There is no debate, Serie A is weaker without African players. Milan’s depth has been damaged by the losses of Samuel Chukwueze and Ismael Bennacer. Nigerian mavericks Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will reduce the strength of Napoli and Atalanta respectively, but without Lassana Koulibaly and Bourai Dia, Salernitana’s survival plight will be severely hampered.
In total, 22 players from the top three divisions of Italian professional football were called up to represent 13 of the 24 finalists competing for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy. The tournament, hosted by Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), will be held from January 13th to February 11th, with each team competing in a traditional group and knockout stage format. The final match will be held at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, the country’s largest city.
According to Opta, defending champion Senegal is the favorite to win. They are led by former Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly. Lions de la Teranga Dia, who has scored 20 goals in Serie A, has plenty of attacking potential as well, as he could be paired with Al Nasr’s Sadio Mane or Chelsea FC’s Nicholas Jackson. Five-time champions Cameroon are considered dark horses (7th place), but have been further strengthened by the addition of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.of Azzurri The midfielder will earn his 50th international cap in Group C, which also includes Guinea and Gambia.
In Group A, FIFA Most Valuable Award winner and Ballon d’Or candidate Osimhen will lead a strong Nigerian front, with Lookman and Chukwueze flanking what could form an impressive all-Serie A squad. The front line.of super eagles They will face Equatorial Guinea, who have called up players from each of Italy’s top three divisions: Monza’s Jose Machin, Sampdoria’s youth defender Hugo Buira and American Alessandria striker Oscar Siafa. Cristian Kouame (Fiorentina) and Evan Ndicka (Roma) will carry the hopes of hosts Ivory Coast, who lead their group and are likely to eventually join Senegal in the final.
Osimhen scored 10 goals in the AFCON qualifiers and was later named Africa’s Player of the Year in 2023. Chukwueze’s first season with the Rossoneri since his move from Villarreal in the summer saw him impress many. The 24-year-old saved Milan’s European hopes by scoring the winning goal against Newcastle United in the UEFAEFA Champions League in December.
Algeria acquired Lecce defender Ahmed Touba, Roma midfielder Houssem Aouar and Bennacer, who won the Scudetto in 2021-22. The two-time champions also have Angola’s Zito Lubumbo (three goals and two assists in the top flight for Cagliari) and Abdul Ghiebre, a former Reggiana midfielder who has played 10 times in Serie B for Modena this season. They should pass Group D smoothly.
FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Morocco are ranked third according to Opta’s predictive model, with Bologna’s Osama El Azzozi selected to support Manchester United midfielder Sofian Amrabat.of atlas lions They could advance out of Group F if they defeat Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (backed by Ascoli’s Brian Bayeye and Cremone’s Charles Pickel) and Zambia, who will rely on Ramek Banda’s impressive performance in Lecce.
Salernitana’s pair Lassana Coulibaly (Mali) and Giovane Cabral (Cape Verde) will face Tunisia (Group E) and Egypt (Group B) respectively. Koulibaly, who has three goals in 49 appearances in Serie A, will compete with Hamza Rafia (one goal for Lecce), while Cabral will be competing with Liverpool FC winger Mau, who is yet to win his first AFCON title. – He has the difficult task of containing Salah.
Interestingly, according to Transfermarkt, the 22-man squad, drawn from 15 different clubs in Italy, includes 4 defenders, 9 midfielders and 9 attackers, with a total of 300 million yen. It has a market value of $60 million. Osimhen, Dia and Bennacer could miss up to seven Serie A matches if their country reaches the final. While there are many Calcio For fans to enjoy AFCON 2023, savvy football scouts will remain on the lookout for any potential transfers throughout the remainder of the January transfer window.
Great Africans in Italy: complete list
atalanta
Ademola Lookman (attacker, Nigeria)
bologna
Oussama El Azzozi (Midfielder, Morocco)
Cagliari
Zito Lubumbo (attacker, Angola)
Fiorentina
Christian Kouame (attacker, Ivory Coast)
lecce
Ramek Banda (attacker, Zambia)
Hamza Rafia (midfielder, Tunisia)
Ahmed Touba (DF, Algeria)
milan
Ismael Bennacer (MF, Algeria)
Samuel Chukwueze (attacker, Nigeria)
monza
Jose Machin (midfielder, Equatorial Guinea)
naples
Andre Franck Zambo Anguissa (midfielder, Cameroon)
Victor Osimhen (attacker, Nigeria)
Rome
Houssem Aouar (midfielder, Algeria)
Evan Ndicka (DF, Ivory Coast)
salernitana
Jovan Cabral (attacker, Cape Verde)
Lassana Coulibaly (midfielder, Mali)
Boulaye Dia (attacker, Senegal)
Ascoli (Serie B)
Brian Bayeye (DF, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Cremonese (Serie B)
Charles Pickel (DRC, midfield)
Modena (Serie B)
Abdul Guiebre (midfield, Burkina Faso)
Sampdoria (Serie B)
Hugo Bouila (DF, Equatorial Guinea)
Alessandria (Serie C)
Oscar Scialfa (attacker, Equatorial Guinea)
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