The 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations has come and gone with the best of the continent’s football prowess on display for a month in Cameroon.
Though over 600 players were registered for the tournament, a handful from the lot distinguished themselves; emerging as Man-of-the-Match across the 52 matches played.
Here is the LIST of all the players voted as Man-of-the-Match at the 2021 Afcon recently concluded in Cameroon.
Group Stage
Cameroon 2-1 Burkina Faso
Vincent Aboubakar (CAM)
Current team: Al Nassr
Age: 30 Years
After falling behind, the Indomitable Lions’ captain scored twice from the penalty spot to give the hosts a 2-1 win over the Stallions in the first game of the Afcon tournament
Ethiopia 0-1 Cape Verde
Kenny Rocha(CAP)
Current team: KV Oostende
Age: 22
The midfielder scored his side’s only goal; ensuring that they had the bright start at the 2021 Afcon having missed out in the preceding edition
Senegal 1-0 Zimbabwe
Sadio Mane (SEN)
Current team: Liverpool
Age: 29 years
While it wasn’t the best of games for the Teranga Lions, the late goal scored by Mane was all-important and it marked the beginning of a historic journey that ended in joy.
Guniea 1-0 Malawi
Naby Keita (GUN)
Current team: Liverpool
Age: 27
Aside from marshalling the midfield expertly for the entire 90 minutes of play, Keita had a hand in what turned out to be the winning goal for the Syli NationaleAdvertisements
Morocco 1-0 Ghana
Sofiane Boufal (MOR)
Current team: Angers
Age 28:
Boufal scored seven minutes from time to secure the hard-fought win for the Atlas Lions which at the end helped them to a top finish in their group
Comoros 0-1 Gabon
Aaron Boupendza (GAB)
Current team: Al Rabi
Age: 25 years
Boupendza scored the only goal of the game which inspired Gabon to a 1-0 triumph over the debutants. He powered home from an incredibly tight angle to score the crucial goal
Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
Kelechi Iheanacho (NIG)
Current team: Leicester City
Age: 25
The game in Garoua was the first-ever Afcon outing for ‘senior man Kelz’ and he did not disappoint rifling home the only goal of the game as the seven-time Afcon champions were condemned to lone goal defeat
Tunisia 0-1 Mali
Ibrahim Bosso (MAL) goalkeeper
Current team: TP Mazembe
Age: 31
Aside from being the first of the goalkeepers that emerged as man-of-the-match at the 2021 Afcon, he is one of the very few players based on the continent that were so honoured. His strings of saves saw Mali prevail in the battle of Eagles
Mauritania 0-1 Gambia
Moussa Barrow (GAM)
Current team: Bologna
Age: 23
With his solitary goal, Barrow helped the Scorpions join the exclusive list of countries that won their first match in their debut Afcon appearance.
Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Côte d’Ivoire
Jean Seri (CIV)
Current team: Fulham
Age: 30 years
Running the length and breadth of the pitch, the central defensive midfielder logged in 87 touches, 7 recoveries among other impressive stats from the Elephants’ first outing in Cameroon
Cameroon 4-1 Ethiopia
Karl Toko Ekambi (CAM)
Current team: Lyon
Age: 29
Ekambi feasted on generous defending to make it two wins from two for Cameroon as he scored two goals alongside captain Aboubakar.
Cape Verde 0-1 Burkina Faso
Ibrahim Toure (BFA)
Current team: Pyramids FC
Age: 27
The midfielder did very well as the Stallions ensured they bounced back from the heartache of losing their opening game of the tournament to hosts Cameroon.
Senegal 0-0 Guinea
Naby Keita (GUI)
Current team: Liverpool
Age: 27
Against the experienced and star-studded Teranga Lions team, Keita bossed the midfield and ensured his team share the spoils with the eventual champions
Morocco 2-0 Comoro
Salim Ben Boina (COM) goalkeeper
Current team: Martigues
Age: 30
Despite ending on the losing side, Boina was worthy of the top prize even ahead of the more experienced Morocco players. After he was honoured, he told cafonline: “I’d like to go to the professional world, it’s a dream that I could see coming true. Of course, I intend to play at the highest level, but time will tell and I leave my life in God’s hands.”
