Africa’s most valuable defenders: One Nigeria Super Eagles star makes top 20 as Morocco, Ivory Coast stars dominate

The best of the continent’s finest footballers will assemble in Ivory Coast next month for the biggest football fiesta

Fulham’s versatile centre-back Calvin Bassey is the only Nigerian player on the list of the top 20 most valuable African defenders, Soccernet.ng reports.

According to Transfermarkt, Bassey is now valued at €16 million, making him the player with the 11th most valuation among defenders on the continent.

The most valuable African defender is Paris Saint Germain and Moroccan full-back Achraf Hakimi, with an estimated value of €65 million.

The former Borussia Dortmund star is followed in second place by Burkina Faso and Bayer 04 Leverkusen Edmond Tapsoba, who is valued at €40 million.

Morocco’s duo of West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd (€38m) and Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui (€30m) come in at third and fifth position, respectively, sandwiching Ivory Coast and Bayer Leverkusen star Odilon Kossounou in fourth place.

Algeria’s Rayan Aït-Nouri (6th) is joined by three more Ivorians – Ousmane Diomande (7th), Evan Ndicka (8th), and Wilfried Singo (9th) – and Mozambique’s Reinildo Mandava in the top ten.

After Bassey, the next Nigerian international on the list is Fenerbahce’s Bright Osayi-Samuel, whose valuation of €8.5 million places him on 26th on the rung.

Nottingham Forest right-back Ola Aina (€8m) is ranked 29th, while KAA Gent’s Jordan Torunarigha (€6m, 41st), and Porto’s Zaidu Sanusi (€6m, 42nd) complete Nigeria’s top five.

All five have been included in Nigeria’s 40-man provisional roster for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations next month.