Performance : Young Stars Shaping The Tournament

Senegal’s 17-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye grabbed the spotlight after coming off the bench to clinch a 3-1 victory for his team over Sudan, securing their place in the quarterfinals of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The Paris Saint-Germain forward became the youngest player to score in the AFCON in the 21st century, according to reports. With his performance, he has joined the ranks of emerging stars reshaping their national teams in this AFCON and raising expectations for future compe- titions. For Cameroon, which en- tered with a very young squad, Christian Kofane is shining. The 19-year-old Bayer Leverkusen striker made headlines with his stunning goal that secured a cru- cial victory against Mozambique, earning him Man of the Match honours. He did not stop there, going on to score the winner for Cameroon in the round of 16 against South Africa. Carlos Ba- leba, 22, was equally instrumental in the South Africa-Cameroon game, where he was named Man of the Match. Remember when the defending champions nearly got humiliated by Gabon in their last Group F game in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations? One of those who stood up to avert the shame was Bazoumana Touré. The 19-year- old, who plays for German Bun- desliga side TSG Hoffenheim, scored the winning goal in added time to make it 3-2 for C...