The Aftermath of AFCON 2025: Who Is Africa’s Best Right Now?
AFCON 2025 is over, and club football takes center stage again. The big question: who is the best African player in the world right now?
Post-AFCON Reset: Who Is Africa’s Best Now?
AFCON 2025 in Morocco delivered drama, goals, and surprises, but now that the tournament lights have dimmed, the focus returns to clubs and the Champions League. The question on everyone’s mind is simple but loaded: who is the best African player in the world right now?
This analysis isn’t just about recent form; it’s also about consistency over time. Players like Fofana have proven they can adapt seamlessly to new clubs while maintaining impact, while established stars like Achraf Hakimi combine trophies, reliability, and a status few can match.
Africans in the European Elite
The continent continues to produce world-class talent in Europe. Omar Marmoush, despite struggling for regular minutes at Manchester City, remains highly sought-after after his explosive half-season at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Meanwhile, Antoine Semenyo, who missed AFCON due to Ghana’s failure to qualify, has made up for it with standout performances at Bournemouth and a big-money move to Manchester City. His Premier League goal tally cements his reputation as one of the continent’s top wingers.
Emerging Talent: Africa’s Balance
On the other hand, rising talents like Bryan Mbeumo and Serhou Guirassy are establishing themselves in European clubs, showing that Africa still produces late bloomers with explosive impact. Ademola Lookman, in Italy, has scored decisive goals in Europe, including a historic hat-trick in the Europa League final. Meanwhile, Brahim Diaz, though born in Spain, became Morocco’s poster boy at AFCON, winning the AFCON 2025 Golden Boot, proving his talent is too big to remain peripheral at Real Madrid.
Africa’s Pinnacle: Hakimi, Salah, Mané, and Osimhen
At the very top, the competition is fierce. Sadio Mané, despite approaching the twilight of his career, continues to show that experience matters. At 33, he shone at AFCON 2025, scoring twice and providing three assists in six matches, leading Senegal to continental glory.
Victor Osimhen continue to prove their elite status. The Nigerian striker has won league titles in Italy and Turkey. At 27, he’s getting closer to becoming Nigeria’s all-time top scorer, solidifying his role as the face of the Super Eagles.
Mohamed Salah, despite a slight dip this season, remains one of the deadliest African players of all time. And Achraf Hakimi, with a glittering trophy haul in Spain, Germany, Italy, and France, leads the list for consistency, trophies, and potential.
The debate continues: should we prioritize immediate post-AFCON form or long-term dominance? Africa has a generation of talent capable of making an impact both at their clubs and on the international stage.
