Mamelodi Sundowns will be the club with the most players at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations with 11, but 40 clubs from around the world will have at least 3 representatives in Ivory Coast.
Three South African clubs feature in the list, with Sundowns at number 1, while Orlando Pirates are sixth with six players. Sekhukhune United also feature with three representatives heading to AFCON – both Sekhukhune and Pirates could have those numbers increased, as they also each have one player on South Africa’s standby list.
Two Egyptian clubs club are second with both Al Ahly and Pyramids having nine players heading to AFCON.
Tanzanian giants Yanga are third and will have eight players going to the finals.
French club Marseille wraps up the top five, as they will have seven players in Ivory Coast.
Meanwhile, four South African clubs will have two players in Ivory Coast: SuperSport United 2 (2 in South Africa), AmaZulu 2 (1 in South Africa, 1 in Namibia), Polokwane City 2 (1 in South Africa, 1 in Equatorial Guinea), Chippa United 2 (1 in Nigeria, 1 in Namibia)
There will be also be 8 PSL clubs with 1 player represented — Kaizer Chiefs, Cape Town Spurs, Richards Bay, Stellenbosch, AmaTuks, Baroka, Black Leopards, Maritzburg United.
*Numbers based on squads released as of 4 January 2023, changes may have occurred in the interim.
All 40 clubs with three or more players set to play at AFCON:
- Mamelodi Sundowns: 11 (10 in South Africa, 1 in Namibia)
- Pyramids: 9 (6 in Egypt, 1 in Burkina Faso, 1 in Morocco, 1 in DRC)
- Al Ahly: 9 (7 in Egypt, 1 in South Africa, 1 in Tunisia)
- Yanga: 8 (5 in Tanzania, 1 in Burkina Faso, 1 in Mali, 1 in Zambia)
- Marseille: 7 (3 in Senegal, 2 in Morocco, 1 in Cameroon, 1 in DRC, 1 in Senegal)
- Orlando Pirates: 6 (4 in South Africa, 1 in Namibia, 1 in Ghana)
- Simba: 6 (4 in Tanzania, 1 in DRC, 1 in Zambia)
- Nottingham Forest: 6 (3 in Ivory Coast, 2 in Senegal, 1 in Nigeria)
- Nouadhibou: 5 (5 in Mauritania)
- Montpellier: 5 (2 in Mali, 1 in Cameroon, 1 in Guinea, 1 in DRC)
- Monaco: 5 (2 in Senegal, 1 in Mali, 1 in Ivory Coast, 1 in Ghana)
- Beşiktaş: 5 (2 in Cameroon, 1 in DRC, 1 in Ghana, 1 in Gambia)
- Reims: 5 (2 in Morocco, 1 in Mali, 1 in Ivory Coast, 1 in Guinea)
- Young Boys: 5 (2 in Gambia, 1 in DRC, 1 in Zambia, 1 in Guinea)
- TP Mazembe: 4 (1 in DRC, 1 in Mauritania, 1 in Mali, 1 in Zambia)
- Azam FC: 4 (4 in Tanzania)
- Red Star Belgrade: 4 (1 in Ivory Coast, 1 in Ghana, 1 in Burkina Faso, 1 in Zambia)
- Lorient: 4 (1 in Tunisia, 1 in Cameroon, 1 in Senegal, 1 in DRC)
- Toulouse: 4 (1 in Cape Verde, 1 in Cameroon, 1 in Burkina Faso, 1 in Mali)
- Bayer Leverkusen: 4 (1 in Ivory Coast, 1 in Nigeria, 1 in Morocco, 1 in Burkina Faso)
- Genk: 4 (1 in Morocco, 1 in Gambia, 1 in Ghana, 1 in DRC)
- Amiens: 4 (1 in Burkina Faso, 1 in DRC, 1 in Mali, 1 in Ghana)
- Nantes: 4 (1 in Nigeria, 1 in Egypt, 1 in Cameroon, 1 in DRC)
- Zamalek: 4 (3 in Egypt, 1 in Tunisia)
- Sekhukhune United: 3 (1 in South Africa, 1 in Ivory Coast, 1 in Zambia)
- Petro de Luanda: 3 (3 in Angola)
- Zesco United: 3 (3 in Zambia)
- African Stars: 3 (3 in Namibia)
- Nice: 3 (2 in Algeria, 1 in Ivory Coast)
- Real Betis: 3 (2 in Morocco, 1 in Senegal)
- Auxerre: 3 (2 in Ghana, 1 in Mali)
- Braga: 3 (1 in Equatorial Guinea, 1 in Mali, 1 in DRC)
- Red Bull Salzburg: 3 (2 in Mali, 1 in Ivory Coast)
- Valenciennes: 3 (2 in Burkina Faso, 1 in Angola)
- Lecce: 3 (1 in Tunisia, 1 in Zambia, 1 in Algeria)
- Le Havre: 3 (2 in Guinea, 1 in Ghana)
- Sivasspor: 3 (1 in Ivory Coast, 1 in, 1 in Nigeria, 1 in Cameroon)
- Samsunspor: 3 (1 in Guinea-Bissau, 1 in Ghana, 1 in Cameroon)
- Kayserispor: 3 (1 in Guinea-Bissau, 1 in Guinea, 1 in Cameroon)
Story by Rob Delport (@FMSouthAfrica).
