Finding another Atal: the best full-backs in the top-5 African leagues – data analysis

In our last data analysis, we looked at the best centre-backs in the top-5 African leagues and in the previous analysis, at forwards, so we’ll now focus on the best full-backs in those leagues.

According to the CAF, the best five leagues in Africa are the Moroccan Botola Pro Inwi, the Egyptian Premier League, the Tunisian Ligue 1, the Algerian Ligue 1 and the South African Premiership. 

These leagues have produced some great centre-backs in the past, with the most recent example being Youcef Atal, currently at Nice in the French Ligue 1 and related to Chelsea or Real Madrid recently. Atal (25, Algeria) started his career at Paradou AC in his country before moving to Belgium with Kortrijk and then to Nice. He has played for Algeria 20 times and was part of the team that won the African Cup of Nations in 2019.

We have taken the statistics from Wyscout and our sample includes every full-back who has played at least 1,000 minutes in the last calendar year in the aforementioned leagues. Please note that for some of these players, the data isn’t 100% complete but it’s still more than enough to ensure a consistent picture.

General profiling

In this first section of the data analysis, we’ll look at the successful offensive (x-axis) and defensive (y-axis) actions per 90. The colour of the dots represents what percentage of successful actions is attacking actions. This way, we’ll get some names that stand out in defence, in attack, or both ways.

The most offensive-minded full-back in our analysis is Alaa Salama (30, Egypt), last season at Entag El Harby. Salama had the most successful defensive actions per 90 with 5.21, which represented 42.39% of his total successful actions. The right-back has always played in Egypt but hasn’t reached a top club or the national team and at his age, it seems difficult for him to do it.

Opposite to Salama, we find Khalil Khennab (32, Algeria) of JSM Skikda. In only his second season in the Algerian top-flight, Khennab averaged 14.52 successful defensive actions per 90 (more than anyone else), representing 91.38% of his successful actions. A veteran and very defensive-minded left-back who can also play as a central defender, Khennab couldn’t avoid his team relegation from the Algerian Ligue 1.