Ademola Lookman, Eric Chelle Named in AFCON 2025 Team of the Group Stage
- The Confederation of African Football has released the Best 11 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations group stage
- Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman is named on the team, while Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle coaches the team
- Fans reacted to the team selection over the exclusion of some top performers during the group stage of the tournament
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the Best 11 for the group stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, ahead of the start of the knockout stage.
AFCON 2025 kicked off on December 21, 2025, and was wrapped up on New Year's Eve, with 16 teams qualified for the next stage while eight were eliminated.
Source: Getty Images
As noted by 3News, the Round of 16 kicks off on January 3, 2026, with some top fixtures lined up, including South Africa vs Cameroon and Algeria vs DR Congo.
AFCON 2025 group stage XI
CAF has announced the Team of the Group Stage for AFCON 2025, featuring some of the best performers during the first round of the tournament.
Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy is named as the number one. At 36, he displayed quality and leadership for the Pharaohs during the group stage.
The quartet of Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco), Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo), Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), and Yahia Attiat-Allah El Abdi (Morocco) makes up the back four.
The trio Brahim Diaz (Morocco), Carlos Baleba (Cameroon), and Ademola Lookman (Nigeria) make up the midfield. Lookman and Diaz are wingers but displayed versatility during the group stage.
Senegal's Sadio Mane and Algeria's Riyad Mahrez form an experienced wing duo alongside Cote d'Ivoire’s Amad Diallo in number nine to complete the Full XI.
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, who masterminded three wins, has been selected as the manager of the group stage. Algeria's head coach, Vladimir Petkovic, is the only other manager with a perfect record.
Expectedly, fans reacted to the XI, claiming some players were wrongly omitted, while some others were included despite other better players.
@MehaziMaher wrote:
“Too politically correct (big names recognized, geographic representation).”
@EmirofLagos wrote:
“You playing Ahmad as your 9 ? Abdi conceded 5 goals in the group stage, where is he there and why is Calvin Bassey who has been phenomenal in the Nigerian squad is absent?”
Source: Getty Images
@cool_michelito wrote:
“Take out Sadio Mane...push Amad Diallo to the flank. Then, put either Ayoub El Kaabi, or Lyle Foster as no. 9”
@RayToluAyo wrote:
The front line is wrong
“Ayoub Elkaabi has three goals but not making the team but Amad Diallo as CF. Amad replaces Sadio Mane on the left, El Kaabi as the CF.”
Notable omissions: Lyle Forster, Calvin Bassey, Mohamed Salah, Ayoub El Kaabi.
Lookman rated AFCON’s best player
Legit.ng previously reported that Ademola Lookman is rated as the best player during the group stage of AFCON 2025 with a WhoScored rating of 8.36.
The 2024 African Footballer of the Year featured in two matches in the group stage, scoring two goals and providing two assists against Tanzania and Tunisia.
Source: Legit.ng
