South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns have more players in the Africa Cup of Nations than any other club, edging out perennial mainland rivals Al Ahli of Egypt to the distinction.
With 10 players in the South African squad, plus Peter Shalulile representing Namibia, there are 11 players from the Brazilians at the tournament in Ivory Coast.
We wish the Mamelodi Sundowns stars the best of luck as they represent their countries at the AFCON. Go shine! ππ#Sunset | #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/zTkagN7tby
β Roc Nation Sports International (@RocNationSI) January 12, 2024
It is one more than African champions Al Ahli and two more than Pyramids of Egypt, who Sundowns beat just last month in the African Champions League.
Tanzania’s Young Africans have seven players in the tournament and Dar es Salaam rivals Simba six. Orlando Pirates also have six.
Unlike the World Cup, where clubs are paid heavily for the players who participate, there is no fee paid to clubs by the Confederation of African Football.
The best-represented clubs from Europe are Ligue 1 sides Olympique de Marseille and Lorient with seven players each, while Premier League side Nottingham Forest have six.
In total there are 648 players spread across 24 countries taking part in the finals tournament, which starts in Abidjan on Saturday. Not all countries have reached the full limit of 27 players per team.
Players are drawn from 70 countries around the world with more players for clubs in Europe than clubs in Africa.
There are players from 36 different leagues in Europe and 23 different countries in Africa.
Among the African leagues are countries such as Botswana, Libya, Rwanda and Sudan, whose national teams failed to qualify. Other countries that have qualified for the January 13-February 11 tournament, including holders Senegal, hosts Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, have invited teams made up entirely of players from outside their country .
South Africa’s Premier Soccer League has 36 players in the tournament, making them the most represented African league.
They come from 15 clubs in both the DStv Premiership and the Motsepe Foundation Championship and represent nine different countries.
There are 29 players from nine clubs in the Egyptian league β all in the first division.
The league best represented is France’s Ligue 1 with 61 players now in Ivory Coast ready to do battle
AFRICAN PLAYERS IN THE CUP OF NATIONS FINALS
ALGERIA
USM Alger: Zineddine Belaid, Oussama Benbot (both Algeria)
Chabab Belouizdad: Rais Mbolhi (Algeria)
JS Kabylie: Simon Msuva (Tanzania)
Mouloudia Alger: Youcef Belaili (Algeria)
ANGOLA
Petro Atletico: Eddie Afonso, Gilberto, Kinito, To Carneiro (Angola)
Premiero Agosto: Neblu (Angola)
Sagrada Esperanca: King (Mozambique)
BOTSWANA
Gaborone United: Kennedy Amutenya (Namibia)
Jwaneng Galaxy: Marcel Papama, Wendell Rudath (both Namibia)
Orapa United: Ivan Kamberipa (Namibia)
CAMEROON
Dynamo Douala: Lionel Ateba (Cameroon)
Victoria United: Wilfried Nathan Doualla (Cameroon)
AKASINO VERDE ISLANDS
Boavista da Praia: Stopira (Cape Verde Islands)
DR CONGO
FC St Eloi Lupopo: Valentin Nouma (Burkina Faso)
TP Mazembe: Baggio Siadi (DR Congo), Ibrahima Keita (Mauritania), Tandi Mwape (Zambia)
EGYPT
Al Ahly: Mohamed Abdelmoneim, Emam Ashour, Marwan Attia, Mohamed El Shennawy, Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Mahmoud Kahraba (all Egypt), Aliou Dieng (Mali), Percy Tau (South Africa), Ali Maaloul (Tunisia)
Al Ittihad: Mabululu (Angola)
Al Masry: Mahmoud Hamada (Egypt)
Future: Omar Kamal (Egypt)
National Bank: Mohamed Abou Gabal (Egypt)
Pharco: Jefferson Encada (Guinea Bissau)
Pyramids: Blaty Toure (Burkina Faso), Fiston Majele (DRC), Ahmed El Senawi, Mustafa Fathi, Ali Gabbar, Mohamed Hamdi, Mohdad Lassin, Ahmed Sami (All Egypt), Mohamed Chibi (Morocco)
