10 Africans Set for a Big Year in 2015
In this feature, we present 10 African players set for a big year in 2015.
The continental calendar begins with the upcoming Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea. Naturally, that tournament played a big part in the considerations for this editorial. Almost all of the players profiled here will be present at the African showpiece.
Those considered here are also set for a major year at club level, with some set for major moves and others facing relegation battles or title races.
All of the players featured here are largely internationals, although we have also considered those who are eligible to represent African nations but who are yet to commit to a particular national side.
Frank Acheampong
1 of 9
While Enoch Kofi Adu has been dropped from the Ghanaian Cup of Nations squad, I’d be surprised if Frank Acheampong didn’t make the cut.
The Anderlecht man delivered some excellent performances in the Champions League during 2014—particularly against Arsenal and Galatasaray—and is one of a new generation of talented African widemen.
At the Afcon, he will may well help to compensate for Christian Atsu, whose form has dipped at Everton.
RTBF [via Edmund Okai Gyimah of Goal Ghana] have reported that both AS Roma and Paris Saint-Germain are interested in a January move for the talented wideman.
Nabil Bentaleb
2 of 9
2014 was Nabil Bentaleb’s breakthrough year. The young midfielder made his debut at the end of 2013 as Tim Sherwood took over at Tottenham Hotspur, and before too long had established himself in the team.
He made his Algeria debut in the spring of 2014, before playing every minute of the group stage as the Desert Foxes advanced to the knockout rounds.
This season he is one of the few Tottenham players (another being Hugo Lloris) to transfer his form of 2013-14 into the current campaign. He is clearly valued by Mauricio Pochettino and could well go from strength to strength in 2015.
He will begin by looking to lift the Cup of Nations crown with Algeria in Equatorial Guinea.
Fabrice Ondoa & Didier Ndong
3 of 9
Fabrice Ondoa
The Barcelona B keeper was one of African football’s revelations in 2014.
He made his Cameroon debut following the Indomitable Lions’ World Cup debacle and played every minute of the Central Africans’ qualifying campaign—one of only two players to do so.
The stopper impressed as he helped Volker Finke’s side to the Cup of Nations, conceding only one goal and preserving the joint-best qualification record in the whole of the qualifying campaign.
Amazingly, Ondoa is only 19 (he was 18 during qualification) and looks set to continue Cameroon’s fine tradition of excellent African goalkeepers.
Didier Ndong
Towards the tail end of 2014, I would have named Didier Ibrahim Ndong among the best African players plying their trade on the African continent. However, Ligue 1 side Lorient seemingly shared my convictions about the player and signed him on a four-and-a-half year deal from CS Sfaxien [via BBC Sport].
Before he makes his bow in France, the wider world will get to see Ndong’s qualities when he features for Gabon at the upcoming Cup of Nations.
The 20-year-old will bring intelligent passing and astute positioning to the midfield, and he is a metronomic presence in the heart of the Panthers’ team. His superb work allows the energetic Andre Poko to charge forward to great effect.
Andre Ayew
4 of 9
There is a growing sense that Andre Ayew is heading towards a career crossroads.
The Ghanaian attacker is coming to the end of his contract at Olympique Marseille and, despite agreeing a new one-year deal [via Charles Perrin of the Express] rumours persist that he will be leaving Ligue 1 before too long.
Regardless, Everton are believed to be preparing a bid for the playmaker in January, according to Clive Hetherington of the Mirror.
Whether it is Afcon glory with Ghana, a return to the Champions League with high-flying Marseille, or a move to pastures new, Ayew is set for a big year.
Michael Olaitan
5 of 9
Michael Olaitan had just begun to realise his promise in 2014 when he collapsed during Olympiakos’s Athens derby against Panathinaikos.
The young Nigerian had starred in the Greek giants’ run to the Champions League last 16—impressing against Manchester United—before his season was prematurely ended.
After a long spell on the sidelines, Olaitan returned to full training towards the end of November.
In 2015, he will have his sights set on rediscovering the form that set him apart as one of Africa’s brightest young talents in the early part of last year.
Could a maiden Nigeria call-up also be on the cards?
Wilfried Bony
6 of 9
Wilfried Bony is already fast establishing himself as the finest African striker of the post-Didier Drogba/Samuel Eto’o era. Could he prove himself to be a genuine Champions League-calibre operator over the coming 12 months?
The numbers seem to suggest so, as Bony managed 23 goals for Swansea over 2014, but will a top-level side come in for him over the coming weeks?
Certainly, there are no shortage of suitors.
Steve Stammers of the Mirror has reported that Manchester City are preparing a £25 million bid for the striker, while Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked to the forward, as per Naveen Ullal of the International Business Times.
Abdul Rahman Baba
7 of 9
For much of 2014, and even before last year, Kwadwo Asamoah featured at left-back, rather than in the centre of midfield for Ghana. While Asamoah is a competent operator on the left, the Black Stars could really do with his creativity and drive in the middle of the park.
It had looked like Jeffrey Schlupp’s emergence at left-back would allow Asamoah to switch back to a central role, but now, an even better option has arrived on the scene.
Twenty-year-old Abdul Rahman has impressed for Augsburg in the Bundesliga this term, and he has demonstrated excellent consistency for one so young. He started five of the Black Stars’ six Afcon qualifiers and will be a key figure in Equatorial Guinea.
Nabil Fekir
8 of 9
Olympique Lyonnais youngster Nabil Fekir has made an explosive start to life in Ligue 1.
The 21-year-old made his debut for Lyon back in August 2013, but after a few impressive performances towards the end of last season, he has truly begun to make his mark this term.
Hubert Fournier has given the attacking midfielder licence to blossom in a creative role behind the forwards and Fekir has responded with seven goals and five assists to date this season.
As yet, he is yet to choose whether to play for Algeria or France in the future, but Desert Foxes fans will surely be hoping that this talented playmaker opts for a future with the Fennecs.
Yannick Bolasie
9 of 9
Back when Crystal Palace secured promotion from the Championship, Yannick Bolasie was a key figure and earned a spot in the PFA Team of the Year.
In the second tier, he demonstrated an ability to make decisive contributions on a consistent basis.
Over the subsequent few years, he has shown flashes of brilliance, but, with Crystal Palace in the midst of a relegation battle, he needs to begin exhibiting those match-winning abilities once again.
Bolasie will likely be a key man for the Democratic Republic of Congo, but once he returns from Africa, he will need to show the consistency that Alan Pardew is surely looking for.
