No one can deny that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations is the most prestigious football competition in Africa. The event brings together all of the best players from each country, and it’s always a joy to watch.
The CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 will occur between 21 December 2025 and 18 January 2026, but we already know that some players will be more popular. Many of you may wonder which names will stand out, so let’s learn more about each one.
Issoufou Dayo
Everyone who follows the African football scene knows that Issoufou Dayo is one of the most recognizable names on the continent. Despite being 34 years old, Dayo remains one of the most dangerous and respected footballers in Africa, and for a good reason.
Aside from his success with Renaissance Sportive de Berkane, Issoufou Dayo also has impressive results at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Burkina Faso’s star will do everything possible to help his country lift the trophy.
If everything is well, this will be Dayo’s fourth CAF Africa Cup of Nations. His most impressive result so far is third place in 2017, so he will be motivated to do even better.
Amanallah Memmiche
Unlike Dayo, Memmiche is one of the younger players who will compete at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. The 21-year-old will compete for Tunisia and try to help his country win the most prestigious football event on the continent.
Despite his age and the fact that this will be his first CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Amanallah Memmiche will play a key role in his country. Currently, the player is the goalkeeper of the leader in Tunisia’s Ligue 1.
Prior to taking part in the AFCON, the player will also compete at the FIFA Club World Cup with his team, Esperance. The tournament will take place in the US, so definitely check it out if you want to see him in action.
Ngal’ayel Mukau
Although Ngal’ayel Mukau was born in Belgium, the 21-year-old player plays for the Democratic Republic of Congo. He made his debut for his country in November 2024, when he played in the CAF African Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Ngal’ayel Mukau’s career has been going really well so far. The player is a part of Lille after joining the club for 4M EUR. Before that, Mukau was playing in Belgium’s reserve league, but he was clearly on another level. Nowadays, he is often regarded as one of Africa’s most prosperous players.
Djigui Diarra
Some countries in Africa have always had interesting goalkeepers, and Mali is no exception. The country’s current goalkeeper is Djigui Diarra, and he has been playing for Young Africans, a team in Tanzania.
Djigui Diarra will try to help his country win Africa’s most prestigious tournament this December. Assuming the player take part in the competition, this will be his 5th event, which is really impressive, considering his age. The 30-year-old has 65 matches for his country at the time of writing this, and he has proven himself to be the go-to goalkeeper.
Brahim Diaz
Another name that fans will definitely want to keep an eye on during the CAF African Cup of Nations 2025 is Brahim Diaz. Although he had the option to play for Spain, the player chose Morocco instead and has been a key part of the team. In fact, it is safe to say that he is one of the reasons why Morocco performed so well in the qualifiers.
Diaz is currently playing for Real Madrid and will try to help the Atlas Lions win the important title. Morocco last lifted the trophy in 1976, but considering the tournament will take place in the country, the team has excellent chances of winning.
Although he joined Real Madrid in 2019, Diaz played for AC Milan on loan between 2020 and 2023. After three impressive seasons with the Italian club, Los Blancos decided they needed him again.
Simon Adingra
People who have been following AFCON probably know that Côte d’Ivoire is the reigning champion. The country lifted the trophy last time the tournament took place there. Although Simon Adingra only played a few matches due to an injury, he had a crucial role in his team’s success, and we believe the same will happen again.
Considering Côte d’Ivoire’s player is just 23 years old, he is definitely one of Africa’s most promising players. Currently, he is in the English Premier League and plays for Sunderland, so the Elephants will definitely use this to their advantage. Defending the trophy will be hard, but there’s no arguing that Côte d’Ivoire has what it takes.
Teboho Mokoena
South Africa’s current team looks very interesting, and fans can’t wait to see if they will live up to their expectations. Among the reasons why football fans will follow SA’s results is Teboho Mokoena. He is one of the country’s most promising players and became the team’s star, especially after what he did last year.
Mokoena is a 28-year-old defensive midfielder who will join South Africa in his second CAF African Cup of Nations. We expect a lot from him because he’s enjoying a fantastic season with Mamelodi Sundowns. The latter is (at the time of writing) leading the competition in South Africa and has a good chance of winning the CAF Champions League.
Conclusion
There is still a lot of time until the CAF African Cup of Nations 2025 takes place, but all the players mentioned above will have a crucial role in their teams. Speaking of the event and players, don’t forget that bookmakers will come up with unique options you can bet on. Expect to find things like special individual markets, exclusive bonuses, and much more.
