Tottenham Hotspur defender Serge Aurier has been named in the FIFPro Africa best XI for 2019 (via @CAF_Online).
Despite being a right-back by trade, the Ivorian was picked at left-back in the team with Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi selected at right-back.
Other players from the Premier League who made the 11 were Liverpool trio Joel Matip, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez and Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The 27-year-old’s inclusion is perhaps a little surprising, given that he wasn’t a regular for Spurs last season.
Indeed he only played two Premier League games between January and July 2019 and whilst he did play a part in the north London outfit reaching the Champions League final, his only appearances in that competition last year were against Dortmund in the round of 16 (Transfermarkt).
He has been more of a regular this season and between August and December he played 15 times in the Premier League, but his performances haven’t been great and he has been part of a defence which has kept just two clean sheets in that time (Transfermarkt).
Plenty of Spurs fans themselves were surprised that Aurier was included in the team, here is how some reacted on Twitter…
this is a joke right?
— DKR RAIN (@RainCOYS) January 7, 2020
Not being funny but how an earth has Serge got ahead of Youcef Atal when Serge isn’t even a natural LB
— Ghulam (@Ghulam_Afzal11) January 8, 2020
Must be little to no competition
— ᴀʟᴇx | Suspended at 3K🤬 (@_10kanee) January 7, 2020
— SpursMaestro 🇨🇵 (@NathHotspur_) January 7, 2020
I prefer not to speak, if I speak I am in big trouble and I do not want to be in big trouble
— Eashan (@EashN17) January 7, 2020
I guess they’re as short on right back options as we are.
— Tim Parkes (@ShaolinMunkeh) January 7, 2020
When you see Serge Aurier in the African Best XI…#COYS #THFC pic.twitter.com/X9Jj6hzQs8
— Robert Brock (@RobSportsNut) January 8, 2020
Spurs fans, do you believe that Serge Aurier deserves his place in the best African XI of 2019? Let us know below…
