The two best African teams will face off in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday, and it promises to be an excellent game.
Morocco fought off Nigeria on penalties to set up a showcase final with Senegal, who beat Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 2-0 in their semi-final.
There have been some standout performers at the 2026 AFCON. The big names like Salah and Victor Osimhen have been excellent, but here we’re focusing on players you might not have seen much of before.
Here are seven AFCON stars we think deserve a shot in the Premier League after a strong tournament. Liverpool might want to get on the phone after missing out on Antoine Semenyo…
Ademola Lookman – AFCON 2026 standout ready for Premier League return
Look, man – everyone has known about Nigeria and Atalanta forward Lookman for a while, but an elite Africa Cup of Nations campaign could be what finally earns him a long-awaited Premier League return.
Only three players (Salah, Osimhen and Brahim Diaz) have scored more than Lookman at the tournament, and the former Fulham and Leicester City man is the top assister with four. That’s seven goal involvements in total, and he still has the final to play. Those numbers had Lookman as the highest-rated player on WhoScored at 8.08, with second-placed Salah on 7.73 before Nigeria beat Egypt on penalties in the third-place match.
At 28 years old, Premier League clubs might be reluctant to spend big on Lookman, but the quality is clear to see. Another reservation clubs might have is how little impact he made during spells at Leicester and Fulham. If he doesn’t get another crack at the Premier League, he will forever be remembered for that awful Panenka penalty at the London Stadium.
Penalties are a touchy subject for any Nigerian right now, and Lookman didn’t even step up in Wednesday’s shootout defeat to Morocco. As Osimhen wasn’t on the pitch, he was probably doing a Cristiano Ronaldo and saving himself for the glory as fifth taker.
He won’t be the designated penalty taker if he goes to Liverpool – that will always be Salah – but if the Reds were to sign him, Lookman would provide much-needed cover behind the Egyptian legend. They could do a lot worse, and he’d be an ideal signing if Arne Slot wants someone capable of making an instant impact.
Or maybe Lookman is not welcome at Anfield after his winner against Liverpool in 2021/22…
READ: Is Bundesliga tax real? Lookman ranks low after Fulham, Leicester spells…
Yan Diomande – Leipzig winger destined for Premier League move
Another player well known to the Premier League’s elite, Diomande looks certain to be the next big RB Leipzig sale, and a stellar AFCON with Ivory Coast has done his stock no harm.
The former Rangers trialist is probably good enough to make an instant impact at Anfield, but at 19 years of age he is still raw and would likely need time to adapt to the Premier League.
The teenager has caught the eye from the wing for Leipzig this season, notably scoring a hat-trick against a decent Eintracht Frankfurt side and previously going on a run of three goals and three assists in three Bundesliga games.
Leipzig only missed their young star for one game – a home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen – and he was back in action following the German winter break, coming off the bench in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Freiburg, no doubt wishing he was playing in an AFCON semi-final with Ivory Coast.
The nine-cap Ivorian did well at AFCON, scoring in the round-of-16 victory over Burkina Faso. He is destined for the top and has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Ibrahim Maza – Bayer Leverkusen star emerging at AFCON
German-born Algeria star Maza only joined Leverkusen from Hertha Berlin last summer, but he’s been very, very impressive and carried that club form into AFCON with some strong performances, despite Algeria losing in the quarter-final to Lookman’s Nigeria.
Maza was linked with a move to the Premier League back in November 2024, with Newcastle United reportedly ahead of Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, West Ham and Brentford in the race for his signature. The Magpies would have been a superb move, but he’ll be pretty glad he held out for Leverkusen.
The 20-year-old is now being linked with Barcelona, and his form for both club and country should have Premier League sides on red alert. Newcastle, still, could do a lot worse…
Abde Ezzalzouli – Morocco’s AFCON final hero to West Ham?
Morocco attacker Abde doesn’t seem to be on the radar of Premier League clubs, but that could change after helping the Atlas Lions (great nickname, by the way) reach the final of this year’s AFCON.
The 24-year-old was excellent for Real Betis before departing for the tournament, registering six goals and five assists in 18 matches across all competitions. At AFCON, he has just one assist across six appearances (four starts), but he’s impressed and should start in Sunday’s final.
He feels more West Ham than anyone else, which is probably quite a damning indictment of a player.
Krepin Diatta – Senegal versatile star suited to Premier League
A move to Turkey looks more likely for AS Monaco winger Diatta, but he could certainly do a job in England. Naturally, it’s all of Besiktas, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce who have been linked with a player who seems very Super Lig.
Diatta plays right-back for Senegal but is naturally an attacking player, which hints at a potential wing-back role if he does come to the Premier League. Leeds United or Crystal Palace, maybe? Certainly not Manchester United now Ruben Amorim is gone.
Now would be the time to pick up a decent player on the cheap, with Diatta’s contract expiring in the summer.
Azzedine Ounahi – AFCON maestro who deserves Premier League transfer
A strong AFCON could be what’s needed to get Ounahi out of Girona, where he has been the standout performer in a difficult 2025/26 campaign.
Ounahi has experience earning a big move off the back of an international tournament, leaving Angers for Marseille in January 2023 after helping Morocco become the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.
The 25-year-old impressed then, though there were understandable reservations about his physical attributes. It would be fair to say Ounahi hasn’t bulked up much since 2022, but he remains a very technically gifted player, capable of producing a moment to turn a game around. Dare we say it again… West Ham should be having a look?
Riyad Mahrez – AFCON icon still good enough for the Premier League
Someone should bring him back.
For the culture.
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Christeen Fetzer
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