FIFA 22: The Best African XI

Ace Football presents a detailed list of the Best African XI you can pick from FIFA 22 players.

With its rich football culture, Africa has produced some of the greatest footballers in the history of the game.

Recent years have not been an exception to this rule. African players have taken European football by storm, winning multiple individual and team honours.

Considering the best African players on FIFA 22, let’s take a look at the best African XI you can create in the game.

Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy 🇸🇳 – Overall Rating: 83

Many observers consider Edouard Mendy as the world’s current best goalkeeper. The Senegalese keeper won the UEFA Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for his great 2020-21 campaign with Chelsea.

Mendy played an integral role in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph under Thomas Tuchel. The former Rennais goalkeeper equalled Keylor Navas’ record for most clean sheets in a Champions League season with nine.

He has continued his great performances this season, keeping a clean sheet in six of his ten league appearances for the Blues.

Eduardo Mendy FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 83
• GK Positioning 81
• GK Diving 83
• GK Handling 82
• GK Kicking 78
• GK Reflexes 84

Right Back: Achraf Hakimi 🇲🇦 – Overall Rating: 85

Hakimi was among PSG’s blockbuster moves of the last transfer window. After spending a Serie A-winning campaign with Inter, the Moroccan defender has started a new journey at the French side.

Hakimi has quickly secured his place on the right-hand side of PSG’s backline, maintaining a delicate balance between his defensive and offensive duties.

You can hardly find a better right-back than Hakimi for your team.

Achraf Hakimi FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 85
• Pace: 95
• Dribbling: 83
• Shooting: 71
• Defending: 76
• Passing: 78
• Physical: 78

Centre Back: Kalidou Koulibaly 🇸🇳 – Overall Rating: 86

Napoli boast the best defence in Serie A, conceding only four goals so far this season. The Serie A leaders’ solid backline is formed around one of the best centre-backs of the world: Kalidou Koulibaly.

Since his 2014 move from Genk, The Senegalese defender has become a cornerstone of Napoli’s squad. With his great physicality and game reading, Koulibaly can stop almost every striker in one-on-one situations.

Kalidou Koulibaly FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 86
• Pace: 81
• Dribbling: 65
• Shooting: 28
• Defending: 87
• Passing: 51
• Physical: 85

Center Back: Joel Matip 🇨🇲 – Overall Rating: 83

Matip is everything you want from a versatile centre-back. He can play both as a defender and a defensive midfielder, offering exceptional passing ability alongside his defensive traits.

The Cameroonian centre-back was Liverpool’s go-to defender in the absence of Virgil van Dijk last season. However, he is still getting decent game time this season, featuring in 13 games for the Reds this season.

Having won multiple domestic and European trophies at Liverpool and Schalke, Matip is among the well-decorated active African players.

If you use Matip alongside a fast centre-back, he can be very useful in transitional play.

Joel Matip FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 83
• Pace: 58
• Dribbling: 65
• Shooting: 46
• Defending: 85
• Passing: 68
• Physical: 78

Left Back: Serge Aurier 🇨🇮 – Overall Rating: 80

The Ivorian defender played for two years at PSG before moving to Tottenham in 2017. He quickly secured a regular spot in the Spurs’ backline, featuring in 110 games for the north London side.

Aurier’s contract at Tottenham ended in August. The Ivorian spent a few months without a job before securing a move to Villarreal in October. He is slowly regaining his rhythm under Unai Emery, providing an assist in his four appearances for the Yellow Submarines.

Aurier prefers to play at right-back. However, we can use him in this position as we have Hakimi on the right-hand side of our backline.

Serge Aurier FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 80
• Pace: 75
• Dribbling: 76
• Shooting: 63
• Defending: 77
• Passing: 77
• Physical: 78

Left Winger: Sadio Mane 🇸🇳 – Overall Rating: 89

One of the Premier League’s best forwards, Mane is a cornerstone of Liverpool’s top-class attacking unit.

