Ekong, Simon join Liverpool, PSG, Brighton stars, 6 others in official Best XI group stage AFCON

Published: January 22, 2022

The Confederation of African Football has come up with the best eleven performers in each position following the conclusion of the group stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Two Nigeria stars in the shape of William Troost-Ekong (Watford) and Moses Simon (Nantes) have joined nine other African stars in the ideal starting lineup.

Troost-Ekong went the distance in every single game contested by the Super Eagles in the group phase and netted the clinching goal in the win vs Guinea-Bissau, while Simon was also involved in three matches with a goal involvement of two (1 goal, 1 assist).

There is no place for Wilfred Ndidi but the Leicester City midfielder has been included in a strong looking bench also containing Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

The starting lineup also included Ivory Coast left-back Ghislain Konan (Stade de Reims), Egypt duo Mohamed El Shenawy (Al Ahly) and Ahmed Hegazy (Al-Ittihad Jeddah), Morocco right-back Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain) and his teammate Sofiane Boufal (SCO Angers).

Completing the best XI are Naby Keita (Guinea/Liverpool), Yves Bissouma (Mali/Brighton & Hove), Musa Barrow (Gambia/Bologna) and Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon/ Al-Nassr).

In a 4-3-3 formation, Troost-Ekong was deployed as a center-back and Simon slotted in as the left winger.

Best XI group stage : El Shenawy; Hakimi, Troost-Ekong, Hegazy, Konan; Keita, Bissouma, Barrow; Boufal, Aboubakar, Simon

Substitutes : Andre Onana, Iban Salvador, Ali Maaloul, Abdou Diallo, Ndidi, Massadio Haidara, Karl Toko, Nouhou Tolo, Kanga, Amadou Diawara, Salah, Mane

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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