The UEFA Conference League is the third tier of European club football, and the 2026-27 season will kick off on Thursday as 36 clubs compete against each other as they look to become the next champion at the end of the season to dethrone Crystal Palace as champions.
Multiple African players will be looking to help their clubs to victory and enjoy a very good run giving a good account of themselves in the competition. Here are five Africans who could lit up the tournament.
Tolu Arokodare (Ajax)
The Super Eagles forward will be hoping to impress and help Ajax in their quest to become the first Dutch club to win the competition. The 25-year-old joined the Eredivisie club in a loan deal from Wolves during th summer transfer window and he has enjoyed a superb start to his career at the club.
Tolu Arokodare has scored seven times across all competitions, including three times in the Conference League qualifiers, which sealed Ajax’s spot in the league phase.
The Dutch club will kick off their campaign against Hajduk Split on Thursday, with the Nigerian star hoping to continue his scoring streak.
Mohamed Salah (Trabzonspor)
Mohamed Salah will make his debut in the UEFA Conferenxe League when Trabzonspor face Finland side KuPS in their opening game on Thursday. Salah joined the club in a surprise move during the summer after leaving Liverpool, where he cemented his legacy as one of the club’s best players in history.
Since moving to Turkey, he has enjoyed a superb start and has gone ahead to score seven goals and three assists in nine game across all competitions.
The club’s Conference League opener offers the Egyptian supertar another chance to add to his goal tally, which he will be hoping to take very well.
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Lamine Camara (Monaco)
The Senegalese midfielder is another African footballer who will be hoping for an impressive outing with Monaco in the Conference League.
The 22-year-old was heavily linked with a transfer saga in the summer involving a failed move to Chelsea in the final hours of the summer transfer deadline day.
However, Lamine Camara ended up staying at the French club and will be hoping to continue his brilliant start to the season in their Conference League opener against CSKA Sofia on Thursday.
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Chibuike Nwaiwu (Trabzonspor)
Nigerian defender Chibuike Nwaiwu opened his account for the season in Trabzonspor’s 3-0 win over Samsunspor last weekend and will be hoping to add to his account on Thursday when the club kick off their campaign against KuPS on Thursday.
Nwaiwu has enjoyed a superb start to his career since joining the club earlier in the year and will now be aiming to help them win the prestigious trophy this season.
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Malick Yalcouye (Brighton)
Ivorian youngster Malick Yalcouye completes this list and he will be hoping to continue his bright start to life at the club when Brighton face Kauno Zalgiris on Thursday.
The 20-year-old has scored twice for the Seagulls in the league this season and will be aiming to add to his tally when they kick off their campaign this week.
