Breakout talents from the Africa Cup of Nations

In every edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, fans and scouts alike from the rest of the world get to learn about some of the continent’s most talented young players. Here are a few who broke out in this tournament, with a couple of them probably looking for a big transfer this summer.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi (CB, 2005, Chicago Fire) 🇿🇦 

Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s rise in 2025 was nothing short of meteoric.

The South African youngster hadn’t even made his senior debut at the start of the year, having to wait until March to feature for Orlando Pirates’ main side. He quickly established himself as a key figure at the heart of their defence, going on to help them mount a title challenge with just five goals conceded in 12 matches so far this term.

Mbokazi’s impressive showings quickly earned him a call-up to the national team, and he fully capitalised on that opportunity as well. By the time AFCON came around, he had already become a key figure in the Bafana Bafana line-up.

The 20-year-old centre-back lived up to the hype in his major international tournament debut, proving himself to be a mature and commanding presence in South Africa’s back line. His defensive positioning and decision-making were solid, but certainly outshone by his eye-catching forward passing on both feet as he often precisely picked out teammates positioned high out wide or even in tight pockets between the lines.

Mbokazi already had a transfer lined up prior to the tournament, having agreed a move to the Chicago Fire with a fee of around €2.5 million. South Africa coach Hugo Broos went as far as to criticise that move by suggesting he should have instead joined a club in one of the major European leagues, though he certainly didn’t choose his words too well at the first time of asking. However, the 73-year-old Belgian likely underestimates the potential platform MLS can provide.

Regardless, if Mbokazi continues to perform with such assuredness while adding layers to his game and improving the consistency of his long passing, he could well be on his way to Europe soon.

Christian Kofane (ST, 2006, Bayer Leverkusen) 🇨🇲 

Christian Kofane was responsible for ending Mbokazi’s tournament in the Round of 16 as he scored the crucial second goal in Cameroon’s 2-1 win. Interestingly, his year has also followed a very similar trajectory.

He made his senior debut just over a year ago to this day, lining up for Albacete in the Spanish second tier just a couple of months after joining their youth setup. He went on to score the opening goal in that match and has not looked back since.

Eight goals in just over 1,200 minutes of action in the second half of 2024/25 were enough to turn the heads of clubs from the big five leagues. Bayer Leverkusen were the ones who struck the successful deal by paying a fee reportedly in excess of his €5m release clause.

An injury to Die Werkself’s lead striker Patrik Schick presented Kofane with a golden opportunity to get a string of regular starts. He seized this opportunity with both hands as well, scoring five goals across all competitions to earn his maiden international call-up ahead of big names such as Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

Kofane was benched for the Indomitable Lions’ opening game, but would not be kept there long. Although he didn’t score on debut in the second match, he performed well enough to retain his starting spot. His quick, clever and well-timed movement as well as willingness to engage in duels made him a great line-leading striker for David Pagou’s side, with other attackers benefitting from the space he opened up. Kofane got a couple of goals for himself too, getting shots in good areas just like he has been doing for his club side.

With Leverkusen set to compete on all three fronts in the second half of this season, Kofane will surely get more opportunities to continue impressing in Germany.

Ibrahim Maza (AM, 2005, Bayer Leverkusen) 🇩🇿 

Ibrahim Maza came off the bench to score in Algeria’s tournament opener against Sudan, thus earning himself a spot in the starting line-up which he would not relinquish. His best performances certainly came in the subsequent group stage matches, in which he excellently strung attacks together through the middle.

The Bayer Leverkusen attacker’s carrying was his standout trait, as he showed the ability to whizz past defenders in the middle of the pitch while keeping the ball close to him at speed. He also displayed qualities to supplement that, with his excellent positional sense helping him receive and turn in the right pockets, and enough awareness to slip forward passes at the right time.

Maza isn’t shot-shy either; he is currently firing more shots than he is creating in the Bundesliga. His average of 0.08 npxG/shot (as well as the fact that he let fly 45 times from outside the box in the 2. Bundesliga last season) suggests that he perhaps ought to be more selective in this respect.

After moving to Leverkusen from Hertha Berlin in the summer, Maza established himself as a regular starter from November onwards. The Bundesliga’s winter break helped ensure that he only missed a couple of games while away in Morocco, so the Algerian youngster should look to pick up where he left off in Germany.

Christ Inao Oulaï (CM, 2006, Trabzonspor) 🇨🇮 

Arguably the biggest breakout star of the tournament in terms of rise in profile has been Christ Inao Oulaï. A graduate of the renowned JMG Academy, the Ivorian midfielder moved to Ligue 2 club Bastia after turning 18 in 2024. One year and 16 appearances later, he was on his way to Türkiye in a €5.5m move to Trabzonspor. He has only made 9 appearances in the Süper Lig so far, but did enough to earn his first international call-up in November before going on to make his competitive debut at the Cup of Nations.

Oulaï stayed on the bench in the defending champions’ tournament opener and only featured for 20 minutes in the second game, but then got a start for the final group match with progression already sealed. His performance convinced the coach to keep him in the XI for the knockouts ahead of Seko Fofana and Jean Michaël Seri, and that certainly did not turn out to be a bad call.

Playing on the left of the Elephants’ midfield trio, the teenager was given more of a connecting role as Ibrahim Sangaré operated as a fixed number six while Franck Kessié went up to add a body in and around the box. Oulaï’s on-ball security stood out as he completed 93% of his passes over the course of the tournament, showcasing great tempo control depending on the game state. He also showed some glimpses of fantastic retention and close control in tight spaces, just as he has done for his club side.

Oulaï is already being linked with a move to some of Europe’s elite less than half a year after joining Trabzonspor. His technical quality and maturity already are very promising signs in terms of his potential, but physicality could be a big question for Premier League clubs especially. While he uses his body to protect the ball well in possession, he isn’t the most imposing presence at 5'8". How he develops and adapts in that respect could well decide how far he goes.

Honourable Mentions

Burkina Faso had a good few young talents in their squad and especially deployed a few down the wing. Dango Ouattara is a more well-known name and Cyriaque Irié (whom I highlighted before the tournament) had a couple of bright moments, but left back Arsène Kouassi also impressed with his constant activity up and down the flank. The 21-year-old full-back joined Lorient from Ajaccio this summer and seems to have hit the ground running in Brittany.

I didn’t mention the likes of Carlos Baleba and Amad yet, but that is only because they’re already quite well-established as English Premier League stars. Both of them have had great tournaments, with Baleba bossing Cameroon’s midfield while the Ivorian lit up the right wing in all of his matches.

Some other talents whom we’ve previously covered in the newsletter also enjoyed successful campaigns. Teenage winger Yan Diomande repaid the faith placed in him by Ivorian coach Emerse Faé as he looked just as exciting as he has throughout the Bundesliga season. Arthur Avom also showed some promise in the Cameroonian midfield — Moe previously flagged him in his Ligue 1 ones to watch piece.

If you enjoyed this newsletter, we’d appreciate it if you would forward it to a friend. If you’re that friend, welcome! You can subscribe to The Transfer Flow here. We also have a podcast where we go in depth on transfer news and rumours every week. We’re on YouTube here, and you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify by searching for “The Transfer Flow Podcast.” If you’re interested in football betting, check out this post on why we started Variance Betting.