The most exciting unknown African players to watch in 2025 (Part 1)

Football has become a global spectacle like never before. From the cobblestone streets of Europe to the dusty pitches of Africa and the mini-cages of South America, the beautiful game has touched every corner of the world, cementing its place as the most popular sport globally. According to CAF, AFCON 2023 shattered viewership records with over 2 billion viewers worldwide, marking it as the most-watched AFCON tournament in history. This staggering number highlights the growing passion and widespread appeal of African football across the globe.
A significant driver behind football’s global popularity is the vibrant national leagues, which power the sport year-round with only a brief break between May and mid-August. As the 2024/2025 season draws to a close for some leagues and opens for others, many African football stars are poised to make their mark on the world stage as they battle for glory and survival across various leagues.
The 2025 African football season promises to be thrilling, with major events on the horizon, including the Club World Cup, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Over the years, African football has continued to evolve, and with two key tournaments approaching, the spotlight is on a new generation of players.
The 35th edition of AFCON, set to run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, is shaping up to be a thrilling competition filled with unforgettable moments, passion, and skill. AFCON 2025 will not only celebrate Africa’s rich footballing history but also showcase the continent’s future stars. As anticipation builds for this grand event, all eyes are on the emerging talents who could define the tournament. These players represent Africa’s immense potential, and their performances in Morocco could shape the trajectory of their careers and ignite excitement throughout the tournament.
Here are some of the standout talents to watch in 2025, players who could shine at the senior level and captivate both African and global football fans alike.
While not all of these players play for Europe’s elite clubs, they are exceptional internationals ready to make their mark at AFCON or the 2026 World Cup. This list highlights a mix of emerging talents, players hitting their peak form, and those making strong comebacks, all poised to capture the spotlight.

Is Esperance’s young goalkeeper destined to become Africa’s next great shot-stopper? At just 20 years old, the early signs are highly promising for the Tunisian talent, who has impressed both domestically with the North African giants and in CAF competitions. He has also earned his first call-ups to the national team.During the 2023-24 CAF Champions League, the rookie goalkeeper achieved an outstanding feat by keeping 11 clean sheets in 13 matches. His performances were key, even though Esperance were ultimately defeated 1-0 on aggregate by Al-Ahly in the final. Despite the loss, the young keeper’s several crucial saves highlighted his potential.

This season, he’s been instrumental in Esperance’s success, contributing to their Tunisian Super Cup victory with a 2-0 win over Stade Tunisien. In the ongoing CAF Champions League, he’s already kept 3 clean sheets in 5 matches. Esperance is now gearing up for a knockout clash with Mamelodi Sundowns on April 1, a repeat of last year’s semifinal, where Esperance triumphed 2-0 on aggregate. Domestically, the team currently tops the Tunisian Professional League after 23 matchdays, with the young goalkeeper starting 20 games and keeping 9 clean sheets.

His meteoric rise from the Tunisian U-20 team to a full international has been nothing short of remarkable. He made his senior debut during the 2025 AFCON qualifying home match against Madagascar and has since featured in four more games, conceding just 5 goals while recording a clean sheet.

Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be a thrilling year for the towering goalkeeper. Esperance will compete in the Club World Cup, where they’ve been drawn with Flamengo, Chelsea, and Leon in the group stage, followed by the prestigious AFCON tournament, offering even more opportunities for the young shot-stopper to showcase his immense talent.

The Slavia Prague left-back has attracted attention from several clubs, with the Czech side’s sporting director confirming that Premier League teams have inquired about him. El Hadji Malick Diouf is an intriguing prospect—an athletic, attack-minded full-back with clear potential. Known for his ability to drive forward and his aerial dominance, Diouf’s physical attributes stand out. However, questions about his defensive consistency and final product have led to him often being used as a left-wing back or left midfielder.

This season, his profile in European football has risen, thanks to Slavia Prague’s involvement in both UEFA Champions League qualifiers and the UEFA Europa League group stages. They were eliminated from the Champions League qualifiers by Lille, losing 3-2 on aggregate, and finished 30th in the Europa League standings with 5 points. Despite the team’s struggles, Diouf featured in every European club competition match for Slavia Prague. Domestically, in the Czech First League, he’s played 22 games, scoring 6 goals and providing 2 assists. Slavia Prague currently leads the league with a 10-point advantage over Sparta Prague.

Diouf made his debut for Senegal in a 2025 AFCON qualifying match against Burundi, where he played 4 minutes under Aliou Cissé. He then received his full debut in the game against Malawi, where he was the standout player, showcasing his full range of skills in a 1-0 victory. Since then, he has firmly established himself in Senegal’s squad, featuring in the next two matches.
With Slavia Prague reportedly rejecting a €25 million bid for Diouf, interested clubs will likely need to increase their offer to secure his signature.

