Marc-Vivien Foé Prize: the 11 nominees for the 2024 edition
On May 13, RFI and France 24 will reveal the name of the best African player in the French Football Championship (Ligue 1). Who will succeed the Congolese Chancel Mbemba, last winner of the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize? Here, in alphabetical order, are the 11 finalists for the 2024 edition.
The Marc-Vivien Foé Prize is awarded to the best African football player playing in the French Championship. Photo: RFI/France24
By: Ndiasse Sambe Follow | Farid Achache Follow
Advertisement
Read more
AUBAMEYANG Pierre-Emerick, striker (Gabon/Marseille)
Trained in Laval, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who played in Monaco and Dijon, enjoyed his time in Saint-Etienne and Ligue 1 between 2011 and 2013, before moving to the Bundesliga with Dortmund. He also played in the Premier League with Arsenal and Chelsea. The one who also tasted La Liga with Barcelona returned to French soil in 2023 in Marseille. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang received the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize in 2013.
BENTALEB Nabil, midfielder, (Algeria/Lille)
It is in the club of his hometown that Nabil Bentaleb plays. The one who spent several years with the Germans FC Schalke 04 knows the house of the Mastiffs well since it is there that he was trained during his junior career. This pure Lille resident, who admired the Ivorian Gervinho or the Belgian Eden Hazard, dreams of taking his team to the Ligue 1 podium this season. The Algerian international is in any case part of the LOSC executives.
CAMARA Lamine, midfielder (Senegal/Metz)
At the heart of a Metz team which is struggling to maintain its status, Lamine Camara is surviving at just 20 years old for his first full season in Ligue 1. The youngest of the nominees, he is one of the most used players in the Metz club. Named Best Young Player of 2023 by the Confederation of African Football, the Senegalese international has never lived up to his nickname “mason” so well for his ability to “fill in the gaps and be everywhere”. He dreams of being the first Senegalese to win the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize.
DIAKITÉ Oumar, striker (Ivory Coast/Reims)
He is the youngest of the nominees after Lamine Camara. At 20, Oumar Diakité discovered Ligue 1 this season after training at Asec Mimosas and a stint at RB Salzburg. After a delicate first few months, the Elephant is beginning to show the full extent of his talent, buoyed by an African champion title with Ivory Coast last February. Strong, fast, more precise in front of goal, the player, repositioned in the axis by his coach, has gained weight in the Reims club now.
GOUIRI Amine, striker (Algeria/Rennes)
At Stade Rennes, Amine Gouiri has now made his nest, almost two years after his arrival and after taking off in Nice for two seasons. A familiar face in Ligue 1, the former French international hopeful is an essential pawn in the Breton club's attack with honorable statistics as a scorer and passer. Now an Algerian international, the 24-year-old hopes to become the first Fennec in history to win the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize.
HAKIMI Achraf, defender (Morocco/PSG)
A senior player in the Parisian squad, Achraf Hakimi is often essential on the right side of the defense. The Moroccan international is still doing well with a new coach. He is an essential element of Luis Enrique's tactical system this season. Having passed through Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, Achraf Hakimi settled down at the capital club in 2021.
MBEMBA Chancel, defender (DR Congo/Marseille)
With Marseille, Chancel Mbemba continues to delight his fans. An essential player, the Congolese arrived in July 2022 at Canebière and he very quickly found his place in the squad. The one who discovered European football in Belgium with Anderlecht in 2013 won the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize in 2023. Here he is in the running for a double like the Ivorian Gervinho in 2010 and 2011.
MOFFI Terem, striker (Nigeria/Nice)
Since 2020, the Super Eagle has been hitting the pitches of Ligue 1. First with Lorient before joining the Côte d'Azur in 2023 in the form of a loan with a compulsory purchase option. In Nice, Terem Moffi, head of the Aiglons and regular scorer for the Nice attack, remains a tireless worker who delights his supporters and teammates.
NDAYISHIMIYE Youssouf, midfielder (Burundi/Nice)
His coach at Nice, Francesco Farioli, defines him as “
the one who gives balance to the team
”. Youssouf Ndayishimiye, who is experiencing his first full season in Nice, has now confirmed the potential seen during his first six months in the French championship. An essential element of the Aiglons in a mixed role of central midfielder in the offensive phase and third central defender in the defensive phase, the pillar of the Hirondelles du Burundi, contributes to making Nice one of the most airtight defenses in Ligue 1.
SIMON Moses, striker (Nigeria/Nantes)
The Super Eagle returned from the CAN in Ivory Coast with a silver medal around his neck. Moses Simon, in Nantes since 2019, is a scorer and a decisive passer, who is important in the Canaries locker room. The one who set foot on European soil as a junior with Ajax Amsterdam – often a starter in Ligue 1 – is in particularly good shape this season. With his technical quality and speed, Moses Simon is used to turning the heads of opposing defenses.
SINGO Wilfried, defender (Ivory Coast/Monaco)
Landed on the Monaco Rock this summer, Wilfried Singo quickly established himself within the Monaco defense. Among ASM's most consistent players, the versatile 23-year-old defender has become a pillar of the rearguard of the team led by Adi Hütter. Often right axial in a three or four defense in Monaco, the African champion (at right back) impresses with his burst of speed, his heading, and his ability to win duels.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your inbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Share :
Continue reading on the same themes:
Marc-Vivien Foé Prize
France