South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns have more players at the Africa Cup of Nations than any other club, beating out their perennial continental rivals Al Ahly 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 the Ivory Coast.
Wishing good luck to the stars of Mamelodi Sundowns as they represent their countries at AFCON. Go shine! 🏆👊#Sundowns | #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/zTkagN7tby
— Roc Nation Sports International (@RocNationSI) January 12, 2024
It is one more than African champions Al Ahly and two more than Pyramids of Egypt, who Sundowns beat only last month in the African Champions League.
Tanzania’s Young Africans have seven players at the tournament and their Dar-es-Salaam rivals Simba six. Orlando Pirates also have six.
Unlike the World Cup, where clubs are handsomely compensated for their participating players, there is no fee paid to clubs by the Confederation of African Football.
The best represented clubs from Europe are the Ligue 1 outfits Olympique de Marseille and Lorient with seven players each while Nottingham Forest from the Premier League has six.
In total there are 648 players spread across the 24 participating counties at the finals tournament, which gets underway in Abidjan on Saturday. Not all countries have taken up their full quota of 27 players per squad.
Players are drawn from 70 countries across the world with more players for clubs in Europe than from clubs in Africa.
There are players from 36 different leagues in Europe and from 23 different countries in Africa.
Among the African leagues are countries like Botswana, Libya, Rwanda and Sudan, whose national teams failed to qualify. Other countries who have qualified for the tournament from January 13-February 11, like holders Senegal, hosts Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Guinea Bissau, have called up squads made up exclusively of players from outside their own country.
South Africa’s Premier Soccer League has 36 players at the tournament, which makes them the best represented African league.
They are drawn from 15 clubs across both the DStv Premiership and the Motsepe Foundation Championship and represent nine different countries.
There are 29 players from nine Egyptian league clubs – all in the top flight.
The best represented league is France’s Ligue 1 with 61 players now in the Ivory Coast ready to do battle
AFRICAN BASED PLAYERS AT 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: Leonel Ateba (Cameroon)
Victoria United: Wilfried Nathan Doualla (Cameroon)
CAPE 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: Blati Toure (Burkina Faso), Fiston Mayele (DR Congo), Ahmed El Shennawy, Mostafa Fathi, Ali Gabr, Mohamed Hamdy, Mohanad Lashin, 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): Joslin 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 Monastir: 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 Zambia)