With just eight days to the kickoff of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, national teams have submitted their final squads in line with the December 11 deadline.
As ever, some omissions have sparked debate across the continent.
While attention naturally turns to those heading to Morocco, the final squad lists also tell another story: one of elite players left behind through injury, loss of form, tactical decisions, or off-field circumstances.
Here, is an assemble of “Unselected XI”—drawn from the most high-profile absentees across the confirmed squads.
On paper, this team would be capable of competing for honours at AFCON 2025, underlining just how fine the margins are at the highest level.
Unselected AFCON 2025 XI (3–4–3)
Goalkeeper
André Onana (Cameroon – Trabzonspor, on loan from Manchester United)
One of Africa’s most recognisable goalkeepers, Onana’s absence—amid ongoing tensions with the Cameroon setup—remains one of the tournament’s most puzzling omissions.
Defenders
Ola Aina (Nigeria – Nottingham Forest)
Injury ruled out the versatile full-back, who would otherwise have been a key component of the Super Eagles’ defensive plans.
Jackson Tchatchoua (Cameroon – Wolves)
Among Europe’s quickest defenders, Tchatchoua’s exclusion was unexpected, especially after featuring regularly in recent internationals.
Adam Aznou (Morocco – Everton)
Once tipped as a breakout star, Aznou’s limited game time and stalled development counted against him in a fiercely competitive host nation squad.
Midfielders
Mohamed Diomande (Ivory Coast – Rangers)
A consistent performer at club level, Diomande narrowly missed out despite his growing reputation in European football.
Marshall Munetsi (Zimbabwe – Wolves)
A deeply emotional omission. Munetsi’s leadership, experience, and box-to-box energy will be sorely missed by the Warriors.
Sofiane Boufal (Morocco – Union Saint-Gilloise)
Once among Africa’s most exciting attacking midfielders, Boufal could not force his way back into an exceptionally deep Moroccan midfield.
Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast – Sunderland)
One of the biggest surprises of the selection process. A key contributor to Ivory Coast’s AFCON triumph two years ago, Adingra’s lack of consistent club minutes ultimately cost him a place.
Forwards
Nicolas Pépé (Ivory Coast – Villarreal)
Despite strong club form and individual accolades this season, Pépé was surprisingly overlooked by the defending champions.
Victor Boniface (Nigeria – Werder Bremen)
Boniface’s struggles to replicate his club form at international level counted against him. He earned 13 caps for the Super Eagles following his breakthrough season with Bayer Leverkusen, but goals proved elusive.
Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon – Neftçi)
A Cameroonian great, Aboubakar misses out amid controversy for other reasons beyond poor form—bringing an end to hopes of one final AFCON swansong.
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