Ghanaian International Thomas Partey has been identified as the biggest and top player from the Spanish La Liga to play at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament to start in Egypt this week.
The midfield dynamo is a regular starter for Atlético de Madrid and is surely going to be one of the poster boys for this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations. The 25-year-old tends to play a more attacking role for Ghana than he does for Diego Simeone at Atletico.
He is joined by several other players from the La Liga expected to play at the continental showdown. Some of them include fellow countryman Mubarak Wakaso, Youssef En-Nesyri, Moussa Wagué, Samuel Chukwueze, Kenneth Omeruo, Moses Simon, Aïssa Mandi, and Karl Toko Ekambi.
CD Leganes player Youssef En-Nesyri who will be representing Morroco already has some experiences as far as the upcoming tournament is concerned. He was part of the Moroccan squad that made it to the 2017 AFCON where he scored his first international goal. Still just 22, the Fez native has turned heads in LaLiga Santander this season with Leganes and finished the season as the side’s top scorer. He will be key for his side at this year's tournament.
The other player on the list is Barcelona's Moussa Wagué who has been included in the final 23-man squad for Senegal. The 22-year old has already scored at a World Cup and played for the Barcelona first team last season. The up-and-coming full-back has impressed mostly for Barcelona’s reserve side this season and now turns his focus to the AFCON where Senegal is set to face Algeria, Kenya, and Tanzania in Group C.
Samuel Chukwueze was phenomenon for Villarreal Cf last season and will be looking to replicate his form for Nigeria when the tournament starts. The pacey attacker wowed fans with his electric dribbling and direct style and picked up five goals as Villarreal secured their LaLiga Santander status for another year. He could have represented Nigeria at the U-20 World Cup this summer, but will instead travel with the senior squad to Egypt.
Below is a list of other players from the La Liga and the various countries they will be presenting at the 2019 AFCON.
Kenneth Omeruo (Cd Leganes & Nigeria)
Moses Simon (Levante Ud & Nigeria)
Aïssa Mandi (Real Betis & Algeria)
Karl Toko Ekambi (Villarreal Cf & Cameroon)
Mubarak Wakaso (D. Alaves & Ghana)
Aly Abeid (Ad Alcorcon & Mauritania)