Get German Football News coverage of the Bundesliga players participating in the 2025 AFCON returns! In this piece, we’ll be taking a look at the 11 Bundesliga professionals still active as the African continental championship enters the quarterfinal phase. There’s some catching up to do as we chronicle each player’s progress through the tournament.

German football is represented in six of the eight nations still alive in the competition. Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Morocco, Senegal, and Mali all have Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga players chasing the continental crown. Only Egypt and Nigeria don’t feature German footballing representatives this time around. 

For Africa fans, the pre-Christmas AFCON has taken some getting used to. The tourney nevertheless provided us with plenty of great football and intriguing storylines. Attendance figures have been wonderfully pleasing, even more so after it was revealed that fans are being allowed in free-of-charge after kickoff.

Most of us Africa lovers find ourselves saddened by the news that, after the next two AFCONs in 2027 and 2028, this awesome competition will only be held every four years. That’s all the more reason for us to celebrate what we have while it lasts.

Bundesliga Players headed to the Quarterfinals

Off we go!

Algeria, The Fennecs 

The 2019 AFCON Champions are through to the quarters after besting Samuel Essende’s Congo DR 1-0 in added extra time during the Round-of-16. All four Algerian Bundesliga representatives played important roles in their team’s successful tournament thus far. Unsurprisingly enough, Bayer 04 Leverkusen jewel Ibrahim Maza proved the brightest of the desert nations lights. Maza struck twice during the group phase and earned man-of-the-match honors in the one group stage fixture in which he didn’t score. 

Vladimir Petkovic’s north Africans now prepare to face Nigeria’s famous “Super Eagles” on Saturday in what shapes up to be an “instant classic”. Like Algeria, Nigeria steamrolled through the group phase on maximum points. The Nigerians (sadly devoid of any Bundesliga representatives this year) knocked out Stanley Ratifo’s Mozambique 4-0 in their Round-of-16 fixture. Former Bundesliga professionals Ademola Lookman (Leipzig) and Victor Osimhen (Wolfsburg) have both turned in beastly tournaments.

Three goals apiece for Lookman and Osimhen!

Ibrahim Maza, Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Maza didn’t start in the initial group stage fixture against Sudan, but did relieve Bundesliga colleague Fares Chaïbi directly at the half-hour-mark. The Berlin-native ended up scoring the 3-0 in the 85th minute. Though he neither scored a goal nor registered an assist in the narrow Round Two 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso, Maza directed the Algerian attack from the No. 10 slot. His four shots and four assisted shots earned him the man-of-the-match honors.

Maza was genuinely unlucky not to score after out-deking his Leverkusen teammate Edmond Tapsoba in the 67th-minute and forcing a fantastic save out of Burkinabé keeper Herve Koffi. Maza revealed that he and Tapsoba prepared for some direct duels beforehand whilst speaking at the post-match press conference. The 20-year-old also lamented that he couldn’t turn his many chances into another goal. 

All of that mattered little as Maza’s team officially booked passage to the knockouts with the win. Maza again worked the ten slot in the Round Three encounter against Equatorial Guinea. Just like in the first match, Maza netted the 3-0. This time, Petkovic’s squad went three goals up much earlier. Maza effectively wrapped matters up with his 32nd minute strike. The German-Algerian prodigy was subbed off early after another excellent start.

In the recently completed Round-of-16 win, Maza started as a striker alongside Mohamed Amoura in a 4-4-2. A decent 83-minute-shift saw him get two efforts on target. In a very tight affair, Maza produced the best chance of the entire first half. Unfortunately, his finish went wide of the mark in the 43rd-minute. An effort just before being subbed off in the 83rd was more harmless. 

Fares Chaïbi, Eintracht Frankfurt 

Chaïbi has featured in all four fixtures and started three. The SGE professional initially worked as a ten until Maza took over the position. Petkovic placed Chaïbi on the left flank beside Maza in the third group stage match. The placement worked perfectly as Maza set up Chaïbi for the 2-0 in the 25th minute. Working behind Maza in the 4-4-2 in the Congo DR knockout match, Chaïbi remained more inconspicuous. 

The 23-year-old still cropped up in the 111th minute, testing Congo DR keeper Lionel Mpasi with an effort from the center. Chaïbi’s shot appeared to be the last bit of action in the match before Algeria’s Adil Boulbina averted a penalty shootout with a dramatic late winner in the 119th. Those who haven’t caught Boulbina’s powerful finish yet are advised to do so. 

