agreed a deal at Serie A side Internazionale when his contract runs out in the Netherlands this summer and there’s little doubt at the quality that the reigning Italian champions will be getting with his signature.

Before his suspension, Onana was one of the best performing goalkeepers in the Dutch Eredivisie.  According to Opta’s Expected Goals on Target data, across 2019-20 and 2020-21 the Ajax shot-stopper prevented 10 goals with his saves.

In 2018-19 he was a key part of the young Ajax side that progressed to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, where he became the first ever African goalkeeper to play in a semi-final in the competition since its inception in 1992 – a record that was surpassed by Édouard Mendy in 2020-21 when his Chelsea side reached the final before defeating Manchester City.

Onana will be playing in his second Africa Cup of Nations tournament this time around, following 2019. In that tournament, Onana and Cameroon kept a clean sheet in all three group stage matches but were eventually undone by Nigeria (3-2) in the Last 16. They’ll be hoping that they can go further as host nation on this occasion, and their goalkeeper will be key to any chance they have.

MOHAMED BAYO  (GUINEA)

Mohamed Bayo comes into AFCON 2021 as Guinea’s major goal threat following a brilliant 18 months at club level. His nation are expected to qualify for the Last 16 from Group B, but they’ll need Bayo to continue his club form to do so.

Only two players have scored more goals in Ligue 1 this season than the Clermont man (9). His nine goals mean he’s scored 45% of his side’s league total so far in 2021-22.

This follows an exceptional 2020-21 domestic season, in which Bayo topped the Ligue 2 scoring charts with 22 goals to fire Clermont Foot to the French top-flight. Last season he averaged a goal every 140 minutes in the second tier within France, and so far, the step up to Ligue 1 hasn’t phased him at all, with Bayo currently averaging a goal every 149 minutes in 2021-22.

Despite previously being a winger earlier in his career, Bayo has adapted to the needs of a striker within the box. His eight non-penalty goals in Ligue 1 this season have an average distance of 7.4 yards, which is like last season where he scored all 22 of his goals from inside the box. In fact, no player has scored more goals inside the six-yard box than Bayo in Ligue 1 this season (four).

Only one of Guinea’s last six Africa Cup of Nations participations have seen them fail to make it out of the group stage (2012), so there’s a good chance they can progress to the Round of 16 and beyond in this tournament, so Bayo could have a great outside chance of finishing as top scorer.

ILIAS CHAIR (MOROCCO)

In 2021, Ilias Chair cemented his place in the Morocco squad, winning seven caps and even netting his first goal for his country versus Guinea-Bissau in October. Chair, who cuts a diminutive figure, is a player whose stock has been on the rise in England in recent years. AFCON 2021 might prove to be the stage in which Chair establishes himself as a starter