Tala’ea El Geish: Himid Mao (Tanzania)
Zamalek: Ahmed Fatouh, Mohamed Sobhi, Ahmed Zizo (all Egypt), Seifeddine Jaziri (Tunisia)
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Cano Sport: Jose Nabil (Equatorial Guinea)
GHANA
Asante Kotoko: Richmond Lamptey (Ghana)
Medeama: Abdul Fatawu Hamid, Jonathan Sowah (both Ghana)
GUINEA
Horoya: Moussa Camara (Guinea)
IVORY COAST
ASEC Abidjan: Charles Folly (Ivory Coast)
LIBYA
Ai Ittihad Tripoli: Hemeya Tanji (Mauritania)
MALI
Afrique Football Elite Aboubacar Doumbia (Mali)
MOROCCO
Kawkab Marrakech: Yusupha Bobb (Gambia)
Renaissance Berkane: Issoufou Dayo, Djibril Ouattara (both Burkina Faso)
Royal Armed Forces: El Mehdi Benabid (Morocco)
Wydad Casablanca: Yahya Attiat-Allah (Morocco)
MOZAMBIQUE
Associacao Black Bulls: Ivane, Nene (both Mozambique)
Costa do Sol: Domingos Macandza (Mozambique)
Ferroviario Beira: Joao (Mozambique)
Ferroviario Maputo: Shaquille (Mozambique)
Ferroviario Nampula: Fazito (Mozambique)
UD Songo: Amadou, Dominguez, Ernan, Infren (all Mozambique)
MAURITANIA
FC Nouadhibou: El Hadji Ba, Mouhsine Bodda, Amar Sidi Bouna, Nouh Mohamed El Abd (Mauritania)
Nouakchott Kings: Sidi Ahmed Mohamed El Abd, Mbacke N’Diaye (Mauritania)
Tevragh Zeina: Namori Diaw (Mauritania)
NAMIBIA
African stars: Charles Hambira, Uetuuru Kambato, Kamainjanda Ndisiro (all Namibia)
Khomas Nampol: Denzil Haoseb, Absalom Iimbondi (both Namibia)
UNAM: Ngero Katua (Namibia)
NIGERIA
Enyimba: Olorunleke Ojo (Nigeria)
RWANDA
Musanze: Modou Jobe (Gambia)
south Africa
AmaZulu: Riaan Hanamub (Namibia), Veli Mothwa (South Africa)
Baroka (II): Ananias Gebhardt (Namibia)
Black Leopards (II): Bethuel Muzeu (Namibia)
Cape Town Spurs: Lubeni Haukongo (Namibia)
Chippa United: Loydt Kazapua (Namibia), Stanley Nwabili (Nigeria)
Kaizer Chiefs: Edmilson (Mozambique)
Mamelodi Sundowns: Peter Shalulile (Namibia), Grant Kekana, Thapelo Maseko, Terrence Mashego, Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena, Thapelo Morena, Khuliso Mudau, Mothobi Mvala, Ronwen Williams, Themba Zwane (all South Africa)
Maritzburg United (II): Jocelyn Kamatuka (Namibia)
Orlando Pirates: Richard Ofori (Ghana), Deon Hotto (Namibia), Zakhele Lepasa, Evidence Makgopa, Thabang Monare, Nkosinathi Sibisi (all South Africa)
Polokwane City: Manuel Sapunga (Equatorial Guinea), Oswin Appollis (South Africa)
Richards Bay: Abdi Banda (Tanzania)
Sekhukhune United: Badra Ali Sangare (Ivory Coast), Nyiko Mobbie (South Africa), Rally Bwalya (Zambia)
Stellenbosch: Jayden Adams (South Africa)
SuperSport United: Ricardo Goss, Siyanda Xulu (both South Africa)
University of Pretoria (II): Edward Maova (Namibia)
SUDAN
Al Hilal: Khadim Diaw (Mauritania)
TANZANIA
Azam: Sospeter Bajana, Lusajo Mwaikenda, Feisal Salum (all (Tanzania)
Namungo: Abdulmalik Zakaria (Tanzania)
Simba: Henock Inonga (DR Congo), Kibu Denis, Mohamed Hussein, Aishi Manula, Mzamiru Yassin (all Tanzania), Clatous Chama (Zambia) **6
Singida Fountain Gate: Beno Kakolanya (Tanzania)
Young Africans: Stephane Aziz Ky (Burkina Faso), Djigui Diarra (Mali), Ibrahim Hamad, Dickson Job, Bakari Mwamnyeto, Mudathiri Yahya (all Tanzania), Kennedy Musonda (Zambia) **7
TUNISIA
Club Africain: Federico Bikoro (Equatorial Guinea), Mouez Hassen, Bassem Srarfi (both Tunisia)
Esperance: Mohamed Tougai (Algeria), Yassine Meriah, Houssem Tka (both Tunisia)
Etoile Sahel: Hamza Jelassi (Tunisia)
US Monastery: Yassin Cheikh El Wely (Mauritania), Bechir Ben Said (Tunisia)
CS Sfaxien: Alaa Ghram (Tunisia)
Stade Tunisien: Haythem Jouini (Tunisia)
ZAMBIA
Green Buffaloes: Francis Mwansa (Zambia)
Prison Leopards: Zephaniah Phiri (Zambia)
Power Dynamos: Dominic Chanda, Frederick Mulambia, Lawrence Mulenga (all Zambia)
Red Arrows: Benedict Chepeshi (Zambia)
Zanaco: Kelvin Kapumbu (Zambia)
Zesco Unite d: Kelvin Kampamba, Toaster Nsabata (both Zambian)