Club World Cup 2025: These 4 African players who shone on matchday 1

Several African players stood out during the first matchday of the group stage of the 2025 Club World Cup.

Africa is represented by four clubs in the tournament: Espérance de Tunis, Wydad Athletic Club, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Al Ahly.

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Here are the top African performers at the 2025 Club World Cup.

Iqraam Rayners

The star striker of Mamelodi Sundowns made a big impact in the match against South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai. Highly dynamic, he was one of the main architects of his South African club's narrow victory.

Youcef Belaili

The Algerian international was the standout player for Espérance de Tunis in their defeat against Brazil's Flamengo. He put the South American defenders under constant pressure and dazzled with his dribbling skills.

Mohamed El Shenawy

Al Ahly's goalkeeper was rock-solid against Inter Miami's forwards during the second half of the Club World Cup opener. With several spectacular saves, he was the man of the match for the Egyptian side.

Thembinkosi Lorch

The explosive South African winger was Wydad's best player in their 2-0 loss to Manchester City. Elusive and creative, he gave the City defenders a real headache.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.