With the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations starting on Saturday, many players have left their clubs halfway through the season to enroll in the training camps of their respective nations for the anticipated African competition’s build up.
In the same context, Serie A is one of the European leagues where several African talents and skillful players have been glowing as of late, the thing which earned 13 of them a call to perform their international duty in the continental tournament.
Napoli is the most represented Serie A club in AFCON with three players set to feature from the Partenopei. In a different manner, Italian giants like Milan and Inter will not be presented in the tournament.
We shed a light on the most prominent names from Serie A who are expected to take part in AFCON:
Atalanta:
Franck Kessie – Ivory Coast
Photo: Dino Panato/Getty Images
Age: 20
Position: Central midfielder
Crotone:
Djamel Mesbah – Algeria
Photo: Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images
Age: 32
Position: Left back
Genoa:
Serge Gakpe – Togo
Photo: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
Age: 29
Position: Right winger
Juventus:
Mario Lemina – Gabon
Photo: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
Age: 23
Position: Central midfielder
Medhi Benatia – Morocco
Photo: Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
Age: 29
Position: Central defender
Lazio:
Keita Baldé Diao – Senegal
Photo: Marco Rosi/Getty Images
Age: 21
Position: Left winger
Napoli:
Kalidou Koulibaly – Senegal
Photo: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images
Age: 25
Position: Central defender
Faouzi Ghoulam – Algeria
Photo: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images
Age: 25
Position: Left back
Omar El Kaddouri – Morocco
Photo: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images
Age: 26
Position: Attacking midfielder
AS Roma:
Mohamed Salah – Egypt
Photo: Paolo Bruno/Getty Images
Age: 24
Position: Right winger
Torino:
Afriyie Acquah – Ghana
Photo: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
Age: 25
Position: Central midfielder
Udinese:
Molla Wagué – Mali
Photo: Dino Panato/Getty Images
Age: 25
Position: Central defender
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu – Ghana
