AFCON 2021: NPFL star wins AFCON Bronze medal with Cameroon
The Super Eagles of Nigeria may have ended their AFCON 2021 journey in the round of 16 but the Nigeria Professional Football League was ably represented on the podium.
Still shocking that the Super Eagles failed to make it past Tunisia after their impressive group stages display that saw they win all three games.
The Super Eagles failed to get on the podium like they did in the last edition but someone related to the Nigeria Professional Football League did.
In the era when most African nations shop for foreign-based stars, there are a few nations that still call on African-based or home-based stars.
Nigeria had two players from the South Africa top-flight league in the frame of Olisa Nda (Orlando Pirates) and Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs) in the final squad, but no player from the NPFL was deemed fit to make the list.
While this was the case with Nigeria, the hosts’ nation, Cameroon took a Nigerian-based player to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Akwa United goalkeeper Jean Efala was one of the goalkeepers that Cameroon took to the tournament.
Although Jean Efala didn’t play a game at the tournament as Cameroon finished third after a shootout win against Burkina Faso in their third-place match, he got his Bronze medal.
Jean Efala who won the 2021 Nigeria Professional League title with Akwa United has now added an AFCON bronze medal to his collections.