By Ed Dove
We are only days away from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament kicks off on Saturday, as 16 sides from across the continent attempt to claim Nigeria’s crown and their title of African champions.
While much of the attention will inevitably focus on the big-name players set to star in Equatorial Guinea, this article presents five players who may just be standing on the peripheries of stardom.
This quintet has been highlighted as we at Bleacher Report believe that they are on the cusp of greatness and could be set to make a major contribution over the coming weeks.
Frank Acheampong
There have been a few early, encouraging signs from Avram Grant’s nascent start as Ghana coach.
The former Chelsea man picked a sprawling preliminary side, but arguably apart from cutting FF Malmo man Kofi Enoch Adu and including Cambridge United’s Kwesi Appiah, his selection decisions have largely been sensible and, to some extent, refreshing.
It’s been good to see him turn to a few players yet to truly establish themselves in the Black Stars’ squad and the likes of Daniel Amartey and Frank Acheampong could emerge as influential figures over the coming weeks.
The latter, in particular, could be set to shine. He started and scored in a friendly against Japan back in 2013, but ended up missing out on the World Cup squad.
Having missed the whole of qualification, he was named in the preliminary Afcon 31 by Grant and subsequently, the final squad.
Acheampong, who has starred in the Champions League with Anderlecht this season, is a useful option on either flank. Considering Christian Atsu’s struggles with Everton, and his declining confidence in a Ghana shirt, Acheampong, who also offers pace and directness, could be called-upon as a viable and potentially valuable alternative.
Ferjani Sassi
Recently, in compiling 10 bold predictions for African football in 2015, I forecast that Ferjani Sassi would emerge as an African Andrea Pirlo over the coming 12 months.
The Tunisian midfielder has recently secured a move to Europe, swapping CS Sfaxien of Tunisia for Metz of Ligue 1, per Le Figaro (French), and I expect he will be a big hit in French football.
Before that, however, Sassi will likely be a key man for the North Africans as they attempt to reassert themselves within the continent context.
Tunisia will fancy their chances of escaping Group B, but after that, the loss of striker Fakhreddine Ben Youssef—out of the tournament due to injury [via Mohamad Moselhi of Ahram Online]—may prove costly.
Sassi, however, is capable of providing that moment of magic that might just overcome the loss of the talismanic forward.
He possesses excellent vision, sure passing ability and a fine first touch, and is the kind of polished, deep-lying operator that is regrettably rare in African football.
Fabrice Ondoa
Fabrice Ondoa was the revelation of the Cup of Nations qualification stage and, arguably, he was the great breakout star of African football in 2014.
Admittedly, the Barcelona B stopper was afforded excellent protection by the duo of Stephane Mbia and Nicolas N’Koulou, but his performances in qualification demonstrated both his fine shot-stopping skills and his organisational abilities.
These qualities are testament to the 19-year-old’s maturity.
Despite his slender years and relative inexperience, the keeper only conceded one goal during the whole of the qualification programme, ensuring that Cameroon had the joint-best record of any African nation.
He could be set to be the Indomitable Lions’ No. 1 for another decade and a half and is a worthy successor to the likes of Joseph-Antoine Bell, Thomas N’Kono, Jacques Songo’o and Carlos Kameni.
Yannick Bolasie
Following his flashes of brilliance for Crystal Palace over the first half of this season, Yannick Bolasie is a familiar bag of tricks for fans of the Premier League.
However, he is also a growing force within the African sphere and has emerged as the Democratic Republic of Congo’s key man over the last six months.
In particular, Bolasie was unstoppable in the mesmerising 4-3 victory over the Ivory Coast in Abidjan, with his pace, dribbling ability and eye for a pass persistently menacing the Elephants’ beleaguered defenders.
His explosive arsenal of skills will be a valuable asset for the Leopards as they attempt to escape from an evenly matched Group B.
Didier Ndong
The least heralded of the players on this list, Didier Ndong is the man who does the dirty work for Gabon.
While his compatriot Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will doubtless steal the show for the Panthers, Ndong will keep the side ticking over. He is a metronomic presence in the heart of the midfield, and never stops moving, constantly providing options for his teammates and keeping the play ticking over.
He knows how to recycle possession, and his work with the ball is complemented by his strong positioning.
If Gabon are to be the dark horses of this Cup of Nations, then Ndong will doubtless need to be at his best!