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The Dream Team: Episode Nine – The substitutes

Goal and Absa, the Official African Banking Partner of the Premier League, are selecting The Dream Team—our greatest XI picked from African players who featured in the top-flight.
The criteria is simple; we are&nbsp;selecting players for each position in our team weekly, with players eligible only if they played during the Premier League era and that they represented an African national team.

We've already picked our starting XI, but no team is complete without substitutes...who makes our five-man bench?

The Dream Team

One of the greatest African goalkeepers of all time, Grobbelaar only missed out on the Dream Team because his peak came before the Premier League era.
However, his experience, big-game mentality and track record of winning would make him a valuable addition to our bench.

A multi-time English champion, the Zimbabwe stopper was also the hero as Liverpool won the 1984 European Cup against AS Roma.

Bruce Grobbelaar

Our central defensive option from the bench, Yobo gave a decade of loyal service to Everton having previously made his name at Olympique de Marseille.
He’s one of only two players to win over 100 Nigeria caps—along with Vincent Enyeama—and was also an African champion with the Super Eagles in 2013.

Yobo would be one of many players in the Dream Team squad who could be a contender for the armband.

Joseph Yobo

On a five-man bench, it would be imperative to have some versatility, and Geremi offers that in bucketloads.
Capable of playing in defence or midfield, he pips Victor Moses to our substitutes bench and would be a valuable option to bring into the fray.

Technically proficient, Geremi could strike a mean free-kick and would work all day for the team as well.

He was also a winner, having clinched two Champions League titles with Real Madrid and two Premier League winner’s medals with Chelsea.

Geremi

Mighty unlucky not to have made the Dream Team starting XI, Mahrez could—on another day—have seamlessly slotted into our first team.
However, he’s had to settle for a spot on the bench…and what an option to be able to introduce in games.

The Algeria international was part of the Leicester City team that won a miraculous Premier League in 2016, and has since added to that trophy haul emphatically since signing for Manchester City.

His performance against Paris Saint-Germain across both legs of the Sky Blues’ Champions League&nbsp;semi-final was a joy to behold.

Riyad Mahrez

Sneaking onto the bench ahead of the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Aubameyang has the capacity to terrorise defences after being brought into the mix for the Dream Team.
Admittedly, he didn’t have the best season at Arsenal this time around, but his goalscoring qualities since arriving in England from Borussia Dortmund cannot be doubted.

To date, the Gabon hitman has 64 goals in the top-flight, and was a Golden Boot winner in 2019.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

The Dream Team: Episode Nine – The substitutes | Goal.com Tanzania

Goal and Absa, the Official African Banking Partner of the Premier League, reveal the shortlist for our African top-flight dream team.

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