Osimhen, Boniface snubbed in Canal+'s Africa Best XI of the Season as Lookman, Kudus make list

Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman and West Ham's Mohammed Kudus have been named in Africa Best XI of the season by French media outlet Canal+.

The Nigerian and the Ghanaian duo continue to prove their worth for both club and country following their impressive seasons.

The best XI as published by Canal+ features other rising African stars including Victor Boniface, Nathan Tella, Edmond Tapsoba, Odilon Kossounou, and Amine Adli.

These players had a remarkable season under Xabi Alonso, securing both the Bundesliga title and the DFB Pokal.

Ademola Lookman earned his spot in this elite lineup after an exceptional performance in the Europa League final, where he scored a hat-trick, leading Atalanta to their first European title.

Despite the praise for many players, Canal+ made some controversial omissions, such as Victor Osimhen and Victor Boniface.

The full selection by Canal+ includes Ronwen Williams as the goalkeeper, who captained South Africa to a third-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and won the DStv Premiership with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Defenders Edmond Tapsoba and Odilon Kossounou from Bayer Leverkusen, along with Chancel Mbemba, were included.

Achraf Hakimi and Wilfried Singo were noted for their impressive performances in Ligue 1.

Midfielders Pape Matar Sarr and Mohammed Kudus had commendable seasons in the Premier League, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was named Europa League player of the season.

Serhou Guirassy, who scored 28 Bundesliga goals, led Stuttgart to a second-place finish ahead of Bayern Munich.

Ademola Lookman completed the lineup with his historic hat-trick in the Europa League final.

This selection has generated discussions due to the notable exclusions and the mix of emerging and established African football talents.