UEFA Champions League Round of 16: African players featured in the knockouts

The draw for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 has officially been completed, setting up a series of top clashes across Europe — with several intriguing battles featuring African stars.

The playoff round concluded last Wednesday, confirming the 16 qualified teams:

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Bodø/Glimt, Newcastle United, Atalanta, Arsenal, Liverpool, Sporting CP, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur, Galatasaray, and Bayer Leverkusen.

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Fixtures

1. Manchester City vs Real Madrid
2. Sporting CP vs Bodø/Glimt
3. Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea
4. Barcelona vs Newcastle United
5. Liverpool vs Galatasaray
6. Tottenham Hotspur vs Atletico Madrid
7. Bayern Munich vs Atalanta
8. Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen

African Players to Watch

Manchester City vs Real Madrid

Manchester City African players:

• Omar Marmoush (Egypt)
• Antoine Semenyo (Ghana)
• Rayan Aït-Nouri (Algeria)

Real Madrid African player:

• Brahim Díaz (Morocco)

Sporting CP vs Bodø/Glimt

Sporting CP African players:

• Geny Catamo (Mozambique)
• Ousmane Diomandé (Ivory Coast)
• Souleymane Faye (Senegal)

Bodø/Glimt African player:

• Gift Sunday (Nigeria)

Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea

Paris Saint-Germain African players:

• Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
• Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal)

Chelsea African player:

• Mamadou Sarr (Senegal)

Barcelona vs Newcastle United

Newcastle United African player:

• Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)

Barcelona enter the tie without listed African players, while Wissa will aim to make his mark on the European stage.

Liverpool vs Galatasaray

Liverpool African player:

• Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

Galatasaray African players:

• Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
• Mario Lemina (Gabon)
• Renato Nhaga (Guinea-Bissau)
• Wilfried Singo (Ivory Coast)
• Ismail Jakobs (Senegal)

Tottenham vs Atletico Madrid

Tottenham African players:

• Mohammed Kudus (Ghana)
• Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)
• Yves Bissouma (Mali)

Atletico Madrid African player:

• Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)

Bayern Munich vs Atalanta

Bayern Munich African player:

• Nicolas Jackson (Senegal)

Atalanta African players:

• Kamaldeen Sulemana (Ghana)
• Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast)
• Honest Ahanor (Nigeria)

Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen

Arsenal:

• No African players listed

Bayer Leverkusen African players:

• Christian Kofane (Cameroon)
• Ibrahim Maza (Algeria)
• Eliesse Ben Seghir (Morocco)
• Nathan Tella (Nigeria)
• Issa Traoré (Mali)
• Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso)

Knockout Stage Schedule

UEFA has outlined the full schedule for the remainder of the Champions League knockout rounds, starting with the Round of 16 and ending with the final in late May.

Round of 16

• First legs: March 10 & 11

• Second legs: March 17 & 18

Quarter-finals

• First legs: April 7 & 8

• Second legs: April 14 & 15

Semi-finals

• First legs: April 28 & 29

• Second legs: May 5 & 6

Final

• May 30

The decisive stretch of the competition will therefore run across nearly three months, with Europe’s elite clubs battling through March, April, and May to reach the final showdown on May 30.

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