With the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco entering its decisive quarter-final stage, six exceptional performers have emerged as frontrunners for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award, each having played pivotal roles in guiding their nations through an intensely competitive field.
As eight teams prepare for the remaining eight matches that will determine continental supremacy, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz, Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo, Senegal’s Sadio Mane, Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez, and Nigeria’s Alex Iwobi have distinguished themselves through outstanding individual contributions that have shaped their teams’ campaigns.
Ademola Lookman: Nigeria’s Creative Force
From defence to attack, Nigeria has showcased exceptional performers at the 2025 AFCON, but Ademola Lookman stands above the rest with his remarkable direct contributions to goals that have powered the Super Eagles’ impressive run.
Operating in a more centrally advanced role alongside African Player of the Year predecessor Victor Osimhen and AFCON debutant Akor Adams, Lookman’s attacking flair has formed the cornerstone of Nigeria’s ruthless offensive machine, which benefits from the creative freedom afforded to Alex Iwobi in midfield.
The Atalanta forward currently leads the tournament’s playmakers with four assists in three matches, while also creating 12 chances, the highest tally by any player at the competition. In terms of goal scoring, his three strikes in three appearances place him just behind Morocco’s Brahim Diaz, who has netted four times in four matches.
Altogether, the 28-year-old has been directly involved in seven of Nigeria’s 12 goals at the tournament, despite being rested during the final group stage encounter against Uganda, when Nigeria recorded a three-goal victory.
Lookman emerged as the sole Nigerian representative in the group stage best XI and has collected two Man of the Match awards for his commanding performances. He claimed his first during Nigeria’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Tunisia in the group stage, contributing one goal and two assists. He replicated those exact numbers against Mozambique on Monday to secure his second individual honour of the tournament.
Alex Iwobi: The Orchestrator
Just as evidenced in the match against Uganda, whenever Lookman is off the pitch, the Super Eagles retain other incisive playmakers like Iwobi, who has been orchestrating much of Nigeria’s attacking play from deeper positions.
The Fulham midfielder, who holds the distinction of being the most capped Nigerian player at the tournament with 94 international appearances, has registered two assists thus far while serving as the creative hub for the three-time champions.
While Lookman and other forwards in the Nigerian setup have benefited from his distribution, Iwobi has completed the most passes among playmakers at the 2025 AFCON with 224 attempted passes, successfully completing 198 of them, demonstrating remarkable accuracy and vision.
During the group stage encounter against Tanzania, he achieved a notable milestone by becoming the first Nigerian since John Mikel Obi in 2013 to provide two assists in a single AFCON match, underlining his growing influence on the team’s offensive output.
His Fulham club teammate Samuel Chukwueze has also contributed two assists to Nigeria’s campaign, reflecting the depth of creative talent available to the Super Eagles.
Brahim Diaz: Morocco’s Golden Boot Leader
Tournament hosts Morocco have maintained an impressive trajectory despite occasional defensive vulnerabilities, and Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz has emerged as indispensable to their continental ambitions with four goals, establishing himself as the leading scorer at the competition.
The 26-year-old, who is experiencing his maiden AFCON tournament, has remarkably found the net in every match for Morocco, but more significantly, his goals have arrived at crucial junctures against resilient opponents. He broke the deadlock against Comoros in the tournament’s opening fixture, and his decisive strike against Tanzania in the round of 16 propelled the Atlas Lions into the quarter-finals.
Diaz has directly contributed four of Morocco’s seven goals at the tournament, representing more than half of their total offensive output and highlighting his central importance to their attacking structure.
The hosts will depend heavily on the 26-year-old to maintain this exceptional form if they harbour genuine aspirations of claiming the trophy on home soil, particularly as they prepare to face five-time champions Cameroon in Friday’s quarter-final encounter.
Diaz also earned selection to the group stage best XI and will remain fundamental to Morocco’s aspirations as they navigate the knockout rounds, with the weight of home expectations resting partially on his shoulders.
Amad Diallo: Ivory Coast’s New Talisman
Defending champions Ivory Coast appear to have discovered a new talisman capable of spearheading their title defence, with Manchester United’s Amad Diallo emerging as the tournament’s breakout star.
The Elephants recognized Diallo’s potential importance in helping them retain their continental crown, and the 22-year-old has vindicated that faith with performances that suggest he could be the player to guide them to successive triumphs.
Diallo has scored in all three of his starts at the tournament, accumulating three goals, and has achieved the distinction of becoming the first Ivorian player to score three or more goals in a single AFCON edition since club legend Didier Drogba in 2012, who also registered three goals that year.
He is also the first player from Ivory Coast to both score a goal and deliver an assist in an AFCON knockout match since midfield icon Yaya Toure accomplished the feat in 2012, demonstrating his all-round attacking contribution. In Ivory Coast’s most recent victory, Diallo registered team-high totals for shots with five attempts and shots inside the penalty area with three, while only Franck Kessie and Odilon Kossounou, with four chances created each, surpassed Diallo’s tally of two.