Habib Diarra has once again been a key player for Strasbourg this season, making 30 appearances across all competitions, scoring seven goals, and registering three assists. As a result, Les Alsaciens are keen to keep hold of the Senegal international. However, with the calibre of clubs expressing interest, they may face a challenge in retaining him.

Interest in Diarra is growing, with clubs from both England and Italy taking concrete steps toward securing his signature. The former French youth international, who represented France at various levels (U16, U18, U19, U21), was eventually persuaded by Aliou Cissé to switch allegiance to Senegal.

Diarra made his debut for Senegal in a 3-0 international friendly win over Gabon in March 2024. He scored his first goal in a 2025 AFCON qualifier against Burkina Faso and truly announced himself with a man-of-the-match performance in the following game against Burundi, netting two goals before being substituted for Lamine Camara.

Reports indicate that Premier League clubs have made inquiries, with AC Milan also expressing strong interest in the midfielder. However, as of now, no official offers have been made for Strasbourg’s highly-rated talent.

Daga is the next all-action Nigerian midfielder poised to make an impact in European football. With his tenacious defending, powerful runs, and ability to cover every inch of the pitch, Daga has drawn comparisons to Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi. Equipped with natural athleticism, a shot that strikes fear into opposing goalkeepers, and leadership qualities that have already seen him captain Nigerian giants Enyimba, it’s only a matter of time before this young star captures the attention of a wider audience.

Daga was Nigeria’s youngest player at the 2023 Under-20 World Cup, and, due to regulations, had to remain in Nigeria until his 18th birthday before making the move to Norwegian club Molde on deadline day this January.

He got his first taste of European competition during the UEFA Conference League knockout phase against Shamrock Rovers, where he came on in the 95th minute and scored one of the winning penalties in the subsequent shootout, after a 1-1 aggregate score. Molde now faces Legia Warsaw on March 6 in another knockout round, with the Norwegian league season set to begin on March 30, giving Daga time to acclimatize to his new environment and teammates.

Daga started and played every match for Nigeria at the U-20 World Cup in Argentina. With new coach Eric Chelle seeking to refresh his squad after their 2023 AFCON final appearance, Daga remains a bright young prospect to watch as he continues his rise in European football.

Hertha Berlin’s Ibrahim Maza is increasingly likely to leave the club this summer, but he prefers to remain in Germany. During the winter transfer window, both AC Milan and Porto showed interest in the 19-year-old forward. However, Maza turned down Milan’s approach, as he wasn’t keen on making the move, even though Milan were prepared to offer nearly €20m for his services.

The Berlin-born player, formerly a German youth international, switched allegiance to Algeria in October 2024. He made a brief appearance in Algeria’s 2025 AFCON qualifying match against Togo.

So far this season, Maza has recorded 7 goals and 5 assists in 29 appearances across all competitions. Algeria’s coach Vladimir Petkovic would do well to recognize his value, especially since Maza was left out of the squad for the November FIFA window, despite Algeria securing four consecutive victories in the qualifiers.

This summer, Maza is expected to attract interest from a number of clubs. In addition to Milan and Porto, there is also interest from Atlético Madrid in Spain, and Premier League clubs such as Leicester, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and West Ham. Within Germany, three teams are keen on the 19-year-old: VfB Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen, and another unnamed Bundesliga club.

Former Mamelodi Sundowns manager Rhulani Mokwena is widely regarded as one of African football’s greatest visionaries, and his decision to give a 16-year-old Mabena his first-team debut in March 2023 is a testament to his forward-thinking approach. Mabena first made a name for himself with South Africa at the 2022 Cosafa Under-17 Championship, where he delivered a stunning performance, scoring nine goals in five matches. Since Mokwena’s departure, Mabena has remained part of Sundowns’ first-team squad, and it seems only a matter of time before he starts making significant contributions at one of Africa’s top clubs.

As Sundowns prepares for next summer’s revamped Club World Cup, which will feature sides like Fluminense, Ulsan, and Borussia Dortmund in their group, Mabena could well be a player to watch. Coach Hugo Broos has a keen eye for emerging talent, and a wildcard like Mabena could prove invaluable to any manager looking to make an impact.

Stay tuned for part 2 of our series on the most exciting unknown African players to watch in 2025! Feel free to leave a comment if you think there are other players who should be featured.

Elume Raymond™ is on Twitter (X): @elumeraymond