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Mane, Salah and More -- Six Stars to Watch at the Cup of Nations

Liverpool's Sadio Mane, who played in the Senegal team that lost the 2019 final. Oli SCARFF AFP/File
Liverpool's Sadio Mane, who played in the Senegal team that lost the 2019 final. Oli SCARFF AFP/File
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Mane, Salah and More -- Six Stars to Watch at the Cup of Nations

Liverpool's Sadio Mane, who played in the Senegal team that lost the 2019 final. Oli SCARFF AFP/File
Liverpool's Sadio Mane, who played in the Senegal team that lost the 2019 final. Oli SCARFF AFP/File

The Africa Cup of Nations begins in Cameroon on Sunday with the continent's top-ranked side Senegal seen as the team to beat alongside reigning champions Algeria.

AFP Sport picks out six stars to watch at the tournament:

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich and CameroonChoupo-Moting was dismissed at times during his two-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain, where he was a back-up in attack to superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Yet he still popped up with some important goals and has netted 17 times in 44 appearances since signing for Bayern Munich in 2020.

The 32-year-old, who stands 1.91m tall, was born in Germany and notably played for Hamburg and Schalke at the start of his career before a stint in the Premier League at Stoke City.

Eligible for Cameroon through his father, he represented the Indomitable Lions at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups and captained them at the AFCON in 2015 and 2017. He did not go in 2017, when Cameroon won the trophy in Gabon, but is the biggest name in the hosts' squad this time as they look to win the trophy for the sixth time.

Sadio Mane (Liverpool and Senegal)Senegal are the leading African side according to the FIFA rankings and Liverpool forward Mane is their star player. A former African Footballer of the Year who also came fourth in the Ballon d'Or rankings in 2019, Mane will be hugely missed by Liverpool as he heads to Cameroon -– he has 10 goals this season for his club.

However, the 29-year-old is desperate to win African football's biggest prize after Senegal lost to Algeria in the 2019 final. The west African country has never won the Cup of Nations.

Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco)At 23, right-back Hakimi is starring for PSG having already played for Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, and is arguably the best attacking full-back on the planet today. He will therefore be the man to watch in a Morocco side among the leading contenders to go all the way.

Hakimi, who joined PSG from Inter last July for 60 million euros ($71 million), is in theory a defender, but he is chiefly a key creative and attacking outlet down the right. Born and brought up in Madrid to Moroccan parents, Hakimi was just 18 when he scored on his competitive debut for the Atlas Lions.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool and Egypt)Many scoffed when Salah came seventh in the final Ballon d’Or rankings in November. It could be argued there is no better player in the world right now than the 29-year-old forward, who has scored 54 times for Liverpool since the start of last season.

Jurgen Klopp's side will miss him and Mane while they are gone for up to a month, but Salah carries the hopes and dreams of 100 million Egyptians on his shoulders. He is the headline act in a squad made up largely of home-based players as The Pharaohs chase a record-extending eighth African crown.

Salah played in the team that lost the 2017 final to Cameroon before losing to South Africa as hosts in the last 16 in 2019.

Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City and Algeria)Another former African footballer of the year, Mahrez captained Algeria to victory in 2019 and is again the star man as they look to defend their title.

The winger has been in fine form for Manchester City, with 13 goals in 25 games this season for the Premier League leaders. Now 30, Mahrez was born and brought up in the Paris suburbs but Algeria was the land of his late father's birth and Riyad made his international debut just before the 2014 World Cup, not long after he first moved to England with Leicester City.

Sebastien Haller (Ajax and Ivory Coast)The tall 27-year-old striker has been one of the stars of this season's UEFA Champions League, scoring 10 goals in the group stage for Ajax. He became just the second player to score in all six group games, following Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017.

Haller, who has 22 goals this season, joined Ajax last January from West Ham United for 22.5 million euros ($27.5m), calling time on a disappointing spell in England to return to the Dutch league, where he was based previously.

Born and brought up in the Paris suburbs, he played for France Under-21s but opted to represent the Ivory Coast –- the land of his mother's birth -– after getting the call aged 26.