Ramy Bensebaini, Borussia Dortmund

The resurgent BVB professional has absolutely done his job in three starts in which he went the full distance. Petkovic rested Bensebaini in the third group stage fixture against Equatorial Guinea; which happened to be the only match in which Algeria conceded a goal. Bensebaini remained especially strong in the air throughout the group phase, not losing a single aerial duel in his two 90-minute shifts. One can’t argue with three clean sheets.

Bensebaini was among the workhorses who kept the scoreline level against Congo DR. He contested a total of 28 duels on the ground and in the air. Over the course of 120 minutes, he accrued 99 touches and connected with 84 percent of his 77 passes. Dortmund will surely be keen to welcome Bensebaini back in this form, especially as they continue to beat back Chelsea’s loan recall right on Aarón Anselmino.

Mohammed Amoura, VfL Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg’s leading scorer has registered an assist on one of Riyad Mahrez’s three tournament goals. He hasn’t scored himself yet, but has been very effective. The 25-year-old kept active offensively in all three of the matches in which he’s featured. Amoura came close to scoring with some of his seven tournament efforts on target and looked especially compelling working alongside Maza in the 4-4-2 Petkovic deployed in the last match. 

Cote d’Ivoire, Les Elephants

The defending champs are set for a quarterfinal showdown with AFCON record champs Egypt on Saturday. The task shall prove a difficult one as Egypt’s former Bundesliga star Omar Marmoush is having an excellent tournament. Egypt stormed past Steve Mounie’s Benin with a 3-1 victory in added extra time to punch their ticket to the knockouts.

Yan Diomande, RB Leipzig

It’s just getting ridiculous. Why expend more words on this über-talented youngster with an amazing story? Don’t read about him. Watch him! Diomande started three of his nation’s four tournament fixtures, going the full 90 minutes in the first two rounds. He worked his socks off in the Round One 1-0 win over Mozambique on the left-hand-side of a 4-3-3. In the crazy 1-1 draw with Cameroon in Round Two, Diomande barely missed out on an assisted goal.

Initially rested in the final group stage fixture against Gabon, Diomande came on very late during one of the craziest matches of the tournament. Cote d’Ivoire were trailing Gabon 1-2 when Diomande entered proceedings in the 82nd minute. Thanks in large part to his boundless energy (12 touches, four long dribbles, and five ground duel wins), the team was able to score two goals in the final six minutes and pull out 3-2 victory. 

Diomande and his right flank partner Amad Diallo Traoré of Manchester United have evolved into an unstoppable force as the competition progressed. Diomande assisted on Amad’s 1-0 in the 20th-minute of the Burkina Faso Round-of-16 encounter just completed this evening. Amad then returned the favor on Diomande’s 2-0 in 32nd-minute. The Burkinabé’s attempted to fight back bravely, but couldn’t get past the early insurmountable lead. 

Bazoumana Touré, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

One of the best Bundesliga additions of the 2025 calendar year is simply having a rollicking tournament is simply having a rollicking tournament. Everything about this player glistens. Known as perhaps the most interesting and diverse tactical player in the entire Bundesliga, Touré showcases his skills here. The 19-year-old has only featured twice off the bench in the competition, yet has scored within scant minutes of his introduction on both occasions. 

Touré’s second goal of the tournament (this evening) was simply unreal. The fearless teenage talent literally picked up the ball in his own penalty area and sprinted across the entire pitch before supplying a flawless finish. Yowza. Once more, one must insist that the reader stop reading at this point. Go find a video of Touré’s virtuosity! Now!

Cameroon, Les Lions Indomptables

We segue to another player whose breakout tournament was easy enough to forecast. The author knew Leverkusen Christian Kofane would light up the Dark Continent’s showpiece….and also stands by his (nonjudgmental) assertion that there’s no possible way that Kofane is only 19-years-old. Kofane has the 2017 AFCON champs kicking some serious ass with goals in his last two games. 

Kofane scored the crucial 2-0 in Cameroon’s eventual 2-1 Round-of-16 victory over South Africa. The Indomitables now face a stern test in the quarters. Hosts Morocco block their path to the semis. If Kofane can once again prove the deciding factor, we’ll be talking much more about how this mega-talented youngster almost didn’t participate in this completion.

FECAFOOT really pulled off something big here!

Christian Kofane, Bayer 04 Leverkusen

After not appearing in the opening group stage fixture against Gabon, Kofane was among the subs who came agonizingly close to scoring in the Round Two 1-1 draw against Cote d’Ivoire. Cameroon trainer David Pagou liked what he saw from Kofane in his 17-minute relief shift in the second match and rewarded him with a start against Mozambique in Round Three. Kofane spearheaded the 4-2-3-1, going head-to-head against Chemie Leipzig’s Stanley Ratifo.

