Bolasie to Dikgacoi: Which Eagles have represented Palace at AFCON?

Club

9 Jan 2022

The Africa Cup of Nations begins today (Sunday, 9th January), kicking off a festival of football that will see three Crystal Palace players fighting for their respective nations in Jordan Ayew, Cheikhou Kouyaté and Wilfried Zaha – but they are by no means the only Eagles to have graced the continent’s biggest stage.

Four other Palace players have represented the club at AFCON in the past, with four more featuring in the tournament either side of their careers in south London.

Three even appeared in a final – an achievement matched by Ayew and Kouyaté.

Palace's AFCON representatives

Kagisho Dikgacoi

After making his international debut in 2007, Dikgacoi was called up to his first AFCON in 2008. The tournament in Ghana was an unsuccessful one, as South Africa came bottom of their group.

However, in 2013 Dikgacoi followed up the dream of a home World Cup in 2010 with an Africa Cup of Nations played in front of his compatriots. As Palace chased promotion to the Premier League, he and his Bafana Bafana side cruised through the group stage, but suffered heartbreak in the quarter-finals after losing a penalty shoot-out to Mali.

Kwesi Appiah

Not yet an international debutant, Appiah travelled with the Ghana team to the 2015 tournament in Equatorial Guinea. He made his debut in the final group game, as Ghana beat South Africa to finish top.

His dream tournament continued as he scored his first international goal in a quarter-final win over Guinea. The Black Stars reached the final, and Appiah started the game – subbed off for Jordan Ayew as they sought a winner.

In the end, Ivory Coast won an epic penalty shoutout – but Appiah had more than made his mark.

Yannick Bolasie

Travelling to Equatorial Guinea for the 2015 tournament, Bolasie was quick to make an impact by scoring in DR Congo’s first group game against Zambia.

After a victory over the Republic of the Congo in the quarter-finals, Bolasie and co. were knocked out by Ivory Coast, strong eventual winners, in the semi-finals, but went on to secure third place by beating the hosts in a play-off penalty shoot-out.

Pape Souaré

Souaré was another to reach the 2015 finals, playing alongside Kouyaté for a Senegal side trapped in the ‘Group of Death’ with Ayew’s Ghana and Riyad Mahrez’s Algeria.

After an opening day victory over the Black Stars, Senegal’s draw against South Africa and defeat to Algeria saw them sent home in third place.

Former and future Eagles at AFCON

Emmanuel Adebayor

Aged just 21, a young Adebayor fired Togo to the 2006 tournament as the top scorer across the continent in qualifying.

His next involvement in 2010 was cut short by tragedy, as the Togo team bus came under fire in a terrorist incident before the start of the tournament. Three people were killed, Mário Adjoua, Améleté Abalo and Stanislas Ocloo, and the team were forced to withdraw.

Marouane Chamakh

Another to make a big impact at a young age, Chamakh travelled to the 2004 AFCON in Tunisia. At just 20-years-old, he scored a last minute equaliser against Algeria in the quarter-final, earning a starting berth for Morocco in the final.

He played the full 90 minutes as they were beaten by Tunisia, and would go on to represent his country at two more tournaments in a long international career.

Adlène Guedioura

Guedioura must have thought his luck was out when he travelled to the 2019 AFCON, after going out in the group stage in his previous two tournaments.

This time would be different however, as Guedioura inspired Algeria from midfield, starting in the final as they beat Senegal to win the title. His performances saw him named in the team of the tournament, and ensured his status as a hero to all those watching at home.

Bakary Sako

Sako made a splash in his first AFCON appearance with Mali, scoring a sumptuous volley against Ivory Coast in the group stages.

However, he would suffer what is surely one of the more bizarre eliminations from the tournament. With identical records in the group stages, Mali and Guinea drew lots to decide who would progress to the quarter-finals. Guinea emerged from the hat, sending Sako and his unbeaten Mali side home.

Remember, you can keep up to date with all the latest results from Palace’s international Eagles at the 2022 AFCON by clicking HERE.

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