Africa will be without most of its top stars, especially the top two stars of the continent, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Mo Salah could not lead his Egyptian Pharaohs to qualify for the Mundial while Sadio Mané picked a late injury that ruled him out of the tournament in the last-minute despite being named the Senegalese 26-man squad.
Bet on FIFA World Cup 2022 with 1xBet
In form Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, will also miss the biggest event in football as the Super Eagles of Nigeria also did not qualify. Riyad Mahrez and the Desert Foxes of Algeria will not also be at the tournament.
But who are the African stars, African football fans, will have to watch as the 2022 World Cup kick-starts today in Qatar? Telecom Sports Asia takes a look at the stars that are ready to shine under the sun and in the sand of the Middle East.
Thomas Partey
The Arsenal man has overcome the injury worries he had earlier in the year, and the Ghanian fans will be hoping he can put in the performances he has displayed for the Gunners in past weeks with the Black Stars.
The midfielder who has some goals to his name in the Premier League will be very instrumental for Otto Ado’s men as Ghana look to replicate the performance of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Bet on FIFA World Cup 2022 with 1xBetIsmaila Sarr
With Sadio Mané ruled out of the tournament, Senegal and Senegalese fans will be hoping that one player steps up to fill the gap, and that player could be Sarr. The Watford winger has been in good form for his club Watford where he has scored 6 goals and made 4 goals to bring his contribution to 10 goals and assists in 17 matches for the Hornets.
Certainly one of the players to be named in the starting XI for Aliou Cisse in this tournament, he is one star to watch out for.
Mohammed Kudus
The 22-year-old midfielder will be another man Otto Ado and Ghana fans will put their hopes in. The Ajax man has been in the forefront of things in the Dutch Eredivisie and has netted 5 times in 14 appearances for the Dutch champions.
He was also in top gear in the UEFA Champions League for Ajax as he scored 4 times and made 2 goals for his team. He certainly is one to watch out for in Qatar
Bet on FIFA World Cup 2022 with 1xBetInaki Williams
Recently switching nationalities to Ghana from Spain, fans will be eager to see what Inaki will bring to the pitch for Ghana. The energetic striker with all of his La Liga experience will be one of the stars to watch for Africans at this showdown.
The 28-year-old with Athletic Bilbao has 5 goals and an assist to his name and will be pushing to register his name with African football fans.
Eric Choupo-Moting
The veteran striker is in sublime form coming into the tournament and will be leading the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon’s attack when the showdown begins for them.
Moting making his third World Cup appearance will be looking to open his goal account as he scored 6 goals and assisted 2 in 10 appearances for Bayern Munich this season. He is surely a star the Cameroon fans will be hoping to perform.
Bet on FIFA World Cup 2022 with 1xBetAchraf Hakimi
Rated as one of the best full backs in the world, Hakimi will have a chance to show that to the world in the Moroccan colours of red and green. Running the wing from defense to attack, Hakimi is one-star football fans will want to watch at this mundial.
Hakimi made 14 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain, scoring three times for the Ligue 1 side.
Wahbi Khazri
The Tunisian star man is another player to watch in Qatar. Holding the Tunisian record of the highest goalscorer in the World Cup, the Carthage Eagles’s number 10 will be hoping to add to his 2 World Cup goals.
The Montpellier attacker was not in the best of form for his club before the World Cup as he scored only twice in 11 appearances but for his country, he has scored 24 times in 71 caps. The Tunisian team will be hoping he gets back his scoring form as they look to re-write their World Cup history.
Some other players like Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar, Ghana’s Ayew brothers and Tariq Lamptey, Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy are among other stars to watch, and they will all be ready to make Africa proud at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Bet on FIFA World Cup 2022 with 1xBet
