Equatorial Guinea‘s shot-stopper, Jesus Owono, was superb for his team, helping them secure a point against the Super Eagles of Nigeria; it ended 1-1. 

The 22-year-old Deportivo Alavés player made six saves, one of the highest recorded at the tournament. Although Owono could not deny Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen a header at the eighth minute past the half-hour mark, he made four high claims against their Nigerian counterparts. If Owono extends this performance to crucial stages of the competition, he might likely win the golden glove. Is it too early to conclude?

Chinese-based Zambia defender, Stoppila Sunza, was solid at the backline of the Chipolopolos against the DR Congo, which was the ultimate match of the first round, ending 1-1. With 68 touches of the ball, the right full-back made 10 clearances against their opponent. He executed three different tackles, achieving 96% accuracy in his passes. With his ball progressive ability, Made In Africa Sport will keep tabs on the 34-year-old defender as the competition progresses.

Though Alexander Djiku‘s spectacular performance could not secure maximum points for the Black Stars of Ghana against Cape Verde after they fell 2-1 loss, the 29-year-old Fenerbahce defender’s shining light could not be hidden. 

His goal through a header in the 56th minute cancelled out the lead by the Islanders. He made four clearances, two tackles, and three blocks and interceptions for the Black Stars.

Romain Saiss was another player in the defensive line who displayed a good sense of maturity and leadership for Morocco in the first round of AFCON. 

Saiss opened the scoring sheet in the 30th minute for the Atlas Lions in a rebound through a well-taken set piece by Hakimi Ziyech in a 3-0 win against Tanzania. The 33-year-old defender made 85% accurate passes, completing 50 out of his 59 attempted passes at the heart of the defence, also winning 3 out of his 5 aerial duels to cap a fine performance.

In tandem, his teammate, Azzedine Ounahi, also put up a good performance in the second half to score the second goal against Tanzania in the 77th minute and register 91% accuracy in his passes against the Taifa Stars. While the goal was the highlight of his game, he excelled in other fields too, completing 100% of his two attempted dribbles, winning 6 out of the 8 ground duels he contested.

In the middle of the park, Senegal‘s Lamine Camara led the pack of outstanding midfielders in the first round of the Africa showpiece event. The 20-year-old midfielder scored twice in a 3-0 win against Gambia, spurring the Teranga Lions to start the delayed AFCON 2023 on a victorious note. The brilliant Metz player was everywhere for the defending champions, justifying why he was crowned the best young player on the continent during the CAF Awards in December.

Damac’s Georges-Kevin N’Koudou played differently, despite his side, Cameroon, settling for a 1-1 draw against Guinea. The 28-year-old was involved in the 51st-minute goal scored by his compatriot Frank Magri. He had seven key passes, which the Indomitable Lions did not utilise optimally.

Cape Verde’s Garry Rodrigues scored the Blue Sharks’ decider against Ghana at the death, pulling off a major upset against the West African heavyweights. The Turkish-based player came in for Ryan Mendes to score the goal, and with over 20 minutes of play, he was able to pull off two shots on targets and key passes for his side.

In the final third, Mohammed Salah was instrumental for his side, though Egypt was held to a shocking 2-2 draw by Mozambique. He scored a penalty goal for the Pharaohs with an assist to Mostafa Mohamed‘s 2nd-minute goal. Both players’ performances were not enough for the seven-time record champion to record a win, but they both made statements.

Completing the team of the week is Brentford’s Yoane Wissa who cancelled Zambia’s lead to take DR Congo level in the 27th minute and earn a vital point. The 27-year-old forward had six shots, most in the match, of which two were on target, and the performance was enough to earn him a place in the AFCON 2023 Team of the Week.

AFCON 2023 MATCHDAY 1 TEAM OF THE WEEK

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