FIFA 21 Wonderkids: Best African Players to Sign in Career Mode

Africa has produced some fantastic players, with the likes of Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Yaya Toure all having won the CAF African Footballer of the Year award most recently.

The World Cup record of African nations reaches as far as the quarter-finals, with Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. In FIFA 21, however, one of these African wonderkids could help their nation surpass the final eight during a Career Mode run.

We begin by looking at the five best prospects. Further down, you can find a table that lists all of the best African wonderkids in FIFA 21.

Choosing the best African wonderkids of FIFA 21

Every player on this list hails from an African nation, is 21-years-old or younger, and has a minimal potential rating of 80 POT.

The players throughout the article have been sorted by their POT rating, so the top picks might not be first-team ready for your club from the start of FIFA 21. However, knowing that the African wonderkids have a high potential rating, it’d be wise to give them plenty of minutes.

Edmond Tapsoba (78 OVR – 88 POT)

Team: Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Best Position: CB
Age: 21
Overall/Potential: 78 OVR / 88 POT
Value: £26.5 million
Weak Foot: Three-star
Best Attributes: 82 Aggression, 81 Standing Tackle, 80 Short Passing

Born in Burkina Faso, Edmond Tapsoba moved to Portugal before signing for current side Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He made his national team debut at 17-years-old and is represented by former Portuguese midfield maestro Deco, at D20 Sports.

Last season, Tapsoba played 16 games for Vitória Guimarães SC, scoring five goals as a centre back to spark the move to Germany. For Bayer 04 Leverkusen, he has played consistent minutes, starting in the vast majority of matches since joining the German side.

Tapsoba is an all-round solid defender. His defensive ratings are what you would expect, with 81 standing tackle, 78 defensive awareness, 76 sliding tackle, and 76 interceptions, but he also has 80 short passing and 77 penalties, which you may not expect.

The African wonderkid can be considered a ball-playing defender as, along with his 80 short passing, he also has 74 long passing, enabling him to pick out a teammate from distance when necessary.

Achraf Hakimi (83 OVR – 88 POT)

Team: Inter Milan
Best Position: RM
Age: 21
Overall/Potential: 83 OVR / 88 POT
Value: £50 million
Skill Moves: Three-star
Best Attributes: 95 Sprint Speed, 93 Acceleration, 86 Stamina

A Moroccan international, Hakimi was born in Madrid and made his way through the Real Madrid youth system. After a two-year loan spell to Borussia Dortmund, he signed for Inter Milan at the start of this season.

Hakimi is a versatile player who can play as a full-back or a wide midfielder. Now, however, he’s much more frequently played as a right midfielder for his club, and down both flanks for Morocco.

What immediately stands out about this FIFA 21 African wonderkid is his pace, which is comprised of his 93 acceleration and 95 sprint speed. On top of Hakimi’s speed and 86 stamina, he also excels with the ball at his feet, thanks to his 84 dribbling, 83 ball control, and 81 crossing.

At 21-years-old, the Spanish-born Moroccan has great ratings for a wide player already, and has the potential to be one of the best players in his position at 88 POT. The only area of concern for Hakimi may be his 55 free-kick accuracy, 68 curve, and 63 heading accuracy.

Victor Osimhen (79 OVR – 87 POT)

Team: SSC Napoli
Best Position: ST
Age: 21
Overall/Potential: 79 OVR / 87 POT
Value (Release Clause): £36 million (£68.4 million)
Weak Foot: Four-Star
Best Attributes: 92 Sprint Speed, 86 Stamina, 83 Finishing

Born in Nigeria’s capital city, Lagos, Victor Osimhen has played for four clubs in three years, most recently making a big-money move to Napoli. Moving for a massive £63 million, his inaugural Serie A season has been derailed by a shoulder injury and by contracting coronavirus.

The centre forward has scored in double figures in the previous two seasons for RSC Charleroi and LOSC Lille. His record for Nigeria currently stands as a goal contribution per game, scoring five goals and four assists in nine caps.

Osimhen is a fast striker, boasts great attacking awareness, and has the ability to put the ball in the back of the net in FIFA 21. The African wonderkid features 92 sprint speed, 83 finishing, 81 acceleration, and 81 positioning. He is also more than adequate in the air thanks to his 82 jumping and 78 heading accuracy.

Though Osimhen may be a fox in the box, he does lack in some areas. For example, he only has 70 dribbling and 68 balance, which may be a concern FIFA users who prefer to run with the ball. On the plus side, he holds an 87 POT rating, so there’s plenty of room for improvement.

Samuel Chukwueze (77 OVR – 86 POT)

Team: Villarreal CF
Best Position: RM
Age: 21
Overall/Potential: 77 OVR / 86 POT
Value (Release Clause): £21.5 million (£49.4 million)
Skill Moves: Four-Star
Best Attributes: 92 Acceleration, 87 Agility, 87 Dribbling

Nigerian international Samuel Chukwueze moved from his home country to join Villarreal CF in 2017, breaking into the first-team in 2018. His main position is on the right wing, but he has also played as a left winger.

Last season, Chukwueze scored three goals and created five assists across 37 La Liga games for the Yellow Submarine. In 2020/21, he looks to improve his output, having scored twice and set-up five more by the 22-game mark. For his country, the crafty winger has netted three times in 16 caps.

FIFA 21’s Chukwueze excels in speed and dribbling, with his 92 acceleration, 87 agility, 87 dribbling, and 85 sprint speed making him difficult to defend against in the game.

However, the African wonderkid does need to improve on his end product to become a real force down the wing. His 71 finishing, 69 crossing, 69 short passing, and 56 long passing should be the focus in his training sessions.

Mohammed Kudus (75 OVR – 85 POT)

Team: Ajax
Best Position(s): CAM (CM)
Age: 19
Overall/Potential: 75 OVR / 85 POT
Value: £11 million
Skill Moves: Four-Star
Best Attributes: 91 Balance, 90 agility, 90 acceleration

Born in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, Mohammed Kudus moved to Danish club FC Nordsjaelland in the summer of 2018. Over the 2020 summer window, the highly-touted midfielder switched to Eredivisie giants Ajax.

His last season for FC Nordsjaelland saw his best output to date, netting 12 times and setting up one more. The 2019/20 season also saw him make his debut for Ghana. In Kudus’ first match for the Black Stars, he managed to score against South Africa in an Africa Cup of Nations qualification match.

What immediately stands out when looking at Kudus’ ratings in FIFA 21 is his athleticism. He has 91 balance, 90 agility, 90 acceleration, 85 sprint speed, and 85 stamina to make the CAM a lively player to have around the box.

Kudos’ 87 POT and current 75 OVR mean that his already favourable ratings will grow even further. Ratings such as 79 ball control, 79 dribbling, 77 shot power, 76 strength, 76 composure, 76 short passing, and 75 positioning will soar over 80 as he improves each season.

All the best African Wonderkids in FIFA 21

Below is the full list of all of the best African wonderkids to sign in FIFA 21 Career Mode.

If you’re looking to invest in a top young player from Africa in FIFA 21 Career Mode, one of the wonderkids above will fit the bill.

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