{"id":118721,"date":"2026-01-07T16:31:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T16:31:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/the-new-generational-talent-taking-over-afcon-2025"},"modified":"2026-01-07T17:37:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T17:37:56","slug":"the-new-generational-talent-taking-over-afcon-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sport\/the-new-generational-talent-taking-over-afcon-2025","title":{"rendered":"The new generational talent taking over AFCON 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 (AFCON) was expected to be ruled by experience, legacy, and familiar names. Instead, in Morocco a quiet shift took place.<\/p>\n<p>Across teams and roles, a group of young players, many at their first AFCON, stepped in not as apprentices, but as solutions. Aged just 17 to 23, they didn\u2019t wait for the future.<\/p>\n<p>They claimed the present.<\/p>\n<p>Ibrahim Mbaye, 17 (Senegal)<\/p>\n<p>Born in Trappes, France, Mbaye is a product of Paris Saint-Germain\u2019s academy and has made 14 Ligue 1 appearances this season. He had already written his name into the club\u2019s history last term by becoming PSG\u2019s youngest-ever player to feature in the league, at just 16 years, six months, and 23 days.<\/p>\n<p>Now aged 17, Mbaye has forced his way into the starting lineup of the European champions and is already drawing comparisons with former PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe\u0301, who currently plays for Real Madrid.<\/p>\n<p>Despite limited minutes, Mbaye has been highly influential, completing nine successful take-ons and creating nine chances in just 450 Ligue 1 minutes so far this season.<\/p>\n<p>On the international stage, he became Senegal\u2019s youngest-ever AFCON goalscorer at 17, finding the net in a 3-1 Round of 16 victory over Sudan as the Teranga Lions booked their place in the quarter-finals. He was also on target in Senegal\u2019s 8-0 win over Kenya in an international friendly on November 18, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Noah Sadiki, 21 (DR Congo)<\/p>\n<p>Sadiki established himself as a regular starter for Premier League side Sunderland, featuring in 16 matches and ranking among the league\u2019s most active midfield ball-winners, noted for his high number of interceptions and defensive actions in the season leading into AFCON.<\/p>\n<p>Born in Brussels, Belgium, Sadiki played a key role in DR Congo\u2019s midfield during the group stage. He started matches including the 1-1 draw against Senegal, where he helped shield the back line and recycle possession as his side held the Teranga Lions.<\/p>\n<p>He also completed the full 90 minutes in fixtures against Senegal and Benin, highlighting his endurance and the trust placed in him by head coach Se\u0301bastien Desabre.<\/p>\n<p>Christian Kofane, 19 (Cameroon)<\/p>\n<p>Kofane enjoyed an impressive club season prior to AFCON, scoring eight goals in 20 appearances for Albacete in the Spanish Segunda Divisio\u0301n before securing a move to Bayer Leverkusen in July. At the German club, he continued his development, gaining valuable experience in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League, where he registered a combined four goals in 22 appearances.<\/p>\n<p>At international level, the Douala-born forward has made a significant impact on Cameroon\u2019s AFCON 2025 campaign, scoring twice during the tournament. He opened his AFCON account against Mozambique in the group stage before netting a crucial header against South Africa, helping Cameroon secure qualification for the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n<p>Mamadou Sangare\u0301, 21 (Mali)<\/p>\n<p>Sangare\u0301 has been named in Mali\u2019s AFCON 2025 squad as a player for RC Lens, a strong Ligue 1 side\u2014an indication that he has been getting regular top-flight minutes at club level heading into the tournament.<\/p>\n<p>Born on 26 June 2002 in Bamako, Mali, Sangare\u0301 may not have widely published individual match statistics for the national team, but his impact has been evident. Mali advanced from the group stage before defeating Tunisia on penalties to reach the quarter-finals, a run that demanded midfield control and strong ball retention from players such as Sangare\u0301.<\/p>\n<p>His selection in a competitive midfield alongside experienced professionals like Amadou Haidara and Yves Bissouma, despite being just 21 years old, underlined the trust placed in him to contribute both defensively and offensively.<\/p>\n<p>Guela Doue\u0301, 23 (Co\u0302te d\u2019Ivoire)<\/p>\n<p>RC Strasbourg right-back Guela Doue\u0301 is the older brother of Paris Saint-Germain forward De\u0301sire\u0301 Doue\u0301.<\/p>\n<p>Although born in Angers, France, the 23-year-old opted to represent Co\u0302te d\u2019Ivoire at international level, unlike his younger brother who plays for France\u2019s national team, Les Bleus.<\/p>\n<p>Doue\u0301 has enjoyed a solid season with Strasbourg, scoring one goal and registering four assists in 17 appearances across all competitions so far.<\/p>\n<p>At international level, he has featured prominently for Co\u0302te d\u2019Ivoire, starting or playing in key group-stage matches, including the 1-1 draw against Cameroon, which proved crucial in securing valuable points. He was also part of the midfield and defensive balance that helped the Elephants recover against Gabon, finish top of their group, and advance to the next stage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Rwanda<\/span> Follow <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Rwanda. The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 (AFCON) was expected to be ruled by experience, legacy, and familiar names. Instead, in Morocco a quiet shift took place. Across teams and roles, a group of young players, many at their first AFCON, stepped in not as apprentices, but as solutions. Aged just 17 to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":118720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,18],"tags":[6161,758],"class_list":["post-118721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-sport","tag-afcon-2025","tag-rwanda"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The new generational talent taking over AFCON 2025 - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 (AFCON) was expected to be ruled by experience, legacy, and familiar names. 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