AFCON 2023: The Top Rated Player from Each of the Remaining Eight Sides in Ivory Coast

• Eight teams remain in the hunt to win the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast
• Franck Kessie has been a real leader for Ivory Coast and was the hero as they beat Senegal
• Gelson Dala is a player who could attract attention from other clubs after his performances

The quarter-final fixtures of the Africa Cup of Nations are around the corner, and eight teams are still in the running for the continental prize.

While some of the tournament favourites have already been eliminated, the likes of Nigeria and Ivory Coast will be looking to maintain their reputations as African powerhouses.

With eight teams left in the competition, Sports Brief looks at the top-rated player in each side.

The ratings are according to WhoScored.com and are based on the player’s performances during the tournament thus far.

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AFCON: top-rated players from remaining 8 teams

Nigeria – Calvin Bassey

Rated at 7.31, Bassey has been enjoying an impressive showing at the tournament so far. As noted by Daily Post Nigeria, he was named as part of the Best XI for the Round of 16.

The Fulham star made four tackles, notched up one interception, and also provided an assist during the Super Eagles’ game against Cameroon.

Angola - Gelson Dala

A centre-forward who plays for Al-Wakrah in Qatar, Dala has been turning heads with his performances and could soon find himself head-hunted by a new club.

Rated at 7.86, he has already netted four goals in the tournament and will be looking to find the back of the net against Nigeria next.

As noted by GOAL, Dala scored a brace in the first half against Namibia, as Angola won 3-0.

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DR Congo - Yoane Wissa

The Congolese are proving to be the dark horses of AFCON 2023, thanks to players like Wissa. The winger, who plays for Brentford FC in the English Premier League, has already earned a rating of 6.92 so far.

Wissa has played 90 minutes in all of DR Congo’s group games before putting in an 88-minute shift in the win against Egypt. He has already scored one goal and notched up one assist this tournament, Transfermarkt reported.

Guinea - Aguibou Camara

Camara is another player who could see his stock rise thanks to his performances at AFCON.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder currently plays for Atromitos Athens, where he is on loan from Olympiacos.

Rated 7.05, Camara will look to continue his impressive performance when his side faces DR Congo in the quarters and has already scored one goal this tournament to slowly become a fan favourite.

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Mali - Lassine Sinayoko

A right-winger who plays in France, Sinayoko has earned himself a rating of 7.24.

The attacker has already scored three goals in the tournament and will be looking to add to that tally when Mali face the hosts, Ivory Coast.

As noted by IOL, Sinayoko scored against Burkina Faso as Mali booked their place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013.

Ivory Coast - Franck Kessié

The host nation have a bunch of stars in their team, but it’s a veteran who leads the way.

Kessié has earned a rating of 6.96 and has been a true leader for the team. He captained the side in two of the group games and even scored the equaliser as Ivory Coast took the game against Senegal to extra time.

As noted by Pulse Sport Kenya, he also broke a record previously set by Didier Drogba.

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Cape Verde - Ryan Mendes

Cape Verde have been quite the surprise package at AFCON so far.

The island nation topped a group that also featured Egypt and Ghana, and are still flying high while the other two have already been eliminated.

Having earned a rating of 7.36, Mendes has been an absolute revelation this tournament. The 34-year-old, who captains the side, has already scored two goals in the tournament.

As reported by SuperSport, his second goal was a late strike, which saw Cape Verde beat Mauritania and qualify for the last eight of the tournament.

South Africa - Teboho Mokoena

With most of the Bafana Bafana squad made up of Mamelodi Sundowns’ players, it was more than likely that a Masandawana star would have the highest rating.

Mokoena has earned a rating of 7.27 for his performances and has already scored one and assisted one at AFCON.

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The Sundowns star’s goal came against Morocco in the Round of 16 and saw Hugo Broos’ men knock the Atlas Lions out. Mokoena also began to trend on social media after he performed one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebrations.

AFCON quarter-final: predicting the results

Sports Brief also previously predicted the AFCON 2023 quarter-finals, ahead of some more blockbuster encounters as the tournament reaches its business end.

Nigeria, Angola, South Africa, Cape Verde, Mali, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and DR Congo are the final eight teams fighting for a place in the tournament's semi-finals.