The EFL Championship stars most likely to light up 2023 AFCON

The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 is fast approaching, with Ivory Coast staging the competition for the second time during the nation’s history in the New Year. The leading nations, Nigeria included, will be assessing their squads and looking for in-form players plying their trade overseas to make an impact.

From an international perspective, AFCON is still one of the most important international tournaments in the season calendar. Looking at Betano’s list of international football betting markets, it’s listed alongside the Americas’ CONCACAF event, as well as Europe’s EURO 2024 which is scheduled to commence next June.

The EFL Championship remains the most watched second division in world football. With the biggest prize in football at the end of the rainbow, it attracts many top players looking for a slice of the Premier League pie. Below, we look at some of the biggest African stars in the EFL Championship in line to appear at AFCON 2023 in January.

Wilfred Ndidi

26-year-old midfield dynamo Wilfred Ndidi is an almost certainty to feature for Nigeria at AFCON 2023. Ndidi shouldn’t really be playing in the Championship but the £25m-rated holding midfielder has had to accept at least one season in the second tier following Leicester’s relegation last term. Admittedly, he is out of contract at the end of this season, which is putting a string of top European clubs on red alert to snap him up next summer. The Foxes are flying high at the top of the Championship already, with Ndidi an ever-present in Enzo Maresca’s side, even getting on the scoresheet once too. He’ll be keen to add to his 52 caps for the Super Eagles in Cote D’Ivoire.

Kelechi Iheanacho

Ndidi’s compatriot and Leicester teammate, Kelechi Iheanacho, will likely be on the same flight out to Ivory Coast with Ndidi in January. Iheanacho missed out on a move away from Leicester after the Foxes’ relegation so, like Ndidi, is having to refocus his efforts on helping City back into the top flight. His season has been largely low-key so far, with only one goal in seven Championship appearances, but his one-in-four goal record for the Super Eagles will surely put him in strong contention for AFCON 2023.

Sam Morsy
 

Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy has been the bedrock of the Tractor Boys’ resurgence in the EFL Championship. The Blues find themselves in the automatic promotion places in their first season back in the second tier, and Morsy has been a driving force for Ipswich in the last 18 months, thriving under the influence of manager, Kieran McKenna. Morsy has already been recalled to the Egyptian national team since Ipswich’s return to the Championship and he and Ipswich’s strong start to 2023/24 will keep him firmly on the radar of Egypt boss, Rui Vitoria.
 

Ilias Chair
 

Queens Park Rangers’ Moroccan midfield maestro, Ilias Chair, is a nailed-on member of Morocco’s AFCON 2023 squad. The 25-year-old is a key member of the QPR team and has established himself as a top-level Championship performer during his six years in West London. Chair’s low centre of gravity and his excellent weight of pass make him a danger for any backline. He’s made 12 appearances for the Morocco national team since 2021 and his early season form for QPR this term must surely put him in contention to feature heavily at AFCON 2023.
 

Kamaldeen Sulemana
 

Although things may not be going too well for Sulemana’s club, Southampton, in the Championship, the Ghanaian will almost certainly feature for his country at AFCON 2023. The fleet-footed 21-year-old joined the Saints in the January transfer window this year and has seen his new employers fall out of the Premier League. He’s been used sparingly from the bench in the Championship so far this term, but Sulemana has showed a willingness to make things happen as a second half substitute. His return to the starting XI could help Southampton move back up the Championship table and give him regular minutes ahead of January.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel