The players flying under the Afcon radar

The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations is switching gears as the group stages have been concluded and the knockout phase is upon us from this weekend.

Despite a stuttering start, the tournament has now lit up with an avalanche of goals and impressive football artistry on display.

With defending champions Ivory Coast out of the competition, a new winner will emerge, with Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, the DRC and Morocco showing intent from the group stage.

Stars like Sadio Mane, the Ayew brothers, Asamoah Gyan, Mohammed Salah and Benjamin Moukandjo have all come to the party to impress while others have fallen by the wayside.

Supersport.com examines the lesser known players that stood out in the group stages and will likely be pivotal to their team’s progress in the competition from the quarterfinal stage. They have in many instances shone more brightly than other much touted stars on their respective teams.

Junior Kabananga (DR Congo)

Almost unheard of before the tournament began but now definitely on the lips of many fans and pundits alike.

Maybe playing in Kazakhstan [above wearing 6] with Astana has not helped his cause, but his talent is undeniable as he clearly showed in the group games. .

The 27-year-old has outshone his more illustrious teammates like Dieumerci Mbokani and Yousuf Mulumbu to be the main man for DR Congo. At least in the group stages.

He can play in an array of positions in the attacking areas, but sees himself primarily as a winger cutting in from the flanks to do damage, which he has already done.

Three goals, one in each game has him as the top scorer of the 2017 Afcon after the group stages, and he will be relied upon to bring his pace and physical qualities to bear again when the DRC meet Ghana in the quarterfinals on Sunday at the Stade d’Oyem.

Ahmed Hegazi (Egypt)

The Pharaohs have made a return to the Afcon finals for the first time in seven years and have qualified for the quarterfinals.

They have the meanest defence in the competition, as they haven’t conceded a goal in three group game- the only team to do so.

Centre-back Ahmed Hegazy is one of the reasons why Egypt have been a bridge too far to cross for the teams in group D.

They haven’t been breached yet because the defender has been colossal at the back for the Pharaohs, who are looking to add to their seven Afcon titles.

The 26-year-old Al-Ahly defender is an imposing figure in the defence and despite his size, he is quite fast and reads the game very well.

Hegazy had a stint in Europe with Fiorentina a few years, but with his impressive display and form has made a return highly likely, not that Al Ahly will be keen to let go of their defensive asset.

Christian Atsu (Ghana)

Ghana picked up six points from her first two games thanks to some inspiring displays from their exciting winger.

The Newcastle man was a constant threat down the flanks for the Black Stars against Uganda and Mali, which helped his team qualify for the final before the blip against Egypt. He was without a doubt on form and in many instances more dangerous than both Ayews and Gyan, Ghana’s undisputed big-guns.

Atsu is a pacy player who packs a shot in his boot. On his day he is unplayable, but he needs to be more consistent moving forward in the tournament.

He went missing as Egypt stifled Ghana and got three points from them in the last group game. The Black Stars will hope that Atsu replicates his form in the first two group games when Ghana takes on DR Congo in the quarterfinals.

Herve Koffi (Burkina Faso)

Burkina Faso surprised many people in Gabon by topping group A which had hosts Gabon, Cameroon and Guinea-Bissau in it.

The starry-eyed youngster is part of the reason why ‘Les Etalons’ beat all comers to the top spot in the group.

Herve Koffi has grown in leaps and bounds over the last six months. The Asec Mimosas youngster is now Burkina Faso’s first choice goalkeeper and showed why with impressive displays in the group stage.

The 20-year-old came up with the goods on numerous occasions to save Burkina Faso’s blushes and will surely be the man between the sticks when the west Africans meet Tunisia in the quarterfinals.