As the dust settles on an unforgettable, ignominious Africa Cup of Nations final, ESPN look back over a compelling month of AFCON football and pick our tournament dream team.

GK: Yacine Bounou

Bounou was defeated in Sunday's final, but makes the cut here ahead of his rival on the day - Édouard Mendy.

It was a tough call to pick between the pair, although Bounou just edges it despite Mendy's extra-time heroics in the final.

His outstanding reflexes were evident throughout the tournament, not notably in the semifinal shootout victory over Nigeria, where his penalty saves were critical in sending Morocco through to a first final since 2004.

As he demonstrated at the World Cup (against Spain or Portugal), against AS Roma in the 2023 Europa League final, or even at the recent Club World Cup, Bounou is a big-game player, and made six saves during a pulsating final against Senegal.

It's worth noting that he didn't concede from open play during the competition until the fourth minute of extra-time in the final.

RB: Krepin Diatta

Squeezes out Achraf Hakimi and Bright Osayi-Samuel after an impressive tournament in which he played a key part in Senegal's defensive security, while also offering another dimension in attack.

The converted wideman played every minute for the Teranga Lions until the final - conceding just two goals during that time, while also registering a valuable assist against Benin.

He was simply outstanding in the 1-0 victory over Mali in the quarterfinal, creating three goalscoring opportunities and taking more touches than any other player on the park. It was a bitter blow for Diatta and Senegal that illness ruled him out of the final at the last minute.

CB: Calvin Bassey

Calvin Bassey played a transformative role in Nigeria's backline during the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP via Getty Images

An excellent Nations Cup by Bassey, whose athleticism, bravery and magnificent left foot ensured he was the most watchable centreback at the AFCON.

He helped transform a Nigeria backline that was expected to be a weak link for the Super Eagles at the tournament into a unit that didn't concede a single goal across three knockout games, with Bassey simply breathtaking with a courageous display against Morocco in the semi.

He made 16 key defensive contributions during the course of this match - including 10 clearances - and, still some years off his prime, the future looks bright for the Fulham defender.

CB: Nayef Aguerd

An essential and underrated component of Morocco's team, Aguerd makes a strong claim to be among the top three African defenders in the world.

He was resolute, composed, athletically imperious and demonstrated considerable leadership during the AFCON, particularly given circumstances meant he had to play alongside three different centrebacks across the campaign.

"We don't talk enough about Aguerd, but he's one of the best players in Africa," Morocco head coach Walid Regragui told ESPN. "Left foot, reliable, fast, jumps high, as long as we have Nayef, we'll be fine."

LB: Noussair Mazraoui

Mazraoui, whether as rightback before Hakimi returned, or on the left after his comeback, was exceptional at the AFCON, demonstrating his in-game intelligence, his technical prowess and his warrior qualities in whichever way the hosts required.

"We need to take a moment to say what a player he is," Regragui told ESPN, "with his spirit, his mentality, maybe we didn't value him enough since the start of the competition."

CM: Alex Iwobi

An immense creative force for Nigeria during the tournament, this was arguably Iwobi at his best, with the midfielder creating - on average 1.8 goalscoring opportunities per match during the AFCON, registering two assists in the process.

He simultaneously helped Nigeria control matches and assert themselves, while also unlocking Eric Chelle's swirling front three ahead of him. Some of his passes - notably one ball to unlock Lookman in the Morocco semi - were utterly world class.

CM: Pape Gueye

Gueye truly stepped up when Senegal needed him at the AFCON.

As well as two crucial goals against Sudan in the Last 16 to send the Lions through, he also netted a thumping winner in Sunday's final, silencing the home crowd in the fourth minute of extra time.

He's been a solid, if unspectacular, operator for the West Africans - despite being likened to Paul Pogba earlier in his career - but his selfless work underpinned Senegal's campaign.

LW: Sadio Mane

Sadio Mane was key to Senegal's Africa Cup of Nations title-winning campaign in Morocco. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP via Getty Images

A move to Saudi Arabia appears not to have dimmed Mane's influence in the African arena, with the 33-year-old comfortably one of the outstanding players at the Nations Cup.

He's not as dynamic as he used to be, perhaps, but two goals and three assists across seven matches was an excellent contribution - only Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman had a hand in more goals - while the equaliser against the DR Congo and the late winner against Egypt were particularly valuable.

He said before the AFCON final that it would be his last ever match at the tournament, and winning the title, while demonstrating his humanity and leadership in potentially stopping the abandonment of the match, was an apt way to bow out.

AM: Ademola Lookman

No one at the Nations Cup had a hand in more goals than Lookman, who scored three goals and contributed four assists across six matches as Nigeria took the bronze medal. After a testing time at Atalanta, complete with fallouts and a drop in form, the Nations Cup represented a return to the performances that saw Lookman named African Footballer of the Year in 2024.

His understanding and interplay with Osimhen - with Alex Iwobi providing ammunition from deep - contributed to the most exciting and breathtaking attacking football at this Nations Cup, and it's a bitter shame that the two former African Footballers of the Year won't be present at the World Cup later this year.

RW: Brahim Diaz

His tournament has been completely overtaken by the events of the final, and a panenka miss that will live on in infamy, but Diaz was a worthy winner of the Player of the Tournament award following a simply magnificent Nations Cup tournament.

He was the x-factor for Morocco during their route to the final, scoring in each of the first five matches of the tournament - including the opening goal in four games and the winner in another - and changing the complexion of the Atlas Lions play with his sharp movement, direct running and agility.

A revelation at this tournament, particularly considering his struggles at Real Madrid, but his career trajectory will surely be transformed by the transformation that overcame him on Sunday, between furiously haranguing the referees for the penalty before then, almost 20 minutes later, opting to punt it straight into the arms of Mendy.

ST: Victor Osimhen

Whereas at the Nations Cup in the Ivory Coast in 2024, Osimhen scored just once and registered another assist as Nigeria reached the final, he was much closer to his productive, lethal best in Morocco, scoring four and setting up both Lookman and Akor Adams for valuable goals.

Against Algeria, he was Nigeria's MVP, opening the scoring soon after the break when he headed home Bruno Onyemaechi's pinpoint cross at the backpost, before assisting Adams for the killer goal ten minutes later.

It was an example of how, when he turns on the class, Osimhen can prove unplayable for even Africa's best defences, although his legs and his energy appeared to desert him in the crucial semi against Morocco.

Honourable mentions: Yannick Pandor, Yasser Ibrahim, Ramy Rabia, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi, Mamadou Sangare, Neil El Aynaoui, Idrissa Gueye, Wilfred Ndidi, Yan Diomande, Amad Diallo, Abde Ezzalzouli, Riyad Mahrez, Akor Adams, Mohamed Salah, Ayoub El Kaabi. (ESPN)

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