FIVE STARS who could light up the tournament

1 ALHASSAN YUSUF (Nigeria) Uncapped, age 23

THE withdrawal of injured Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is a big blow for Nigeria, but it has opened the door for the impressive Yusuf. The 23-year-old Royal Antwerp central midfielder likes to pick the ball up from deep and drive his way through defences. He also has excellent passing ability and can pick out team-mates while under pressure in tight areas. 2 OUSMANE DIOMANDE (Ivory Coast) 4 caps, age 20

VALUED at £69million by his club Sporting Lisbon, the 20-year-old centre back is one of the most exciting young players around. He has already been linked with Newcastle, Manchester City and Arsenal. 3 KARIM KONATE (Ivory Coast) 11 caps, age 19

ONE of the latest young talents to emerge at RB Salzburg, Konate is a an elite finisher, scoring 10 goals in 25 games for his club this season. With top strikers a rare commodity, he will have no shortage of suitors should he light up the tournament. 4 ACHRAF HAKIMI (Morocco) 64 caps, age 25

THE Paris Saint-Germain right back was a big part of Morocco’s brilliant run at the 2022 World Cup, in which they beat Belgium, Canada, Spain and Portugal and finished fourth. Morocco are one of the Afcon favourites and hope to undo the heartache of their semi-final defeat by France in Qatar. 5 SERHOU GUIRASSY (Guinea) 12 caps, age 27

THE striker got his 2023-24 campaign off to a flying start, scoring 14 goals in his first eight Bundesliga matches for Stuttgart. His form has waned somewhat, but he remains one of the most lethal strikers in Europe and has been linked with a move to England.