The Senegalese winger moved to Liverpool from Southampton in 2016, kick-starting a career marked with domestic and European glory. Mane’s stats talk for themselves. The winger has featured in 233 games for Liverpool, scoring 105 goals and providing 43 assists.

If you look for a winger with great pace and ruthless finishing, Mane has few contenders in the game.

Sadio Mane FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 89
• Pace: 91
• Dribbling: 89
• Shooting: 83
• Defending: 44
• Passing: 80
• Physical: 77

Central Midfielder: Wilfred Ndidi 🇳🇬 – Overall Rating: 89

Ndidi is the next Premier League star on our list. Since his move from Genk in 2017, Nigerian midfielder has delivered impressive performances for Leicester City.

The 24-year-old won the FA Cup with the Foxes this year, continuing his central role in Brendan Rodgers’ squad. He has also made 41 caps for Nigeria, providing two assists for the Super Eagles.

Ndidi mainly plays as a defensive midfielder, but he can also cover for the centre-backs with his exceptional pressing ability.

Wilfred Ndidi FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 89
• Pace: 67
• Dribbling: 74
• Shooting: 62
• Defending: 87
• Passing: 69
• Physical: 83

Central Midfielder: Franck Kessie 🇨🇮 – Overall Rating: 84

Kessie has been a cornerstone of Milan’s squad under Stefano Pioli. The Ivorian midfielder has played an integral part in the Rossoneri’s revival, delivering top-class performances in their midfield.

Since his arrival in 2019, Kessie has featured in 196 games for the Rossoneri, scoring 32 goals and providing 15 assists.
A near-perfect box-to-box midfielder, all of Kessie’s main ratings are above 74. The 24-year-old can bring a great dynamic to your team’s midfield with his wide range of abilities.

Franck Kessie FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 84
• Pace: 78
• Dribbling: 80
• Shooting: 74
• Defending: 82
• Passing: 74
• Physical: 87

Right Winger: Riyad Mahrez 🇩🇿 – Overall Rating: 89

Despite Manchester City’s abundance of brilliant attackers, Mahrez has almost always survived rotation under Pep Guardiola. The reason is clear. The Algerian star is irreplaceable because of his exceptional combination of dribbling and pace.

Mahrez joined Man City after winning the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016. With the Citizens he has won two more league titles and one FA cup trophy. He also won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title with Algeria.

Whether you like to score with lengthy build-up play or quick long-balls, you need a quick winger like Mahrez to move swiftly between the lines.

Riyad Mahrez FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 84
• Pace: 81
• Dribbling: 90
• Shooting: 79
• Defending: 38
• Passing: 81
• Physical: 60

Striker: Mohamed Salah 🇪🇬 – Overall Rating: 89

Salah is arguably the world’s best striker at the moment. The Egyptian striker has delivered incredible performances for Liverpool this season, breakings many records in the process.

The Pharaohs striker has turned into a top-class star at Anfield since his move from Roma in 2017. His great technical ability combined with his brilliant positioning has helped Liverpool in their successful run under Jorgen Klopp.

A player with two Premier League Golden Boots and a Puskas award will take your final third to another level.

Mohamed Salah FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 89
• Pace: 90
• Dribbling: 90
• Shooting: 87
• Defending: 45
• Passing: 81
• Physical: 75

Striker: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 🇬🇦 – Overall Rating: 85

Despite Arsenal’s many highs and lows in recent seasons, Aubameyang has rarely disappointed in delivering goals. Younger forwards have challenged the Gabonese striker at Arsenal, but he is too good to be replaced easily.

After an impressive spell at Borussia Dortmund, Aubameyang joined the Gunners in 2018. In his 159 matches for the north London side, Aubameyang has scored 92 goals and provided 21 assists.

The Premier League Golden Boot winner is a deadly striker, famous for his pace and precise shooting. By Adding Aubameyang to your team, you can use his fast runs both for counter-attacks and quick ball recoveries.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang FIFA 22 Ratings

Overall Rating: 85
• Pace: 89
• Dribbling: 80
• Shooting: 85
• Defending: 35
• Passing: 75
• Physical: 69