Best Premier League players at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) | OneFootball

Senegal were crowned 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a dramatic 1-0 win against tournament hosts Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

Both sides couldn’t be separated after 90 minutes, but an early goal in extra time from Pape Gueye was enough to help Senegal reclaim the crown.

There were plenty of highlights from what will go down as one of the most chaotic AFCON campaigns in history.

However, a number of Premier League players stood out for their performances.

A total of 33 Premier League players represented their respective nations at AFCON, but we’ve picked out a few of them who made waves on the continental stage.

Alex Iwobi – Nigeria/Fulham

Alex Iwobi was the lynchpin of a Nigerian team that deserved more than their third-place finish.

Many will point to Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman as the driving forces. But they both benefited from Iwobi’s phenomenal supply line with the Fulham star pulling the strings in midfield.

The 29-year-old notched two assists in six games, averaging 2.3 key passes per 90 minutes, which led to creating two big chances. But those numbers hardly do justice to his phenomenal form at AFCON.

Going into the semi-final, where Nigeria’s AFCON journey ended, Iwobi had recorded a stunning 46 line-breaking passes (including 36 in the knockout round alone).

Iwobi was the engine of Nigeria’s attacking brilliance. He created a total of 11 chances at an average of just over two per 90 minutes.

Lyle Foster – South Africa/Burnley

South Africa were eliminated from AFCON in the last-16 after a gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat to Cameroon, but Lyle Foster’s performances stood out for Bafana Bafana.

The Burnley striker was undoubtedly one of the best players in the South African team, and he led the line for David Pagou’s side with aplomb.

Foster was directly involved in four of South Africa’s six group-stage goals, bagging two goals and two assists in four games while creating two big chances.

His efforts weren’t enough to help South Africa get past the last 16, but the Burnley striker can be satisfied with his individual performance in the tournament.

Omar Marmoush – Egypt/Manchester City

Omar Marmoush has struggled to assert himself in Pep Guardiola’s first-team plans at Manchester City, but his performance for Egypt should give the Spanish tactician something to think about.

The 26-year-old led the line for the Pharaohs alongside Mohamed Salah and scored two crucial goals to help Egypt reach the semi-finals.

Marmoush scored a late winner in the curtain raiser against Zimbabwe and opened the scoring in the thrilling 3-2 win over Cote d’Ivoire in the quarter finals.

Mohamed Salah – Egypt/Liverpool

Speaking of Salah, the Premier League veteran arrived at AFCON on the back of a bombshell interview that sparked mayhem at Liverpool.

But he was able to put that behind him and focus on firing Egypt to the AFCON semi-final.

The Liverpool star scored in four consecutive AFCON games en route to the last four, and three of them were match-winning goals.

Salah came up clutch for his country before they were ultimately undone by champions Senegal.

The 33-year-old failed to assert himself in that disappointing exit as his wait for a first AFCON crown goes on. He’d be hoping to maintain his form when he returns to Liverpool.

Amad Diallo – Cote d’Ivoire/Manchester United

Manchester United forward Amad Diallo stole the spotlight in a star-studded Cote d’Ivoire team.

Despite playing in only his second AFCON tournament, Amad spearheaded Ivory Coast’s impressive run to the quarter-finals, recording three goals and an assist in five games.

Amad scored in back-to-back games at the start of the tournament, including a second-half winner in Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Mozambique in the curtain raiser.

The United forward followed that up with a goal and an assist in a 3-0 demolition of Burkina Faso in the last 16, but missed a big chance against Egypt that would have made him joint-second AFCON top scorer.

El Hadji Malick Diouf – Senegal/West Ham United

West Ham United defender El Hadji Malick Diouf caught the eye with his performances for Senegal at AFCON, cementing his spot as one of the best full-backs in the tournament.

He played a key role in helping Senegal win their second AFCON title in three editions.

Diouf hardly put a foot wrong across his five appearances. He was a creative force going forward (setting up two big chances), but not at the expense of his primary defensive duties.

The 21-year-old won 58% of his duels, while averaging 1.8 tackles, 3.4 ball recoveries, and 3.8 clearances per match. He also helped to keep an impressive four clean sheets throughout the campaign.

Idrissa Gueye – Senegal/Everton

Idrissa Gueye was a force to be reckoned with at the heart of Senegal’s midfield. He played every minute of every game for Senegal and kept the team ticking throughout the campaign.

The Everton midfielder was arguably the most consistent player in the Senegalese team and was crucial to their title win.

Gueye recorded the most successful passes in the opposition half (243) and line-breaking passes (92) at the tournament, while also having the second-most touches (488).

As Senegal’s most-capped player, the 36-year-old’s experience was key to his nation’s remarkable triumph in Morocco.

Noussair Mazraoui – Morocco/Manchester United

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui was a standout performer for Morocco, helping the Atlas Lions reach the final without conceding a single goal from open play.

Mazraoui’s versatility came in handy for Morocco as he lined up on either side of the backline and helped Walid Regragui’s side keep five clean sheets in six games.

The 26-year-old put in a complete and consistent performance for Morocco throughout the campaign and was rewarded with an assist for his attacking impetus.

He also won an impressive 62% of his duels while averaging 3.3 tackles and 2.1 clearances per game.

Bryan Mbeumo – Cameroon/Manchester United

Like his African counterparts, Bryan Mbeumo also played a key role for his country.

He showed no signs of a player who is still adapting to life at Man United and significantly contributed to Cameroon’s journey to the quarter-final.

Mbeumo failed to get on the score sheet and only had one assist to his name in five games, but the numbers don’t do justice to his performances.

The 26-year-old created an impressive five big chances throughout the campaign, averaging 2.2 key passes per 90 minutes.

Special recognition

Brahim Diaz – Morocco/Real Madrid

While Premier League stars had their moments on the continental stage, one player who truly stole the spotlight at the 2025 AFCON was Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz.

With five goals in seven games for Morocco, Diaz finished the campaign as AFCON top scorer and could have extended his tally but for a moment of madness in the final.

Both sides deadlocked after 90 minutes, but Diaz had a chance to end Morocco’s 50-year wait for the continental crown after winning a highly controversial penalty in the last minute of stoppage time.

The Madrid star went for a Panenka and fluffed his lines as Edouard Mendy gathered his effort without breaking a sweat, turning him from a national hero to a historic villain in a matter of minutes.