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Sports

PSG Coach Warns Players Need to Compete Out of their Comfort Zone

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Stade Rennes v Paris St Germain - Roazhon Park, Rennes, France - August 23, 2026 Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique with Vitinha REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Stade Rennes v Paris St Germain - Roazhon Park, Rennes, France - August 23, 2026 Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique with Vitinha REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
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PSG Coach Warns Players Need to Compete Out of their Comfort Zone

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Stade Rennes v Paris St Germain - Roazhon Park, Rennes, France - August 23, 2026 Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique with Vitinha REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Stade Rennes v Paris St Germain - Roazhon Park, Rennes, France - August 23, 2026 Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique with Vitinha REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Paris Saint-Germain players can ill afford to cruise through the season as coach Luis Enrique warned he expected them to play out of their comfort zone.

The PSG coach took off both Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at halftime of their opening game of the new Ligue 1 season, bringing on Mika Godts and Ferran Torres, who scored twice to salvage a point at Stade Rennais on Sunday.

"Football is like that. Paris Saint-Germain have won nothing, nothing," he said of the new season where they defend not only their Ligue 1 title but chase a third successive Champions League victory.

"If you think about what you've won, you're not ⁠going to win ⁠anything! There is no credit. You have to show every day, every match, every training session, that you're ready. Otherwise, it's easy to relax and start slipping.

"I wasn't brought up that way. We are always looking to win, and to keep winning, you have to step outside your comfort zone. Is that clear?"

PSG, who won the European ⁠Super Cup this month but lost the French version to Racing Lens, played a sluggish first half at Rennes and were 2-0 down at the break.

But new Spanish signing Ferran Torres, who netted the winner in last month's World Cup final, came on for Dembélé and scored twice to ensure a point for the Parisians.

"He wasn't bad, was he? He scored two goals, but I'm happy with everyone who came on in a very difficult match because we had a lot of trouble controlling Rennes in the first half," Reuters quoted Luis Enrique as saying.

"They ⁠were good ⁠on the counterattack and scored two wonderful goals. It was complicated, but it's important for me to see that so many players are ready.

"We sign players to go on a long journey with them. It's very positive for him and we're very happy," he said of Ferran Torres' debut.

"We're always looking to find the best players for every match. Places in the team will be more difficult to get than last year, and that's our ambition.

"I think we had a very good transfer window, and we're still open to different possibilities. Everyone knows how difficult it is for a team to keep winning. And clearly, we still need to improve."

Sports

African Players in Europe: Ajayi and Mendy Stun United

Hull City's Nigerian defender #06 Semi Ajayi applauds fans on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Hull City and Manchester United at the MKM Stadium in Kingston upon Hull, eastern England on August 22, 2026. (AFP)
Hull City's Nigerian defender #06 Semi Ajayi applauds fans on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Hull City and Manchester United at the MKM Stadium in Kingston upon Hull, eastern England on August 22, 2026. (AFP)
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African Players in Europe: Ajayi and Mendy Stun United

Hull City's Nigerian defender #06 Semi Ajayi applauds fans on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Hull City and Manchester United at the MKM Stadium in Kingston upon Hull, eastern England on August 22, 2026. (AFP)
Hull City's Nigerian defender #06 Semi Ajayi applauds fans on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Hull City and Manchester United at the MKM Stadium in Kingston upon Hull, eastern England on August 22, 2026. (AFP)

Nigerian Semi Ajayi and Senegalese Nobel Mendy temporarily vacated defensive roles to score as promoted Hull City stunned Manchester United 2-0 in the Premier League opening round at the weekend.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

SEMI AJAYI (Hull City)

He scored Hull's first Premier League goal in nine years when he was quickest to react from close range in the 17th minute after Oli McBurnie's shot following a poorly defended corner was parried by United goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

NOBEL MENDY (Hull)

Regan Slater's pin-point free-kick proved too much for the visitors to handle and Mendy's header flew past a helpless Lammens to spark yet more wild celebrations among the home fans at the MKM Stadium.

SPAIN

CHIDERA EJUKE (Sevilla)

The Nigerian came off the bench for the second half and took just five minutes to increase a 1-0 half-time lead for Sevilla at Athletic Bilbao. Ejuke raced through and lobbed the ball over 2026 World Cup-winning Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon. Sevilla finished 3-1 winners.

ITALY

HASSANE KAMARA (Udinese)

The France-born Ivory Coast international outsprinted the Como defense and used his left foot to chip the ball over goalkeeper Jean Butez and put Udinese ahead. Como equalized early in the second half of the Serie A clash to force a 1-1 draw.

