Didier Drogba, Asamoah Gyan & the Top 10 players to watch at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations

Goal.com profiles the 10 stars who will rock Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, with the tournament getting under way on January 21

16 Jan 2012 14:28:00

More On :  Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, Gervinho, Issam Jemaa, Manucho, Adel Taarabt, Didier Drogba, André Ayew, Asamoah Gyan, Seydou Keita, Moussa Sow, Yaya Touré
Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast v South Korea (Getty Images)
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By Kent Mensah

The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations is just around the corner and even though the tournament is going to be missing some high profile teams, it will not be short of star players.

Gabon and Equatorial Guinea will be lit up by the presence of Ivory Coast veteran Didier Drogba, Ghana goal-machine Asamoah Gyan and Mali's Seydou Keita, among others.
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Ahead of the 28th edition of the continental showpiece, Goal.com presents the Top 10 players who fans should look out for when the competition gets under way on January 21.
10. MANUCHO (Angola)
The 28-year-old was immense throughout the qualifying campaign and scored four of the Palancas Negras' seven goals. Manucho is not new to the tournament and is well known for scoring spectacular goals at the 2008 and 2010 editions.

During his days at Manchester United, manager Sir Alex Ferguson described him as “a tall, agile, quick forward”. This is another platform where Manucho will be able the fly the flag of Angola with pride, and look to catch the eye of potential suitors along the way.



9. ADEL TAARABT (Morocco)
The 22-year-old was the star player in QPR's campaign to gain promotion to the prestigious Premier League, although he has struggled in the top flight this term.

The Morocco international scored in the final 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania and was voted Man of the Match as he helped earn the Afcon ticket for the Atlas Lions. Despite his youth, the north African country expects him to bring his bravery and can-do spirit on board.


8. ISSAM JEMAA (Tunisia)
The former Esperance player was the top scorer in the 2012 Nations Cup qualifying campaign with six goals to his name for the Carthage Eagles.

His experience is vital, as he has been to the Afcon twice - in 2008 and 2010 - and he has matured with time. The 27-year-old has 26 goals for his national team and is regarded highly in terms of his contribution to the Tunisian setup, as well as his ability to change games.

7. ASAMOAH GYAN (Ghana)
The 25-year-old is Ghana’s top striker at the moment, and was a constant threat for the Black Stars in international matches in 2011, memorably scoring in a 1-1 draw with England in London.

At club level, 'Baby Jet' was a revelation in his first Premier League season. Prior to his surprise loan move to Al Ain, Gyan scored 11 goals in 33 matches for Sunderland in all competitions. He carried the Black Stars on his shoulders in Angola, and the country will bank their hopes on him to deliver the goals again.


6. GERVINHO (Ivory Coast)
The Ivorian recorded 15 goals and 10 assists during the 2010-11 season to give his former club Lille their first trophy in 47 years.

He was instrumental in helping the Ligue 1 outfit win the French Cup ahead of his move to Arsenal in 2011, where he has been in fine form since. He scored three goals in the 2012 Afcon qualifiers to help Ivory Coast book a ticket to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, and he is expected to be a protagonist at the finals.

5. MOUSSA SOW (Senegal)
The 25-year-old France-born Senegalese striker won the French championship and French Cup with Lille last season. He scored 25 goals in Ligue 1, including two hat-tricks.

He stood out in the Teranga Lions' Afcon qualifiers while scoring five goals, allowing Senegal to top their group and qualify for the tournament ahead of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. Sow will be the major source of fire-power upfront for the Senegalese.

4. ANDRE AYEW (Ghana)
The 22-year-old is Ghana's charismatic young midfielder. The son of football legend Abedi Pele has carved a niche for himself since 2009, when he led a new generation of young Ghanaians to clinch Africa’s first Under-20 World Cup title.

Ayew helped Marseille to a second-place finish in the French Ligue 1 last season; he also won the League Cup and the Super Cup and was voted the club’s best player by supporters. He was top-class at Angola 2010 and more is expected of him in 2012.


