AFCON: Top 10 African assist providers of the 20th century

PopFoot has published the ranking of the best assist providers at the AFCON in the 21st century, led by several great figures of African football.

Who are the best creators at the Africa Cup of Nations since the beginning of the 21st century? The specialist account PopFoot has compiled the ranking of the players who have provided the most assists in the competition during this period. Several legends of African football naturally feature among the top ten.

Sadio Mané well clear at the top

First place belongs to Sadio Mané. The Senegal forward has recorded 9 assists in 29 AFCON matches, averaging 0.31 assists per game. He is therefore four assists clear of his closest challengers.

Ademola Lookman is second with 5 assists in just 13 appearances. The Nigerian even boasts the best ratio in the Top 10, with 0.38 assists per match. Franck Kessié follows with five assists in 24 appearances, just ahead of Mohamed Salah, who is also credited with five assists but in 25 matches.

Feghouli remains among the benchmarks

Algeria are represented by Sofiane Feghouli, fifth in the ranking with 4 assists in 16 matches, giving him a ratio of 0.25. The former Desert Foxes stalwart therefore remains ahead of several of the continent’s biggest names.

Charles Kaboré, Ismaïla Sarr, Mubarak Wakaso, Max-Alain Gradel and Yaya Touré complete the Top 10 with four assists each.

The full ranking according to PopFoot

1. Sadio Mané - 9 assists in 29 matches (0.31/match)

2. Ademola Lookman - 5 in 13 (0.38/match)

3. Franck Kessié - 5 in 24 (0.21/match)

4. Mohamed Salah - 5 in 25 (0.20/match)

5. Sofiane Feghouli - 4 in 16 (0.25/match)

6. Charles Kaboré - 4 in 19 (0.21/match)

7. Ismaïla Sarr - 4 in 20 (0.20/match)

8. Mubarak Wakaso - 4 in 20 (0.20/match)

9. Max-Alain Gradel - 4 in 28 (0.14/match)

10. Yaya Touré - 4 in 29 (0.14/match)

This ranking highlights two different profiles: Mané stands out for his total output over the years, while Lookman impresses above all with his efficiency, providing almost one assist every three AFCON matches. This statistic places the Nigeria forward among the most effective creators of his generation in the competition.

Read also: FIFA Ranking: the new temporary African Top 10!

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.