Malawi 2-1 Zimbabwe
Gabadinho Mhango (MAL)
Current team: Orlando Pirates
Age: 29
Mhango scored a brace as Malawi came from behind to beat Zimbabwe. His effort was seen as a boost for the Eastern African country’s hopes of a first-ever appearance in the last 16 at the Africa Cup.
Gabon 1-1 Ghana
Andre Ayew (GHA)
Current team: Al Sadd
Age: 32
Hoping to bounce from the defeat against Morocco, the Black Stars captain gave his team the lead in the 18th minute, Ghana held on to that slim lead for 70 minutes before their hearts were broken with a late equaliser by the Panthers.
Nigeria 3-1 Sudan
Simon Moses (NIG)
Current team: Nantes
Age: 26
The petite winger scored and assisted another goal as he followed up his spectacular performance against Egypt with another splendid display
Guinea Bissau 0-1 Egypt
Mohamed Salah (EGY)
Current team: Liverpool
Age: 29
After being helpless in the game against the Super Eagles, Salah scored the only goal that got his team back on track
Tunisia 4-0 Mauritania
Wahbi Khazri (TUN)
Current team: Ajaccio
Age: 31
Leading by example, the experienced forward scored two goals as Tunisia rebounded from their farcical opening loss at the Africa Cup of Nations with a huge 4-0 win.
Cote d’ Ivoire 2-2 Sierra Leone
Nicolas Pépé (CIV)
Current team: Arsenal
Age 26
The former Lille man got one of the goals for the Elephants but unfortunately, they could not hold as they ended up sharing the spoils with the Leone Stars who had earlier held Algeria also to a stalemate.
Algeria 0-1 Equatorial Guinea
Ivan Edu (EGU)
Current team: CF Fuenlabrada
Age 26
Though playing in Spain’s Segunda division, the lethal forward was a handful for the Algeria defence. It was Edu and his teammates that ended the Desert Foxes long unbeaten run which lasted for over two years
Burkina Faso 1-1 Ethiopia
Amanuel Yohanes Gamo (ETH)
Current team: Ethiopian Coffee S.C
Age: 22
Arguably one of the youngest man-of-the-match award recipients, the midfielder exhibited a lot of skills and potential in Cameroon
Cape Verde 1-1 Cameroon
Roberto Lopes Pico (CVE)
Current team: Shamrock Rovers F.C.
Age: 29 years
The Irish-born defender helped curtailed the rampaging Indomitable Lions as they held the hosts to an impressive score draw
Malawi 0-0 Senegal
Charles Thom (MAL)
Current team: Silver Strikers
Age: 22
The young goalkeeper debuted with Malawi in the tournament in this 0–0 tie. Barely three years into his professional career that started in 2019, Thom should go places if he continues in this light
Gabon 2-2 Morocco
Jim Allevinah (GAB)
Current team: Clemont
Age: 26 years
He scored the opening goal in the four-goal thriller and while the Panthers were pegged back, it did not affect their progress to the next round
Sierra Leone 0-1 Equtorial Guniea
Ivan Edu Salvador (EQU)
Current team: CF Fuenlabrada
Age 26
Pablo Garnets 38th-minute strike ensured Equatorial Guinea finish second in Group E and progress all thanks to the wonderful assist from Edu
Cote d’ Ivoire 3-1 Algeria
Franck Kessié (CIV)
Current team AC Milan
Age: 25 years
Kessie and his teammates hammered in the last nail in Algeria’s coffin as the erstwhile champions made an unceremonious exit from Afcon 2021. The Italy-based star scored the first goal in that entertaining encounter.
Gambia 1-0 Tunisia
Ablie Jallow (Gam)
Current team: R.F.C. Seraing
Age: 23 years
Coming in as a substitute, he scored a stunning goal deep in stoppage time to earn his team a shock 1-0 win and cemented their place in the Round of 16
Round of 16: Guinea 0-1 Gambia
Musa Barrow (GAM)
Current team: Bologna
Age: 23 years
He was the hero as the Gambia stunned Guinea with a 1-0 win that sent them through to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.
