The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) ended in Rabat on Sunday night in a way few could have predicted and nobody will forget.
Senegal edged hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time in a final filled with tension, controversy and emotional swings, a fitting end to a tournament that delivered both spectacle and story.
CAF’s official awards soon followed. Sadio Mané was named Player of the Tournament. Morocco’s Yassine Bounou took home Best Goalkeeper. Brahim Díaz finished as Top Scorer with five goals.
But trophies and medals do not always tell the full story. AFCON 2025 was shaped by individual performances that controlled matches, changed momentum and carried teams deep into the competition. Away from the official honours, these were the five players who truly defined the tournament.
AFCON 2025 Best Players: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)
No outfield player influenced Nigeria’s attacking play more than Ademola Lookman. Across six matches, he delivered three goals and four assists, directly contributing to seven of Nigeria’s 14 goals at the tournament.
But the deeper numbers tell an even richer story. Lookman created five big chances, averaged nearly two key passes per game, and completed almost 100 forward passes, a clear sign that Nigeria’s progression through the pitch flowed through him. He also attempted 2.4 shots per match, showing he was both architect and finisher.
Tactically, he was Nigeria’s connector. He drifted between the lines, pulled full-backs out of position and repeatedly received the ball on the half-turn. In tight games, when Nigeria struggled to break teams down, it was Lookman who found pockets of space and opened doors.
His average performance rating across the tournament sat close to 7.8, the highest in the competition, as per WhoScored. More importantly, Nigeria looked a different team whenever he was not involved. Lookman would have easily picked up the Player of the Year award if Nigeria had lifted the trophy in Morocco.
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AFCON 2025 Best Players: Sadio Mané (Senegal)
Senegal’s influential striker Sadio Mané did not dominate headlines with goals, but he dominated the tournament with authority. In seven matches, Mané recorded two goals and three assists, while creating three big chances and averaging 2.7 key passes per game.
He also completed over 140 forward passes and won 14 successful dribbles, and indication of just how central he was to Senegal’s ball progression and attacking rhythm.
Yet his greatest value was his leadership from the front. Senegal never looked panicked in big moments, and that calm came from their captain. Even in the final, when all around him nearly lost their heads, Sane rallied the Teranga Lions for one last push and it was all they needed to overcome the rampant hosts.
At 33, he showed he is still a complete forward: part creator, part runner, part leader. And this is his second AFCON Player of the Tournament award elevates him into a rare class where only the legendary Roger Milla and Ahmed Hassan occupy.
AFCON 2025 Best Players: Brahim Díaz (Morocco)
For most of AFCON 2025, Brahim Díaz was Morocco’s dream. He scored five of their nine goals, was involved in over 55% of their total scoring output, and won two penalties along the way.
He found the net in every round from the group stage to the semi-final, becoming the first player in almost six decades to score in that many consecutive stages of an AFCON tournament. He averaged over two shots per game and was Morocco’s most fouled attacking player a sign of how difficult he was to stop.
Operating between midfield and attack, Díaz was Morocco’s main line-breaker. He carried the ball, invited pressure, and still had the composure to finish.
Then came the final. In the 98th minute, he won a penalty, and saw his attempted panenka saved. Senegal went on to win. It was a brutal ending to what had otherwise been a magnificent tournament.
AFCON 2025 Best Players: Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
Osimhen’s AFCON was a masterclass in modern centre-forward play. In six matches, he scored four goals, provided two assists, and created five big chances, outstanding numbers for a striker who also did so much unseen work.
He averaged over three shots per game, won four successful dribbles, and consistently occupied two defenders at once. Nigeria’s wide players benefited hugely from the space he created through sheer physical presence and intelligent movement.
He also led Nigeria’s pressing from the front, recording some of the highest off-ball work rates among forwards in the knockout rounds.
This was not just a goal scorer’s tournament. It was a complete striker’s tournament.
AFCON 2025 Best Players: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Egypt’s return to the semi-finals was built around their captain. Salah scored four goals in six matches, created three big chances, and completed over 100 forward passes as Egypt’s main attacking outlet.
He also won eight successful dribbles and remained Egypt’s most targeted player, constantly drawing two or three defenders.
What stood out was his role in build-up play. Salah dropped deeper than in past tournaments, carried the ball over long distances, and still arrived in the box to finish moves. Egypt did not always dominate matches, but they always had Salah.
At 33, he remains one of Africa’s most reliable attacking reference point in high-pressure tournaments. A bit of a shame that one of the continent's greatest ever exports may never win the AFCON but his legacy is secured for all times.
