AFCON 2015: The Players

The African continent is looking forward to exciting action from the 368 players who will represent the 16 participating countries at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.

Only 71 home based players were able to make the squad lists of their respective nations with DR Congo side TP Mazembe being the African club contributing the highest number of locally based players to the continental football showpiece.

297 from the total number of players are foreign based with a wide array of star players expected to light up the competition including Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan, Algeria’s Yacine Brahimi, Jonathan Pitroipa of Burkina Faso, Gabon’s Pierre Emerick Aubemayang, Zambia’s Stoppila Sunzu, Tunisia’s Yassine Chikhaoui and the reigning Africa Footballer of the Year award winner, Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast.

Interestingly, the French Ligue 1 has contributed 73 African players to the AFCON 2015, being the league with the highest number of foreign based players at the continental tournament.

However, DR Congo and AS Vita attacker Fermin Ndombe Mubele, who recently won the Africa Player of the Year based in Africa, will be expected to make a case for home based players with a fine performance at the continental championship after making the Leopards final 23-man squad.