He scored a 71st-minute winner to help thScor[ions extend their giant-killing spree at the Afcon
Round of 16: Cote d’Ivoire 0 (4-5) 0 Egypt
Mohamed Daader (EGY)
Current team: Pharco FC
Age: 22 years
The goalkeeper proved to be the difference as he helped the Pharaohs overcome the rampaging Elephants would boast one of the most lethal forwards at Afcon 2021
Round of 16: Morocco 2-1 Malawi
Ashraf Hakimi (MOR)
Current team: PSG
Age: 23 years
He scored a terrific free-kick winner 20 minutes from time to seal a comeback AFCON win for the Atlas Lions.
Round of 16: Burkina Faso 1 (7-6) 1 Gabon
Jean Noel Amonome (GAB) goalkeeper
Current team: Amazulu FC
Age: 24
Amonome made a number of saves to help Gabon reach the last 16 before Burkina Faso knocked them out on penalties.
Round of 16: Senegal 2-0 Cape Verde
Bamba Dieng (SEN)
Current team: Marseille
Age: 21
After Sadio Mane scored and went out injured, Dieng scored Senegal’s second goal deep in the second half to seal their place in the quarter-final. Besides his goal, Dieng was a thorn in the flesh of the Cape Verde defenders with his dashing runs
Round of 16: Mali 0 (5-6) 0 Equatorial Guinea
Jesus Owono (EQU) goalkeeper
Current team: Deportivo Alavés
Age: 20
The 2021 Afcon tournament had an array of young goalkeepers but Owono is arguably the youngest among those that made an impact in Cameroon. Owono was Equatorial Guinea’s hero as his decisive shoot-out save made Mali pay for missed chances and saw the underdogs progress.
Quarter-Final: Gambia 0-2 Cameroon
Karl Toko-Ekambi (CAM)
Current team: Lyon
Age: 29 years
Having watched the Scorpions cause major upsets against some of the tournament’s biggest teams, the Indomitable Lions knew they had to be cautious against the debutants. The hosts got safe passage into the semi-final with twin strikes from Karl Toko-Ekambi
Quarterfinal: Egypt 2-1 Morocco
Mohamed Salah (EGY)
Current team: Liverpool
Age: 29
In the tense North African derby, the expertise of Salah was needed for Egypt to navigate past the Atlas Lions into the semi-final. Salah scored a goal and provided the assist for the second goal which was the winning goal that earned them a place in the last four
Quarterfinal: Senegal 3-1 Equatorial Guinea
Nampalys Mendy( SEN)
Current team: Leicester City
Age: 29
Though not on target, he was quite colossal for the Teranga Lions. The Leicester City man actually had a very decent chance from distance, forcing Owono off his line and into a decent save as Senegal looked for a second
Semi-Final: Cameroon 0 (1-3) 0 Egypt
Mohamed Abdelmoneim (EGY)
Current team: Ah Ahly
Age: 23 years
Abdelmoneim specifically played an important role in stopping Cameroon’s crosses, winning six aerials against the opponents.
During the penalty shoot-out, Abdelonem had also scored the second penalty kick, putting the Egyptians ahead after Abou-Gabal’s save.
Semi-final: Burkina Faso 1-3 Senegal
Sadio Mane (SEN)
Current team: Liverpool
Age: 29
Another assured display from the tournament’s MVP. Mane’s 87th-minute goal ensured Senegal’s place in the Africa Cup of Nations final as they survived a late Burkina Faso fight-back
Third Place: Burkina Faso 3 (3-5) 3 Cameroon
Bertrand Traoré (BFA)
Current team: Aston Villa
Age: 26
He provided an assist for one of Burkina Faso’s three goals but beyond that other stats provided by fotmob.com showed he excelled in the Aerial duel wons (80%), Accurate Passes (73%), Accurate long balls (100%), and Accurate crosses (100%)
Final: Senegal 0 (4-2) 0 Egypt
Mohamed Abou Gabal (EGY) goalkeeper
Current team: Zamalek
Age 33
First, he saved a thunderbolt of a penalty kick from Sadio Mane early in the final before pulling strings of other saves to drag the game into extra time and then penalties.
However, his heroics to ensure Egypyt win a fourth title were not successful. Abu-Gabal received the man-of-the-match award in tears after Egypt failed to win the 2021 African Cup of Nations
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