3. DIDIER DROGBA (Ivory Coast)
The Ivorian striker was inconsistent last season due to injuries and a lack of regular football, but the little that was seen of the veteran was certainly impressive. Drogba netted 12 times in the Premier League and inspired Chelsea on many occasions. This term he has six goals.

At national team level, the Elephants captain bagged four goals in their Afcon qualifiers to earn them a ticket to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. He is not new to the Nations Cup, and is expected be one of the key players on the pitch.



2. SEYDOU KEITA (Mali)
The Malian is one of Africa’s finest. His role with the Spanish giants has helped shape his career. He won his second Uefa Champions League trophy with Barcelona in 2011, while also capturing his third consecutive La Liga title.

Other medals flashing in his cabinet include the European Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup, while finishing as a runner-up in the Copa del Rey. Keita also contributed to his national team, helping Mali secure a spot at the 2012 Afcon, and acting as one of the veteran stars of the side, a leader and a role model for his team-mates.




1. YAYA TOURE (Ivory Coast)
The 28-year-old displayed incredible form during 2011 at club level. He is a pivotal player at Manchester City. He helped his side to win the FA Cup last season, scoring against Manchester United in the last-four to progress to the final of the competition, where he scored the match-winner against a resilient Stoke City.

Toure has been splendid in his country’s path to the 2012 Afcon, giving his best in every game he played. He will be aiming to lift the Nations Cup trophy on February 12.



 
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England 1-0 Belgium, Netherlands 2-0 Northern Ireland - follow all the international action LIVE! ahead of Euro 2012
With countries across the continent gearing up for their final warm-up games ahead of Euro 2012, join us for all the action from Saturday's friendlies. Get in touch with us via Twitter with your reaction.

Hosted by Joe Doyle
19:46 BST
Joe Hart has also been giving his thoughts after the Belgium game: "It was a really tough game, a good run out. I thought we played well, [but] we were a little bit bitty at times.

"But, we came through. Obviously there were a lot of changes so it's good to get the result.

"Belgium are a very, very strong side who are going to be really good in the future. Vincent [Kompany] told me about them and said that they were coming good and I totally agree with him."
19:38 BST
Here's Roy Hodgson's reaction to the result and some injury chat: "I'm very pleased, it's been a hard week and we've used a lot of players. There was a lot of disruption in the second-half with substitutions – some forced upon us, some we wanted to do. But it's still a very good end to the week playing against a good Belgian team here. Arguably even stronger than the Norwegian team we played last week and I've got to be more than happy that we've come out with another victory."

"[Gary] Cahill I suppose is slightly more of a concern for me because it is a jaw injury. We're desperately hoping the CT scan doesn't show any fracture and it's just going to be a bruising situation, which will be bad enough, but won't stop him taking part in the tournament. As far as John's [Terry] concerned he felt his hamstring a little bit. Again it wasn't a major thing when he came off but we still need to scan it just to be 100 per cent sure."

Suffice to say, if Cahill has broken his jaw, he won't play any part in the tournament.
19:35 BST
And another point from today: Eden Hazard wasn't great. Don't think you can judge him on one performance though. What do you think? Is it just a case of too much hype around the Chelsea-bound Belgian?
19:32 BST
We're getting plenty of people saying it was boring. PLENTY. But Spain scored seven goals in eight games at the World Cup and I didn't hear too many of their fans complaining. Or as Fran Stinchcombe points out on Twitter: "If we had lost but played free flowing attacking football would these people still have moaned?"
19:24 BST
No, no, no. I'll have none of that Emile Heskey shouting anymore! Hello, it's me, it's me, it's that D-O-Y-L-E. Yes, I'm Joe Doyle, and I'll be here for all the reaction to that England game. First things first, how did everyone see that game? Good performance? A touch boring? Let me know on Twitter.
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