Cameroon’s ticket to the knockouts wasn’t in the greatest danger when the second half began with the game deadlocked at 1-1. Kofane still lifted his team above an unfortunate own-goal and past a potentially poor Round-of-16 seed with a sickly sweet solo effort on what would prove the match winner in the 55th minute. Serious involvement from Kofane in the Mozambique match! The Leverkusen man was involved in nine scoring chances!

Kofane’s second goal in the weekend knockout fixture also drove his team to a 2-1 victory. Kofane turned in another very strong performance in which he accrued way more touches than most center-forwards have business doing. Small wonder Germans absolutely love him. True to the German footballing spirit, Kofane never shies away from working the “deep drops”.

Had a disallowed offside goal in the Cote d’Ivoire match not been disallowed, Kofane would have scored three consecutive 2-1 match-winners. Incredible!  Everyone in the Bundesrepublik remains excited to see where Kofane heads next. Most German footballing media sources aren’t missing the opportunity to re-post coverage of Kofane in his native country. Cameroon buzzes harder than the Bundesrepublik. 

We’re witnessing greatness blossom here!

Morocco, The Atlas Lions

Things have shaken out a little differently than expected for the hosts, at least with regard to the two Bundesliga players involved. For some reason, Stuttgart gem Bilal El Khannouss only appeared as a substitute during the first two group stage fixtures and sat out the third entirely. Meanwhile, Leverkusen flop Eliesse Ben Seghir has featured more regularly off the bench. There’s word that Ben Seghir struggles with injury, but El Khannouss appears fully fit. 

In any event, after an excellent group phase, Morocco managed to squeak into the quarters with a narrow victory over German favorites Tanzania. El Khannouss’s Lions square off against Kofane’s Lions in a fabulous Friday quarterfinal offering. The hosts have great cause to worry. One anticipates that 120 minutes plus may be required to separate the two teams.

Bilal El Khannouss, VfB Stuttgart

El Khannouss did exert his influence somewhat in his 14 minutes on the pitch in the tournament opener against Comoros. In a slightly longer shift against Mali in Round Two, the 21-year-old engaged in more duels and recorded an assisted shot on target. Unused in the third group stage, El Khannouss made up for it all with his first start of the competition in the Tanzania match. 

Working on the right-hand-side of a crowded midfield 4-3-3, the Leicester City loanee accrued 88 touches and peeled off a brilliant effort on target in the 52nd-minute. One conjectures that, after such a performance, El Khannouss will start against Cameroon. He looked his usual spry and creative self. Stay tuned!

Eliesse Ben Seghir, Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Not too terribly much to report from the 20-year-old’s three relief shifts. Ben Seghir always entered when the game had already been decided. The only real piece of news concerns the fact that Moroccan trainer Walid Regragui recently stated that Ben Seghir had been struggling with a pubic bone injury for “over three months”. Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has denied this report. 

Senegal, The Lions of Teranga

The 2021 AFCON champs are indeed looking good after topping their group and easily manhandling Sudan in their Round-of-16 encounter. The “new look” Pape Thiaw Lions face the Malian Eagles in the first quarterfinal match due to kick off on Friday. Current Bayern loanee Nicolas Jackson and former Bayern flop Sadio Mané have both had excellent tournaments. 

Nicolas Jackson, FC Bayern München

A brace from Jackson in the opening round victory over Botswana ensured that the Terangans got off to an excellent start. Jackson also looked strong in the Round Two draw against Congo DR and registered an assist in the victory over Sudan. Jackson leads a weird looking 4-1-4-1 that, while at times choppy, succeeds in getting the job done. 

We’ve a problem here. Namely, the fact that it remains common knowledge that Jackson is only in the Bundesliga for a brief stopover. Bayern have proudly bilked Chelsea into what (for them at least) is a low-cost short-term lease. German football lovers find it difficult to really get into the 24-year-old. He’s merely passing through. 

Mali, Les Aigles

The beloved “Aigles” are one Bundesliga player shorter now that Amadou Haidara’s transfer has been finalized. Mali bested Bundesliga-heavy Tunisia in a draining Round-of-16 penalty shootout on Day One of the knockouts. Eintracht Frankfurt trainer Dino Toppmöller has already confirmed that midfielder Elyes Skhiri will be granted a week’s worth of vacation in order to adequately recover from the ordeal.

Ibrahima Sissoko, VfL Bochum

The lone 2. Bundesliga representative of this subset only featured in the Tunisian match in the final ten minutes. Sissoko only managed to get booked and did not take a penalty. Haidara has been more influential for the West Africans in this tournament, as has former Stuttgart loanee El Bilal Touré. The former Bundesliga pro sunk the winning penalty in a shootout in which Augsburg profi Elias Saad was one of only two Tunisians who converted.