AFCON 2025: Best starting 11 by SNA

Goalkeeper
Yassine Bounou: He was one of the best players from Morocco at this competition. The one who never disappointed from the beginning to the end of the competition. With 5 clean sheets in 7 games and two shots on goal blocked in the semi-finals against Nigeria, Yassine Bounou was a real shield for Morocco. And without his big first part, the Lions of the Atlas who did not frame the slightest shot during this first act, could have sunk against the Senegalese waves.

Defenders
Krepin Diatta: On the right flank of the Senegalese defense, Krepin Diatta was very clean in his interventions. The fact that he received only one yellow card (against Botswana) in six matches proves how close he was to his tackles and interceptions. The Monegasque also contributed to exceeding his position, without ever getting fired up by remaining disciplined in repositioning and defensive withdrawal.

Moussa Niakhaté: after his missed goal shot against Côte d'Ivoire in the last 16 of the 2023 edition and the elimination of Senegal, Moussa Niakhaté promised to come back stronger to offer a Cup to the Senegalese fans. Promise kept. The Lyonnais was a real complement to Kalidou Koulibaly, then a boss when the Al-Hilal player was suspended. Moussa Niakhaté has clearly gained leadership in this competition and is well on his way to being the new boss of this defense, while Koulibaly, 34 years old, is getting closer to the exit.

Calvin Bassey: Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen take all the credits when talking about Nigeria, but Calvin Bassey achieved an exceptional competition. After several years spent alongside Captain Willian Troost-Ekong who retired just before this competition, the central defender of Fulham took the lead in the defense of the Super Eagles. Unsurmountable one-on-one, solid in duels, intelligent to always ensure coverage and clean in both short and long follow-ups on deep demands, Calvin Bassey achieved a monstrous competition and his performance in the semi final against Morocco will remain for a long time in the collective memory.

Noussair Mazraoui: He made 7/7 with Morocco. Positioned to the right, his preferred position until the end of the group phase when Achraf Hakimi was still too close, then to the left upon the return of the Parisian, Mazraoui never disappointed Walid Regragui. He is a real "troubleshooter" for the coach of the Atlas Lions who was able to rely once again on his professionalism, defensive roughness and projection ability.

Midfielders
Pape Gueye: How not to start this list with him. As often with Senegal, Pape Gueye evolves at an incredible level in the African Cup of Nations. Always available between the lines, Villarreal’s midfielder perfectly played his role as a liaison between the attack and the rest of the team. His ability to project and strike are qualities that he has again highlighted, always at the right time, and which have made the difference for the Lions of Teranga. In the last 16 against Sudan (3-0) with their double and in a tense final against Morocco during which he delivered all the Senegalese people by scoring the second star goal in a particular context.

Alex Iwobi: He was the central element of the Super Eagles' midfield. Alex Iwobi led the debates like a true boss and fluidified the Nigerian game which was one of the most seductive in the competition. Credited with two assists, the 29-year-old player was essential for the Super Eagles who finished on the podium with the bronze medal.

Neil El Aynaoui: Many agree that he was the best Moroccan player in the competition. Even ahead of Brahim Diaz. The midfielder of AS Roma was a real machine to rake up the balloons and cut the opposing pass lines. Just technically and with an above-average game vision, Neil El Aynaoui was the maestro of the Moroccan midfield. In the debauchery of energy through the repetition of efforts, he was irreproachable. His bravery and fighting spirit took on another dimension when he played for more than an hour in the final with a bloodied head following a violent head shock during an aerial duel with El Hadji Malick Diouf.

Attakers
Sadio Mané: He was neither the best scorer nor the best passer, but Sadio Mané proved in this edition that a player of his experience and age does not necessarily need statistics to validate his performances, even if he has been decisive again, at 33 years old, with 2 goals and 2 assists. Mané was the first of the Senegalese to press the opponent to prevent him from properly carrying out his first attempts. Throughout the competition, he set an example through self-sacrifice for the nation.  Tactically, he was monstrous, alternating between the left side for accelerations, and the heart of the game to free spaces in his back by attracting defenders. But Sadio Mané’s AFCON 2025 will be remembered especially for his gesture of great class and leader in the final when he decided to recall his teammates even though they no longer wanted to play following the penalty awarded to Morocco. A leader even in adversity and to a feeling of 'injustice' evoked by the Senegalese after their consecration. For his last AFCON, Mané saved the image of African football and finished on an excellent note with a MVP title of the competition.

Brahim Diaz: many will only retain his missed panenka against Senegal in the final, but Brahim Diaz has long saved Morocco during the competition. It’s what triggers the situation during the closed opening match, as the Lions of the Atlas free up against Mali even if there is 1-1 behind. Scorer against Zambia (3-0), Diaz scored the quarter-final qualification goal against Tanzania (1-0) in such a complicated match for Morocco. Against Cameroon in quarters (2-0), he also found the fault before colliding with the Nigerian wall in the semi-finals. His panenka in the final was presumptuous, but reflected the enormous state of confidence he had in himself. Unfortunately, he missed it and not even the award for best scorer (5) will make him forget about this failure so soon. 

Ademola Lookman: With 4 goals and 4 assists, Ademola Lookman was indisputably the best Nigerian player of the competition. Always available for his teammates with an altruism sometimes overwhelming, the striker of Atalanta Bergamo has chained a second exceptional African Cup of Nations after the one in Ivory Coast where he scored 3 goals and delivered an assist in 7 games. The calm with which he handled his dispute with Victor Osimhen in the eighth final against Mozambique (4-0) makes him more of a valuable human being beyond the exceptional player that he is.

Coach: We cannot appoint another coach than Pape Thiaw to lead this team. He who managed to put Senegal back on the rails, first in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers to ensure qualification and also validate that for the AFCON 2025. Winning the title for his very first African Cup of Nations is extremely rare and Pape Thiaw can be proud to have done it. Tactically, the Senegalese coach was of a monstrous level, thwarting Walid Regragui’s plans in the final. This second star is also the result of his choices, notably those of selecting young people like Ibrahim Mbaye and Mamadou Sarr who chose Senegal only in November.

The Best Eleven by SNA of the AFCON 2025 
Keeper: Bounou 

Defenders: Diatta, Niakhaté, Bassey, Mazraoui 

Midfielders: El Aynaoui, P. Gueye, Iwobi 

Attackers: Diaz, Mané, Lookman

Coach: Pape Thiaw