AFCONQ: Osimhen, Mane, Salah, two other Super Eagles stars make Africa’s top ten list

Twenty-four teams have booked their spots for the continental championships following months of a gruelling qualifying campaign

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is the most outstanding performer of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, Soccernet.ng reports.

According to Sofascore, Osimhen is the player with the highest rating during the qualification series, with a score of 8.18 out of 10.

The Super Eagles striker led the goalscorer’s chart with ten goals in six matches, five more than his nearest challenger.

Osimhen, Serie A’s most valuable player and one of the most sought-after forwards, is among the favourites to be named CAF’s Best Player of the Year.

The 24-year-old attacker was recently included in the top 30 nominee list for the Ballon d’Or and will be one of the players to watch at the AFCON in January.

In second place on the Sofascore list after Osimhen is former Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane, with an 8.10 rating.

Mane managed five out of Senegal’s 12 goals to help the reigning African champions qualify for the AFCON with an unbeaten record.

Burkina Faso striker Dango Ouattara (7.76) and Mozambique star Geny Catamo (7.53) follow Mane on the ratings table.

While Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah (7.48) completes the continent’s top five.

Only Nigeria boast more than one player on the top ten list, though, with the duo of Nantes winger Moses Simon (7.46) and Porto full-back Zaidu Sanusi (7.45) coming in at sixth and seventh, respectively.

Moses is joint-sixth with Gabon’s attacking midfielder Guelor Kanga, while Sanusi is joint-seventh with the duo of Tanzania’s Novatus Dismas and Algeria’s Aïssa Mandi.