Ivory Coast have now reached the AFCON quarter-finals for the ninth time in the 21st century, sharing the joint-highest tally alongside Nigeria in this period. Their latest victory was thoroughly deserved, having registered an expected goals total of 2.02 from 21 shots, compared to their opponents’ modest 0.41 from eight attempts, reflecting their attacking dominance.
Diallo has collected three Man of the Match awards in Morocco, more than any other player at the tournament, and will prove crucial to Ivory Coast’s progression as they prepare to face Egypt in Saturday’s quarter-final clash.
Sadio Mane: Senegal’s Enduring Leader
With an abundance of quality players throughout the Senegal squad, some observers anticipated that the ageing Sadio Mane might be eclipsed by emerging talent and gradually fade from prominence on the continental stage.
However, this tournament, which represents Mane’s sixth AFCON participation, has emphatically proven that the 33-year-old remains very much the inspirational figure within the Lions of Teranga setup, defying expectations about declining influence.
Predominantly operating down the left flank, Mane has been an instrumental figure in Senegal’s impressive run, contributing three assists and one goal that have helped unlock opposition defences and create scoring opportunities for teammates.
The 2021 champions have demonstrated ruthless efficiency in attack, scoring 10 goals while conceding only two, underscoring their defensive discipline and balanced approach that has made them one of the tournament’s most complete sides.
Senegal will face Mali in Friday’s quarter-final encounter, and Mane will hope to continue inspiring the multi-generational blend of Senegalese stars toward another AFCON triumph, potentially adding to the continental crown they secured in Cameroon three years ago.
Riyad Mahrez: Algeria’s Veteran Captain
Much like Mane, Mahrez is leading the Algerian national team as they pursue their third AFCON title following recent disappointments that have fallen short of the nation’s lofty expectations.
Although Algeria have maintained a perfect record with four consecutive victories, the 34-year-old captain has shouldered much of the scoring burden with three goals, while supporting cast members such as Hadj Moussa, with two assists, and Ibrahim Maza, with one assist and two goals, have also made meaningful contributions to the team’s eight goals accumulated in Morocco.
The Desert Foxes face Nigeria in Saturday’s quarter-final showdown in Marrakesh, and attention will inevitably focus on Mahrez once again, given his history of inflicting pain on Nigerian hearts with a late free-kick winner in the semi-final of the 2019 edition in Egypt, a goal that propelled Algeria toward their second continental title.
Historical Context and Tournament Evolution
The race for the AFCON MVP award has historically reflected not merely individual brilliance but also team success, with winners typically emerging from sides that reach at least the semi-final stage or claim the ultimate prize. Past recipients have included continental legends such as Samuel Eto’o, Jay-Jay Okocha, Ahmed Hassan, and more recently Sadio Mane in 2021 when Senegal claimed their first title.
The 2025 edition in Morocco has witnessed a notable elevation in tactical sophistication and individual quality compared to previous tournaments, partly reflecting the increasing number of African players competing at elite club level in Europe’s top leagues. This has translated into matches featuring greater technical proficiency, strategic depth, and competitive balance.
The quarter-final stage represents the traditional point at which MVP credentials are either solidified or undermined, as the pressure intensifies and margins for error diminish. Historical precedent suggests that players who deliver match-winning contributions in knockout fixtures typically secure the individual honour, regardless of earlier group stage heroics.
For Nigeria, the abundance of two candidates in Lookman and Iwobi reflects the Super Eagles’ collective strength and attacking depth, though such scenarios have previously resulted in vote-splitting that benefits performers from rival nations. Lookman’s current statistical advantage, however, particularly in direct goal involvements, positions him as the marginal favourite should Nigeria advance deep into the tournament.
Morocco’s Brahim Diaz benefits from the added narrative weight of potentially delivering glory on home soil, which historically carries significant sentimental value among voters. However, the hosts face a challenging path, beginning with Friday’s encounter against a formidable Cameroonian side that has claimed the trophy five times.
Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo represents the tournament’s most compelling breakout story, with his emergence potentially marking the beginning of a new era for the Elephants following the gradual retirement of their golden generation. His youthful exuberance combined with decisive contributions in knockout football has established him as a serious contender.
The veteran presence of both Mane and Mahrez adds intriguing dimensions to the race, as both seek to cap distinguished careers with additional continental honours. Mane’s 2021 MVP award places him in pursuit of becoming a rare multiple winner, while Mahrez aims to match his 2019 heroics when he inspired Algeria to glory.
As the tournament enters its concluding phase, these six performers have established themselves as the primary candidates, though the final determination will inevitably depend on performances across the remaining crucial fixtures that will decide both team and individual glory at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
