The latest edition of the African Cup of Nations is right around the corner, with the tournament kicking off on Saturday in Gabon. Defending champions Ivory Coast will be there, as well as 15 other nations vying to lift the crown.
Several big-name players who ply their trade in Europe will also take center-stage, arriving from the English Premier League and Bundesliga. Here we will take a look at three attackers who can make this one interesting competition: Riyad Mahrez, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Sadio Mane.
Who performed best during the qualifiers?
Unfortunately for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, he gets disqualified from this category. Since his nation, Gabon, are the hosts, his side grabbed an automatic qualification.
Sadio Mane: 3 goals
Riyad Mahrez: 2 goals
This round goes to the Senegalese forward.
How they have been performing this season for club
Riyad Mahrez: 7 goals, 3 goals (EPL + UCL)
Sadio Mane: 9 goals, 4 assists (EPL)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 20 goals, 2 assists (Bundesliga + UCL)
Here are all three men standing together
Aubameyang lost his luggage in the airport before the African Player Of The Year Awards pic.twitter.com/PEkn62MdXi
— Team FA (@TeamFA) January 6, 2017
The numbers show that it is the BVB striker who is enjoying a stellar season. This is not shocking, as he has long been bagging goals for fun with his Bundesliga employers. His services will be missed by his German club until he returns.
Mane, who joined Liverpool over the summer, has been one of the club’s standout players this campaign. Although he doesn’t boast numbers equal to the Gabonese ace, his contributions have helped the Reds reach second spot in the league.
Mahrez has been this season’s disappointment. After the heights he reached last season with Leicester, winning the Premier League title then the PFA Player of the Year crown, a lot was expected from him. He, alongside several other Leicester stars, haven’t been able to perform this term.
Why Mahrez should be confident heading into AFCON 2017?
Because he was crowned Africa’s Player of the Year by the CAF, beating previous winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sadio Mane. That is one win for the Algerian.
Who will go furthest in the competition?
Sadio Mane and his Senegalese side are FIFA’s highest ranked African nation, and thus boast the best chance of going far in the competition. Algeria are Africa’s fifth best ranked side, but the likes of Mahrez and Islam Slimani will give them a cutting-edge attack force.
The host Gabon are ranked 110 in the world. They are not favorites to lift the title, but with the home crowd and Aubameyang leading their attack, anything is possible. This means all three players have a fair chance to shine, but only one can come out victorious.
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