Finding the next Aguerd, Hegazy or Feddal: The best centre-backs in the top-5 African leagues – data analysis

After looking at the best forwards in the top-5 African leagues in a previous data analysis, we’ll now focus on the opposite side of the pitch and look at the best centre-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 examples being Zouhair Feddal, who played in La Liga, the Serie A and now for Sporting CP after standing out in Morocco for FUS Rabat; Ahmed Hegazy, who played for top teams in Egypt like Al Ahly and Ismaily before his experiences in the Championship, EPL and Serie A; or Nayef Aguerd, who also played for FUS Rabat before moving to Dijon and Rennes in the Ligue 1. 

We have taken the statistics from Wyscout and our sample includes every centre-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.

Positioning and general defending

First and as an introduction, we’ll look at two very general defensive metrics. In the x-axis, we have successful defensive actions per 90, defined as the sum of defensive duels won, interceptions and sliding tackles normalized per 90 minutes; and on the y-axis, possession-adjusted interceptions, which helps us put the rest of the stats into context regarding the teams’ playing styles. The colour of the dots is the total number of interceptions so we know in which direction they were adjusted for possession.

In terms of positioning, Lyes Oukkal (29, Algeria) seems the best player. Playing for the relegated side JSM Skikda, Oukkal had 7.48 interceptions per 90 (11.58 if possession-adjusted) while also being in the top 25% in successful defensive actions with 10.55 per 90 but couldn’t help his team stay in the Algerian Ligue 1 last season. With good experience at the highest level in his country and these stats, he’ll surely come back to the first division soon.

Another interesting one is Aymen Ben Mahmoud (25, Tunisia), who played last season for AS Soliman on loan from ES Tunis in the Tunisian Ligue 1. Ben Mahmoud achieved 7.07 interceptions (10.75 if possession-adjusted) and 10.6 successful defensive actions per 90, helping his team to a 4th-position finish just one point away from the continental competitions. His good performances weren’t enough to stay at ES Tunis, the country’s biggest club, but he earned a lucrative move to Al Arabi SC in Kuwait. Still quite young for a centre-back, we shouldn’t rule out a move to a higher-level league in the middle term.