CAF TSG includes Mane and Bono in AFCON 2025 ‘dream team’

By Angu Lesley

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Technical Study Group
has officially unveiled the Team of the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations.

This elite selection captures the soul of a competition that pushed the boundaries of African excellence and poured out raw emotions. They kept millions of fans on the edge of their seats until the final second in Rabat.

From moments of brilliance by Brahim Díaz to the ageless leadership of Sadio Mané, the 2025 Team of the Tournament is a collection of world-class athletes who currently dictate the tempo of the sport across the planet’s most prestigious leagues.

The defensive compartment of this squad moves away from pure physicality towards a blend of intelligence and technical versatility. In goal, Yassine Bounou of Morocco secured the Golden Glove, a feat backed by an astounding record of five clean sheets. Bounou’s presence in the Best XI is a reminder of his status as a global icon after his heroics in Africa and at the World stage. Protecting him is a backline led by Senegal’s Moussa Niakhaté and Nigeria’s Calvin Bassey. Niakhaté was the architect of a Senegalese defense that did not concede a single goal during the knockout stages, and was there to fill the void in absence of long time captain, Kalidou Koulibaly. On both flanks, Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui operated like modern playmakers, proving that the African continent is currently producing the most dynamic and tactically flexible full-backs in the modern game.

There is stamina in the heart of the pitch. Veteran, Idrissa Gana Gueye and the emerging brilliance of the hero of the final, Pape Gueye, dictated the flow of the tournament with relentless energy. Pape Gueye’s decisive 94th-minute extra-time winner in the final secured the trophy for the Teranga Lions and cemented his reputation as a big-game player, as he ended the tournament with 3 goals to his credit. Operating just ahead of them is Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, who unarguably enjoyed the most statistically dominant tournament of any player in Morocco. Lookman finished with three goals and four assists, maintaining the highest average rating of the competition and proving why African creative midfielders are now among the most sought-after assets in the global market.

The forward line of the 2025 Best XI is perhaps the most terrifying assembly of attacking talent ever seen in the competition’s history, representing the absolute peak for Africa. Sadio Mané solidified his legendary status by being named Player of the Tournament, contributing two goals and four assists while serving as the emotional heartbeat of the championship-winning squad. On the opposite wing, Brahim Díaz captured the Golden Boot in his debut AFCON, scoring five goals in seven matches.

Centering this attack is Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, whose four goals and relentless work rate forced every opponent into defensive errors and confirmed his status as one of the world’s premier strikers.

This lineup is a vivid illustration of why African players are protagonists and defining voices on the world’s stage.

TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT

Goalkeeper
Yassine Bounou (Morocco)

Defenders
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
Moussa Niakhaté (Senegal)
Calvin Bassey (Nigeria)
Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco)

Midfielders
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)
Pape Gueye (Senegal)
Idrissa Gueye (Senegal)

Forwards
Brahim Díaz (Morocco)
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
Sadio Mané (Senegal)

Coach: Walid Regragui (Morocco)