U20 World Cup: 5 African gems who stood out on the opening day

World 30 September 2025 at 11:32

Imed Ben Amara

News Editor

Several African players stood out during the first matchday of the group stage of the U20 World Cup.

Africa is represented by four nations in the tournament: Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa.

Also read: 2025 U20 World Cup: The full schedule for the first round

Here are five African gems who made a name for themselves on the opening day of the U20 World Cup.

Gessime Yassine

The Dunkerque winger particularly impressed in the match against Spain, scoring a goal and providing an assist. This performance earned him seventh place in the tournament's best player rankings, according to statistics from the specialist site "sofascore."

Ahmed Akinyele

The central defender was Nigeria’s standout player in their narrow defeat to Norway. He holds 19th place in the U20 World Cup’s best player rankings, with a rating of 7.9 according to "sofascore."

Fouad Zahouani

The Moroccan defender also made his mark in the opening match against Spain. Tough in the tackle, the Union Touarga Sport player also shone with his attacking contributions down the left flank.

Yassir Zabiri

The FC Famalicão forward was one of the main architects of Morocco’s victory over Spain, notably scoring the opening goal to make it 1-0. Switched to a centre-forward role, Yassir Zabiri gave the Spanish defense a torrid time.

Fletcher Hani Smythe Lowe

Estoril Praia’s goalkeeper delivered a stunning performance in South Africa’s narrow 2-1 loss to France. According to sofascore statistics, he made four saves, placing him fifth among the tournament's top goalkeepers.