Qatar 2022: What you should know about Thomas Partey, Edouard Mendy, three other African footballers in the World Cup
The FIFA world cup is a stage most players dream to perform in. Played every four years, a player can only represent his country a few times in his career, which inspires in them the need to make a mark. The German player, Lothar Matthäus, with the highest world cup appearance of 25, played in five world cup tournaments. The legendary Diego Maradona made 21 appearances in four world cup tournaments, but his imprint will always be remembered.
Some African legends like Kanu Nwankwo, Didier Drogba, Augustine ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha, and Samuel Eto’o, among others, appeared on this biggest football stage. In 1998, Samuel Eto’o made history as the youngest player to appear in the world cup at the age of 17 years. It was not until the 2008 FIFA World Cup that the record was broken by Victor Manon. Like these African legends, other breeds of African players are smashing records, and the Qatar 2022 World Cup will offer them another opportunity to further prove their abilities when the tournament begins on Sunday, November 20, 2022.
Here’s what you should know about five of your favourite African players ready to play in the world cup.
1) Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon)
Often described as Cameroon’s goalscoring powerhouse, Vicent Aboubakar will captain the Indomitable Lions to his third world cup tournament, 12 years after he made the Cameroon world cup 23-man squad in 2010 at the age of 18.
Vigorous, agile, and with intimidating strength, Aboubakar is often ruthless in front of goal, especially when he is representing his country. With 90 international appearances, the Al Nassr player has scored 33 goals for his country, making him the third top scorer in the nation’s history, only behind Roger Milla (43) and Samuel Eto’o (56). While he missed the 2019 African Cup of Nations due to injury, Aboubakar returned to the team in 2021 for the African Cup of Nations, scoring eight goals in seven appearances in the tournament, which earned him the highest goal scorer.
2) Wahbi Khaziri (Tunisia)
Born in France, Wahbi Khaziri has played for both France and Tunisia. He made his debut for Tunisia’s under-20 football team in 2009 but switched sides when he accepted a call-up to play for France’s under-21 in November 2011. After only one game for the French side, he switched international allegiance again for Tunisia when the head coach, Sami Trabelsi, called him to be part of his squad for the 2013 African Cup of Nations.
Khaziri, who doubles as an attacking midfielder and a forward, will captain Tunisia to their sixth world cup. In his first world cup debut in 2018, Khazri netted twice against Panama, which earned Tunisia their first world cup win since 1978, the year Tunisia first appeared on the big stage. While Tunisia has never advanced from the group stage, it will be an honour for 31-year-old Khaziri to help his country break the record.
Since his debut for the Tunisia national team, the Montpellier forward has been instrumental to the team, becoming their second-highest goal scorer with 24 goals in 71 international appearances.
3) Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi is one of the young African stars ready to write their names in world cup history.
Speed, ability to score and assist are some of the qualities that have earned Hakimi as one of the best right-backs in the football world. The 24-year-old is also an excellent free-kicker. In the 2021 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon, Hakimi started all his matches in the group stage and scored a free-kick against Gabon. In the round of 16 against Malawi, he netted twice, including a free kick in the 70th minute earning his team a victory.
Born in Spain to Moroccan parents, Hakimi started his footballing career at the age of eight when he joined Real Madrid’s youth setup in 2006 from Colonia Ofigevi. He made his international debut for the Tunisia national team on October 11, 2016. His first goal for the team came a year later in September when he netted the fourth goal in a 6-0 home win against Mali.
With 52 International appearances, Hakimi has eight goals, an incredible stat for a defender. With age and passion on his side, Hakimi is one of the young stars to watch out for in the tournament.
4) Thomas Teye Partey
As Arsenal head to the new year at the top of the English Premier League, Thomas Partey’s contributions are pivotal to the team’s success. With two goals in 11 matches, 61% successful tackles, 14 interceptions, and 86 recoveries, Partey appears to have justified his £45 million transfer from Spanish club Atlético Madrid to Arsenal, which made him the most expensive Ghanaian player of all time.
Born in Krobo Odumase, Ghana, his international career began in May 2016 when he was called up by former Ghana manager Avraham Granat ahead of a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Mauritius. Since then, he has been an indisputable member of the team with 13 goals in 40 appearances. While he has represented his nation at three Africa Cup of Nations (2017, 2019, and 2021), Partey will make his first world cup debut on November 24, 2022, against Portugal.
As the 29-year-old heads to the world cup as vice-captain of the Black Stars, the memory of his goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match in March 2022, which ended the Super Eagles’ bid to the tournament will perhaps continually flash in the mind of Nigerians each time he holds the ball.
5) Edouard Mendy (Senegal)
Born to a Senegalese mother and a Bissau-Guinean father in France, Edouard Mendy is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world, with an admirable skill of physically dominating his defence and properly positioning his defenders. He started his professional career with AS Cherbourg, a French club, and when he left the club in 2014, he registered for unemployment after staying without a football club for a year. He burst into the limelight in 2019 after he moved to Rennes helping the French side secure the UEFA Champion League spot after he kept nine clean sheets in 24 games.
While Mendy represented Bissau-Guinea in international friendly matches against Belenenses and Estoril in a club-country friendly match, he switched international alliances to his mother’s country, Senegal, and made his first appearance for the country in November 2018. Mendy has become an indisputable part of Aliou Cissé’s team, having 25 appearances, and with him in the goalpost, Senegal will be hoping to extend their World Cup history beyond being the first African country to make it into the quarter-final.
In September 2020 when he moved to Chelsea at a reported fee of £22 million, he became the first African goalkeeper to play for the five-time Premier English champion. In addition to winning the best goalkeeper at the 2021 African Cup of Nations, Mendy was named Best FIFA Goalkeeper and UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021, becoming the first African to win both titles in football’s history.
With Sadio Mane absent from the World Cup due to an injury, Mendy and his teammates will lead Senegal to its fourth World Cup appearance against the Netherlands on Monday, November 21, 2022, without the presence of the Bayern Munich star who finished second in the 2022 Ballon d’Or award.
Also, to be a part of the ongoing YaQatar discount, DStv subscribers can pay 14,900 for a decoder and dish to get a month-free subscription on the DStv compact package. Also, GOtv subscribers can pay 6900 for a decoder and ‘gottenna’ to get a one-month free subscription on the GOtv max package.
There you have it! Enjoy the best of the DStv YaQatar experience from the comfort of your home. The live coverage is open to DStv customers on Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Confam and Yanga customers and for GOtv customers on Supa, Max, Jolli and Jinja packages.
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