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The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is a great tournament for clubs to scout upcoming talents, just like the Copa America or Euros. Clubs will keep a watch to find out whether they can unearth the next Mohammed Salah or Sadio Mane or find players to meet their current needs.
These are five upcoming players you should watch out for in AFCON 2021.
#5 Pape Matar Sarr
Pape Matar Sarr was highly impressive for Metz in Ligue 1 after joining them in the summer transfer window of 2020. The 19-year-old central midfielder's performances in France attracted quite a few potential suitors from all around Europe.
Tottenham Hotspur went ahead and signed the youngster in 2021 before loaning him back to Metz for the 2021-22 season.
An excellent ball carrier with elite tackling numbers, Sarr could be very important for Senegal in the AFCON. Antonio Conte will be watching.
#4 Taiwo Awoniyi
In Victor Osimhen and Emmanuel Dennis's absence, Taiwo Awoniyi will be tasked with carrying the goal-scoring burden for Nigeria at AFCON. And if recent form is taken into consideration, the striker is quite capable of doing the job well enough.
The 24-year-old has scored nine goals in the Bundesliga this season while leading the line for surprise package Union Berlin. Awoniyi was a part of the Liverpool academy from 2015 to 2021 before moving to Germany permanently.
An impressive AFCON could put him back on the radar of the big clubs.
#3 Ibrahim Sangare
Ibrahim Sangare has been rated highly in the football world for quite some time now. Even when the Ivory Coast international was relegated to Ligue 2 with Toulouse, everyone was sure he'd get a move back to top tier football.
He managed to get a move abroad, joining PSV Eindhoven in 2020. He has been extremely impressive in both the Europa League and Eredivise, be it at breaking down play or driving with the ball up the field.
For teams wanting a defensive-minded central midfielder, he is a must watch at AFCON.
#2 Ilaix Moriba
There is a solid chance that Ilaix Moriba might not even start for Guinea at the AFCON. They already have Naby Keita and Amadou Diawara in midfield, who are sure to start in a two-man mid. But there is no doubt the RB Leipzig youngster will get his chance at AFCON.
Ilaix Moriba is an exceptionally talented midfielder. He was highly rated at La Masia and even in his few appearances for Barcelona's first team (18 across competitions), he did well.
A contract dispute ahead of the ongoing season meant he left his boyhood club and headed to Leipzig. However, neither Jesse Marsch nor his successor Domenico Tedesco have used him as a starter.
If Moriba does well at AFCON, he can not only showcase himself to potential suitors but also show his manager what he's made of.
#1 Kamaldeen Sulemana
Pacy, tricky and a fantastic dribbler, Kamaldeen Sulemana has the potential to excite and excel. The Ghanaian forward, who signed for Rennes in France this summer, has been highly impressive.
Aside from being the type of player that brings people to the edge of their seats, he has now started working on his end product, which makes him immensely impactful.
There are reports Klopp is already keeping an eye out for him. A good AFCON can bring him to the world's notice.
