The world is starting to learn about the unbridled joy of watching Nouhou play soccer.
The Guardian on Monday released its review of the African Cup of Nations, spotlighting key storylines, games and moments from the continental competition. After helping host nation Cameroon reach the semifinal round – eventually overcoming Burkina Faso to win third place – Nouhou was named to the AFCON best XI by staff writer Nick Names.
Praise for Nouhou's breakout on the international stage didn't stop there. He was also named to the AFCON Dream Team by ESPN.com's Ed Dove alongside the likes of PSG's Achraf Hakimi and Aboud Diallo, Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly and Liverpool's Sadio Mane.
"Squeezing out Saliou Ciss, [Nouhou] was a lively presence down Cameroon's left flank, consistently seeking to run at the opposition defenses and create space in which Vincent Aboubakar could thrive down the middle," wrote Dove. "His interplay with Karl Toko Ekambi and his overlapping runs were key weapons in Cameroon's armoury, and Burkina Faso's inability to deal with his darting acceleration in the box helped to turn the tide of the opening match as he earned a penalty that Aboubakar converted. [Nouhou] didn't deserve to be on the losing side in the semifinal against Egypt, having shackled Mohamed Salah for the duration."
Nouhou hit the ground running at AFCON, putting in impressive performances throughout the group stage and gaining international recognition. The Sounders left back parlayed that strong showing early in the tournament into a star-turn display against Egypt in the semifinal. Lined up against arguably the best player on the planet in Mo Salah, Nouhou severely hampered the Liverpool FC legend’s influence in the match with his lockdown defending.
Of course, the match featured the full gambit of Nouhou’s playing style, with his surging runs forward, acrobatic clearances and lockdown 1-v-1 defending earning him a nod as the man of the match from the beIN SPORTS broadcasters.
You can see the full article in The Guardian HERE.
