Two of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles stars, Odinaka Okoro and Daniel Bameyi, have been included in the CAF Best XI of the group stage at the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), following a series of strong performances that helped Nigeria advance in the tournament.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), through its Technical Study Group, unveiled the tournament’s standout eleven in a balanced 4-2-3-1 formation, acknowledging the players who made the most impact across 20 group matches.
Also shining brightest was Sierra Leone’s Momoh Kamara, who not only led his team to a historic quarter-final qualification in their debut appearance but also emerged as the Top Scorer and Best Player of the group stage, netting four goals in four games.
Zambia’s Levison Banda was named Best Goalkeeper, while Morocco’s Mohamed Ouahbi took the Best Coach title after guiding his side to an unbeaten group stage run despite injury setbacks.
CAF U20 AFCON 2025 Group Stage Best XI (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper:
• Levison Banda (Zambia)
Defenders:
• Nathaniel Jalloh (Sierra Leone)
• Odinaka Okoro (Nigeria)
• Daniel Bameyi (Nigeria)
• Dacosta Antwi (Ghana)
Midfielders:
• Kevin Wangaya (Kenya)
• Lazola Maku (South Africa)
• Momoh Kamara (Sierra Leone)
Forwards:
• Joseph Sabobo (Zambia)
• Othmane Maamma (Morocco)
• Samuel Ntanda-Lukisa (DR Congo)
Group Stage Individual Awards:
• Best Player: Momoh Kamara (Sierra Leone)
• Top Scorer: Momoh Kamara – 4 goals
• Best Goalkeeper: Levison Banda (Zambia)
• Best Coach: Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco)
• Fair Play Team: Ghana
As the tournament enters its knockout stage, all eyes will be on these standout players, particularly Nigeria’s defensive duo, as they continue their quest for continental glory.
