AFCON Roundup: Borussia Dortmund coach Otto Addo in the mix for vacant Ghana role

But how are the other Bundesliga based players taking part getting on at AFCON?

So far, things are going well on the whole for most Bundesliga players participating in the tournament. Diadie Samassekou of Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara, who play for Mali, have made it through to the last 16 and will face Equatorial Guinea in the late kick-off on Wednesday.

RB Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara has played a central role at the tournament featuring in all three of Mali’s first-round matches. While Hoffenheim’s Diadie Samassekou was left out of the squad against Mauritania, but played in the other two matches (1-0 win over Tunisia and 1-1 draw with the Gambia).

Union Berlin’s Taiwo Awoniyi was the first goal scorer of the tournament from the Bundesliga. He scored for Nigeria in their 3-1 victory against Sudan. SC Paderborn’s Jamilu Collins is also part of the Nigeria squad.

1. FC Köln’s Ellyes Skhiri squeaked through as one of the best third-placed finishers with Tunisia despite losing to the Gambia in their final group game.

Bayern Munich’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Cameroon have also impressed in the tournament. The hosts finished top of Group A and now have a tie they will be expected to win against the underdogs Comoros Islands. Bouna Sarr, also of Bayern, is featuring for Senegal at the tournament.

Former Borussia Dortmund full-back and fan-favourite Achraf Hakimi has been a mainstay for the 1976 champions Morocco. Aymen Barkok of Eintracht Frankfurt is also a part of the Morocco squad and made an appearance coming on as a substitute for them against Gabon during the group stage.

VfB Stuttgart’s Omar Marmoush also got some playing time for Egypt during the group stage and will now face an Ivory Coast team in the last 16 that features Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s Odilon Kossounou. While Bayer 04 Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba was also able to feature in the final two group stage games for Burkina Faso after recovering from Covid-19.

Arguably the most surprising first-round exit saw AFCON holders Algeria, who are captained by Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez and also have Ramy Bensebaini of Borussia Mönchengladbach in their star-studded squad. But they could only manage one draw and two defeats from their three group stage games.

AFCON round of 16 fixtures: Burkina Faso vs Gabon, Nigeria vs Tunisia, Guinea vs the Gambia, Cameroon vs Comoros, Senegal vs Cape Verde, Morocco vs Malawi, Ivory Coast vs Egypt, Mali vs Equatorial Guinea

The AFCON semi-finals are set to take place on February 02, and the final is scheduled for February 06.