The cream of African football

| Friday February 8, 2008 00:00

Afcon first XI
Goalkeeper - Boubacar Barry (Ivory Coast)
Many people would argue whether he deserves a place in the starting line-up ahead of some of the experienced goalkeepers but the youngster is a rare talent. He was not intimidated by the big names at the tournament and he has kept his cool.

2 - Bryce Moon (South Africa)
Though South Africa once again failed to go past the group stages, there is no doubt that the Ajax Cape Town right-back had a fantastic tournament. As South Africa builds for the future, he will remain an important member of the team.

3 - Timothy Atouba (Cameroon)
He has been there and his runs down the flanks helped Cameroon recover from a shocking 4-2 defeat to Egypt in the opening match. Atouba still has a bright future ahead of him.

4 - Marc Zoro (Ivory Coast)
A well-built defender who has performed above expectations especially after the injury to Kolo Toure. He has led by example and guided fellow teammates to frustrate the opposition.

5 - John Mensah (Ghana)
Some people doubt his leadership qualities but the strong Ghanaian defender has been influential in the hosts' performance. But he marred his record by a red-card in the quarters against Nigeria and this ruled him out of yesterday's semi-final.

6 - Michael Essien (Ghana)
Essien is the best thing to come out of Ghanaian football in recent times. He is so passionate about football. He has played for his country whole-heartedly unlike some Europe-based African players who come to AFCON and under-perform. He scored some important goals along the way.

7 - Ahmed Fathi (Egypt)
 He has been outstanding on the flanks delivering some telling crosses into the box, which have led to crucial goals. He is not a classy player but his presence is always felt.

8 - Manucho (Angola)

The young Angolan attacking midfielder has taken African football by surprise. He deserves a place in the team ahead of Salomon Kalou of Ivory Coast because of his exploits before Angola succumbed to Egypt in the last eight. He is an intelligent youngster who has received praises from Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. He has a bright future in England with Manchester United.

9 - Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon)
His commitment to the Indomitable Lions is there for everyone to see. A humble player who never forgets his roots. Eto'o has continued to show his hunger for goals. Before last night's semi-final, he had scored five goals.

10 - Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)
After recovering from a knee operation, Drogba headed to the African showpiece and has not failed to deliver. The Chelsea forward has led by example. Just like Eto'o and Frederic Kanoute, they are fond of their roots.

11 - Sulley Muntari (Ghana)
What a player! Muntari has played his heart out for the Black Stars and his well-taken goal against Guinea in the opening game summed up his quality. His combination with Essien in the middle of the pack has been brilliant.

Substitutes
Kalou (Ivory Coast), Mohamed Aboutrika (Egypt), Hosni Abd-Rabou (Egypt), John Mikel Obi (Nigeria), Geremi Njitap (Cameroon), Taye Taiwo (Nigeria) and Essam Al-Hadari (Egypt).

Coach: Claude Le Roy (Ghana) assisted by Gerard Gili (Ivory Coast).