FRANCE

AMINE GOUIRI (Marseille)

Algeria striker Gouiri struck twice in the second half as Marseille hammered visiting Strasbourg 4-0 in the opening round of Ligue 1. He netted from close range on 46 minutes, then converted a penalty midway through the second half.

DAME GUEYE, LOUIS MAFOUTA (Le Mans)

Both goals for promoted Le Mans came from African strikers in a 2-2 home draw against Brest. Senegalese Gueye levelled in first half added time and Central African Republic international Mafouta put the hosts ahead before Malian Kamory Doumbia restored parity.

Sports

Mercedes No Longer Have the Fastest Car in F1, Says Antonelli

23 August 2026, Netherlands, Zandvoort: Italian second placed Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of team Mercedes speaks during the drivers' press conference after the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix at Mascot Circuit Zandvoort. (dpa)
23 August 2026, Netherlands, Zandvoort: Italian second placed Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of team Mercedes speaks during the drivers' press conference after the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix at Mascot Circuit Zandvoort. (dpa)
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Mercedes No Longer Have the Fastest Car in F1, Says Antonelli

23 August 2026, Netherlands, Zandvoort: Italian second placed Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of team Mercedes speaks during the drivers' press conference after the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix at Mascot Circuit Zandvoort. (dpa)
23 August 2026, Netherlands, Zandvoort: Italian second placed Formula One driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of team Mercedes speaks during the drivers' press conference after the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix at Mascot Circuit Zandvoort. (dpa)

McLaren have taken a big step forward and Mercedes no longer have the quickest car in Formula One, championship leader Kimi Antonelli said after Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix.

McLaren's reigning champion Lando Norris celebrated his second win in a row from pole position at Zandvoort, with Antonelli and Mercedes teammate George Russell second and third ahead of Ferrari pair Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

"We’re clearly not the fastest car anymore on the grid," said Antonelli, who won five races in a row earlier in the season.

"We’re probably second or third, at least in today’s race, and McLaren has taken a huge step, especially since Hungary, since the big upgrade package they brought."

Norris, who lost out to Antonelli at the race restart and then had to overtake him on track, questioned ‌that assertion however.

"I ‌don’t think it’s true. I think if I didn’t get Kimi when ‌I ⁠overtook him, I ⁠don’t think I would have won the race," he said.

"For once I would give myself a little bit of credit that I feel like I’m doing a better job than everyone, and I think that can also make a difference.

"We certainly have a car now capable of beating them ... but I think they have a better all-round performing car than what we do."

Zandvoort, and Budapest's Hungaroring before that, played to McLaren's strengths but some of the tracks coming up may be less favorable.

Ferrari can be expected to go well at their home ⁠grand prix at Monza early next month, with upgrades in the pipeline, ‌while Antonelli faces hefty grid penalties for an engine change.

A TOUGHER ‌RIDE

Mercedes are still way ahead of Ferrari and McLaren in the constructors' championship and scored more points (46 to McLaren's ‌43 and Ferrari's 31) than anyone else over the weekend.

"We have a strong car in certain ‌areas. It’s not like last year where we were pretty good everywhere," said Norris.

"We’re very, very strong in high speed, and that’s the place we’ve improved the car the most, is high-speed performance. No one matches us in high speed, and that’s a good thing.

"But the advantage that they (Mercedes) have to us in slow speed is also crazy. And ‌therefore, I don’t have the confidence to say 'yeah, I can easily fight for a championship for the rest of the season.

"I know I’ve just ⁠won two races in ⁠a row and had two poles in a row, but at the minute I don’t have the car I need to fight for a championship," added the Briton, who is 83 points behind Antonelli with another 11 rounds remaining unless the situation in the Middle East forces a calendar change.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said cost-cap restrictions meant Mercedes did not have the money to put developments on the car as fast as they might like to.

"We are trying to evenly split that through the season based on our calculations of when we can bring the biggest updates and optimizing the championship points," he told reporters.

"So, the ride has been a bit tougher than at the beginning of the year."

McLaren principal Andrea Stella said he expected Mercedes to accelerate their car's development regardless.

"I'm sure their car in the wind tunnel is quite a bit faster than the car they have on track," said the Italian.

"And they will want to now convert some of this potential into upgrades that make it to the real car. I'm just pretty sure that they will have upgrades."