The 2025 African Cup of Nations has come to a close, with Senegal emerging as the champions and securing their second tournament title after a dramatic 1-0 win over host country Morocco in extra time in Rabat on Sunday.

Nigeria also made one of the best highlights as the Super Eagles secured their 17th podium finish after beating Egypt on penalties in the third-place match, thereby setting a new record for most AFCON medals by a single country.

Over the course of the tournament, many players represented their countries, although the efforts of some did not show as they exited the tournament much earlier than others. Nevertheless, here are our top 10 best players of the AFCON 2025.

Honourable mention for the likes of Lassine Sinayoko, Yannick Pandor, Luca Zidane, Hannibal Mejbri, Fredy, and Mamadou Sangare, whose countries exited the tournament without reaching the last four, but stood out while they were still active.

The best 10 players of the AFCON 2025

10. Amad Diallo 

Despite his Ivorian team's exit in the quarter-finals, Amad Diallo does deserve a mention for his performance in the 2025 AFCON tournament.

The Manchester United winger was the Ivory Coast's knight in shiny armour as they bid to defend the title they won on home soil two years ago, and he didn't disappoint, scoring in his only two group starts to help them reach the knockouts.

Diallo also inspired the Elephants to a 3-0 round of 16 victory over Burkina Faso, scoring the opener and assisting the second, before they unluckily lost out to Egypt in the quarter-finals.

9. Mohamed Salah 

The Pharaohs are not as fierce as they used to be, and how unfortunate that is for Mohamed Salah, who was on a mission to end his African Cup of Nations failures.

The winger was not really running the show in Morocco, but he was there whenever his team called upon him, until the semi-finals against Senegal, where they couldn't do so, because of their overwhelming opposition.

Salah scored four goals and one assist, with three of those goals being match-winners, while the reminder a timely third goal to finally kill off the hopes of Benin Republic's comeback in the second half of extra time of the quarter-finals.

His contributions were very effective for Egypt, and kept them going in the face of better opposition like the Ivory Coast and South Africa, who looked like they would take them apart.

8. Edouard Mendy

Despite keeping five clean sheets in seven games, which is the joint most, the veteran goalkeeper made 15 saves, including from the penalty spot to deny Brahim Diaz in the final, helping his country force extra time, where they ultimately won it.

Edouard Mendy had an outstanding outing, and will forever be remembered as the star of the AFCON 2025 final, because his heroics in such a difficult circumstance led to a wonderful Teranga Lions achievement.

He may not have won the goalkeeper of the tournament but that would be an award worth missing giving what he achieved with his team, and the spectacular saves that have become a turning point in Senegal's footballing history.

7. Krepin Diatta

The right-back could easily be Senegal's best player of the tournament, and his absence was keenly felt in the final, and it forced the champions to focus more of their attack on the right, as Antoine Mendy couldn't deliver similar intensity.

Krepin Diatta was consistent throughout the tournament. His best highlight was against Mali in the quarter-finals, a game Senegal won by one goal and needed to contain their opponents in their own half, especially after the red card to Yves Bissouma.

Diatta helped in keeping attackers at bay and provided support for his teammates going forward. Despite being a defender, he was a standout star, and only a few players matched his commitment during the tournament.

6. Alex Iwobi 

Alex Iwobi played elegant football at the 2025 African Cup of Nations, and he was the maestro who made the Nigerian team so entertaining to watch and scored so many goals.

He started his impressive run in the first game, where he assisted the two goals, and even though that would be the end of his goal contributions, he played a significant role in several others during the course of the tournament.

The Fulham star played more accurate line-breaking passes per 90 minutes than any other player at the tournament, while he also ranks in the top five for chances created with 11, an average of two per 90 minutes.

For a player who has been a subject of heavy criticism by his own fans, Iwobi showed that he is inevitable in the Super Eagles team, and by the look of it, will remain integral in the plans of Eric Chelle or any manager going forward.

5. Victor Osimhen 

Personally, it was a much better outing for the 2023 CAF Men's Player of the Year, who has struggled for goal involvement in his previous African Cup of Nations participations.

Only teammate Ademola Lookman had a hand in more goals than Victor Osimhen's six, as the Galatasaray striker scored four goals to finish one behind top scorer Brahim Diaz, and added two further assists.

Victor Osimhen's three knockout stage goals were the most by any player during the Morocco 2025 AFCON, but he missed the chance to compete for the top scorer award as he was forced to sit out of the third-place match against Egypt due to injury.

His energetic play was crucial for the Super Eagles on their journey to setting a new country record of 14 goals in a single AFCON tournament, and he'll hope that things get better from here, as he closes in on the all-time top scorer record for Nigeria.

4. Idrissa Gana Gueye 

Despite being the vice captain, the midfielder wore the armband for more minutes than the actual captain Kalidou Koulibaly, who struggled with form, suspension, and fitness throughout the tournament.

Idrissa Gueye oozed class and was one of the reasons Senegal was impenetrable. His tackling, duel-winning, and positioning made it difficult for the opposition to dominate Teranga Lions, while he was also a gem with the ball.

No player made more line-breaking passes than the Everton midfielder, and it was he, who assisted Senegal's first-ever AFCON final goal, with which they won their second tournament title.

3. Brahim Diaz 

An unfortunate way to end a tournament that could have seen him win it all. That penalty miss in the final, and the fact that it was a Panenka, easily saved and led to his country missing out on the trophy will forever change Brahim Diaz, he has the mental strength to make a positive comeback.

He set a record as the first Moroccan to score in five consecutive AFCON games before failing to score in the semi-final and final, where none of his teammates were able to beat opposition goalkeepers during play.

He was one of the most eye-catching players, bringing joy to the faces of the home fans before his disastrous final performance. Diaz finished as the competition's top scorer with five goals and was presented with the award during the final ceremony.

2. Sadio Mané 

Crowned as the best player of the tournament, Sadio Mané did not just win the trophy, he won the hearts of people and earned the respect of all due to his sportsmanship in the final, when his teammates and coaches opted to abandon the game.

He scored twice and assisted three goals, with his first goal helping the team avoid a defeat against DR Congo, while the other was the lone strike that helped them dump out record winners Egypt in the semi-finals.

Mané now has 20 goal involvements in 30 AFCON starts, the most of any player since he made his debut in the tournament at the 2015 edition, where he played just twice and didn't even register a goal contribution.

1. Ademola Lookman 

In a star-studded Nigeria attack, Ademola Lookman's creativity helped his teammates flourish, and that not only made him a standout as a creative force but also the best player at the tournament altogether.

Despite starting just five games, the Atalanta forward was directly involved in seven goals, at least two more than any other player, finishing the tournament with four assists, the most by a player since Didier Drogba in 2008.

Lookman created the joint most big chances, five, and no player with 10+ chances creation averaged more than his 2.6 per 90 minutes, level with Sadio Mané. His expected assists of 2.9 are by far superior to any player, with Bryan Mbeumo's 1.4 coming second.

Ademola Lookman has now been directly involved in 12 AFCON goals since his debut just over two years ago in the Ivory Coast, the most of any player in that period. Could have easily been crowned the best player had Nigeria reached the final.