AFCON 2027 players to watch: five young stars in form
By Sam Whitlock · Edited
Five AFCON 2027 players aged 21 or under are already in form, for national teams still fighting to reach the tournament.
AFCON 2027 runs from 19 June to 17 July 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Only the three hosts have qualified so far. Everyone else has played two of six qualifiers, and rounds three and four are on 12 to 17 November. The club figures below are for the 2026-27 season so far, all competitions, from Flashscore, checked on 4 November 2026.
Yassir Zabiri, Morocco
- Age: 21
- Club: Racing Santander, on loan from Rennes
- This season: 8 goals in 10 La Liga games
- Morocco: two wins from two in Group A
Zabiri scored both goals in the 2-0 win over Argentina in the 2025 Under-20 World Cup final. His five goals made him joint top scorer of that tournament.
Yan Diomande, Côte d'Ivoire
- Age: 19
- Club: Real Madrid
- This season: 3 goals and 4 assists in 12 games, three of them in the Champions League
- Côte d'Ivoire: 6 points from 2 games in Group C
Real Madrid signed the winger from RB Leipzig in August, on a contract to 2033. He scored 13 goals and made 10 assists in 36 games for Leipzig last season.
Ibrahim Maza, Algeria
- Age: 20
- Club: Bayer Leverkusen
- This season: 4 goals and 3 assists in 12 games
- Algeria: top of Group I, with a goal and an assist from Maza in the two qualifiers
Maza was born in Berlin and played for Germany's youth teams before choosing Algeria. He is a playmaker who carries the ball through tight spaces.
Abdellah Ouazane, Morocco
- Age: 17
- Club: Ajax
- This season: 3 goals and 4 assists in 18 games, seven of them in the Conference League
- Morocco: two wins from two in Group A
Ouazane was named player of the tournament when Morocco won the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations in 2025, CAF said. He made his senior debut in the September qualifiers. Morocco is also one of the three World Cup 2030 host countries.
Ibrahim Mbaye, Senegal
- Age: 18
- Club: Aston Villa
- This season: no goals and 4 assists in 11 games, two of the assists in the Champions League
- Senegal: 4 points from 2 games, level at the top of Group J
Aston Villa signed the winger from Paris Saint-Germain on 1 September. He scored against France at the 2026 World Cup. He is the only one of the five still waiting for a club goal this season.
Where the AFCON 2027 players' teams stand
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are in as hosts. In most groups the top two qualify. In a group with a host, only the best-placed team other than the host goes through.
| Team | Next qualifiers | Position after 2 games | |---|---|---| | Morocco | Niger, 13 and 17 Nov | 1st with 6 points, Group A | | Côte d'Ivoire | Gambia, 12 and 17 Nov | Level on 6 points, Group C | | Senegal | Sudan, 12 to 17 Nov | Level on 4 points, Group J | | Algeria | Togo, 12 to 17 Nov | 1st, Group I |
Our AFCON 2027 hub has the host cities, the stadiums and the travel basics for fans who want to watch these AFCON 2027 players next summer.