CAIRO — All eyes will be on Mohamed Salah and his Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane during the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) to date, but who could make a name for themselves in the next 29 days?
Here, Sportsmail highlights seven players you should keep an eye out for during the Afcon finals which begun in Egypt yesterday.
Nicolas Pepe – Ivory Coast
One of the more well-known names on the list, Nicolas Pepe was quietly flying under the radar until last season where he impressively scored 23 goals in 41 appearances for Ligue 1 side Lille with only Kylian Mbappe scoring more in the league.
The 24-year-old was voted as Lille’s player of the season after he helped guide the French side to second in the table while securing Champions League football for them next season.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal have all been linked with the £70 million-rated winger who will likely cause several problems for opponents when using his speed down the right-hand side.
Ismaila Sarr – Senegal
Along with Pepe, Ismaila Sarr enjoyed his breakout season in Ligue 1 last season.
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The 21-year-old managed to reach double figures for both goals and assists for Rennes, scoring 13 times in all competitions.
Arsenal, Newcastle and Watford are all keeping tabs on the winger and the Senegal international will be sure to catch the attention of plenty more clubs with a series of good performances in Egypt.
Samuel Chukwueze – Nigeria
Having only stepped up to Villarreal’s senior side in November, Samuel Chukwueze has done exceptionally well in such a short space of time.
The highly-rated winger, who only turned 20 last month, has drawn comparisons to Holland great Arjen Robben.
It’s easy to see why with Chukwueze possessing a potent left foot and desire to cut inside from out wide.
And it appears to be working for him with the youngster netting 10 goals in 47 appearances last season, which also included Villarreal’s first against Barcelona in the thrilling 4-4 draw which required strikes from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in the dying seconds to spare the Catalan giants’ blushes.
Trezeguet – Egypt
While not to be confused with the great French striker, Trezeguet still packs a punch on the opposite flank to Salah for Egypt.
The 24-year-old currently plys his trade in the Turkish Super Lig for Kasimpasa and scored a respectable nine goals in 34 league appearances last season.
Trezeguet also set up his team-mates to score 10 times in all competitions, which earned him a place in the Super Lig’s team of the season.
Marvelous Nakamba – Zimbabwe
While he easily has the best name out of our seven picks, Marvelous Nakamba has often lived up to the adjective for Zimbabwe and Club Brugge.
The 25-year-old has built up a reputation for being a hard worker and bullish in the centre of the park while his performances for in the Jupiler Pro League have attracted interest from Newcastle, Watford and Premier League returnees Aston Villa.
More impressively in the Champions League, Nakamba helped contain the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Monaco and Atletico Madrid as the Belgian side kept three clean sheets while conceding just four goals in five games.
Let’s hope he stays true to his moniker over the next month.
Hakim Ziyech – Morocco
If you tuned in to watch the Champions League last season, then you surely will have heard of Hakim Ziyech.
The 26-year-old was phenomenal in a young and brilliant Ajax side that almost reached the final.
Ziyech scored in both legs to help knock Real Madrid out of the competition while he was crucial to Ajax winning the domestic double.
Youcef Atal – Algeria
Playing under Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, Youcef Atal has enjoyed a superb breakout season at Nice.
The 23-year-old chipped in with six goals from the right-back position which has caught the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico, Inter Milan and Spurs are all monitoring his progress and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he got a big-money move this summer.
sportsmail
