Top 10 Best African Soccer Players of All Time

Didier Drogba

Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is a former Ivorian professional footballer who played as a striker and captained the Ivory Coast national team. He most famously played for English club Chelsea and won the UEFA Champions League with them in 2012, scoring the equalizer in the final and the decisive penalty... read more

As strong as any forward to have played the game, Drogba is a mountain of a man to match his personality and appetite for goals. However, the former Le Mans, Guingamp, and Marseille striker isn't all about power and hustle - he has the technique and finishing ability to match any other goalscorer the game has ever seen.
Two Premier League titles and a brace of FA Cups have come in his six years at Stamford Bridge, and the way he's knocking them in this season, who's to say he won't have added to that tally come May?

Samuel Eto'o, I respect him very much. He was a very solid player and made a name for himself at Barca. But Drogba started playing football for a club very late and showed the world what he was able to do so fast that today he is a name all football fans have heard of.
Absolutely incredible, this guy. He wins the ball in the air so easily and threatens every goalkeeper. If only he were 10 years younger...

Samuel Eto'o

Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He had an illustrious career at clubs such as Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Chelsea. Eto'o retired from professional football in 2019 and is regarded as one of the greatest African players of all time.

His tenacity and skill have made him one of this generation's finest strikers. Eto'o scored more than 100 goals in five seasons with Barcelona, and his early goal in last season's Champions League final win over Manchester United made him only the second player to have ever scored in two separate Champions League finals.
He was a member of the Cameroon national team that memorably won gold at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. He also featured in two World Cups and five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Samuel Eto'o is the best African soccer player of all time. There is no debate about it.
And please stop publishing this kind of stupidity. You really put Drogba before Eto'o? Really?
In a real top ten, Drogba doesn't even come before George Weah...

Jay-Jay Okocha

So good, they named him twice is the famous quote about the talismanic Nigerian who arrived at the Reebok seemingly in his twilight. But he was a revelation in four years with Bolton.
The Africa Cup of Nations (1994) and Olympics gold medalist (1996) with Nigeria helped the Potters avoid relegation, took them to their first final in nine years - the League Cup Final in 2004, which they lost to Middlesbrough - and into Europe for the first time in their history.

Just because he didn't play for big teams does not mean he's not the best. No African player is as gifted as he is with the ball. His skills are just too good for him to be ranked at number three.

George Weah

George Manneh Oppong Weah (born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who served as the 25th President of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. Before his election to the presidency, Weah served as Senator from Montserrado County. He played as a striker in his prolific 18-year... read more

Remarkable man who has enjoyed just as exciting a career on the pitch as he has experienced off it. Weah is a character who rates as our top African player of all time, not just by virtue of the strength of his personality, but because he had real talent on the pitch.
By his own admission, he was a criminal and gang member in his youth, but football got him out of his country. In 1995, he was voted World Footballer of the Year while with Paris Saint-Germain. He also ended up living in New York and commuting to training sessions in Monaco by Concorde. Such was the life of Weah.
World, European, and African Player of the Year in his time, Weah scored goals at every club he went to and won league titles in France and Italy with PSG and AC Milan, respectively. And when his career ended, such was his popularity in his native Liberia that he ran (unsuccessfully) for President. Quite a character, certainly a fine player, and easily our No. 2.

Yaya Touré

Nice skills such as passing, shooting from a far distance, great vision, and an absolutely nice personality. His playing style makes me want to play football more and more! Support Yaya!

How can it not be Yaya Touré? This guy is an athletic freak.

He is supposed to be the number one midfielder in Africa.

Mohamed Aboutrika

Michael Essien

Don't pigeonhole Essien, admittedly best known for being a box-to-box midfielder. He can score goals too - see his memorable strikes against Barcelona in the Champions League last season and another stunner against Blackburn.
The Bison was, for a time, the most expensive African player of all time until Emmanuel Adebayor's move to Manchester City last year. The two-time French Ligue 1 winner with Lyon became a Premier League champion with Chelsea in 2005.

He's a great player who scores goals like a mind-blowing laser!

Abedi Pele

Abedi Pele was way ahead of his time. If he had become great during the internet era, the question of who is Africa's best wouldn't have been in doubt. Those of us who saw him play were wowed - his deft touches, flair, and unimpeachable vision in the game of football were unrivaled on the continent. Abedi Ayew was both effective and efficient. He was a midfield general like no other in African football. Abedi only scored important goals, all of which were taken from the top drawer of world-class football.
Indeed, it is laughable to see Drogba ahead of him on this list because, in terms of pure football ability, Didier is not worthy to untie his shoes. The only African players who come close to Pele are Rabah Madjer and George Weah. Like Abedi, Madjer was an offensive genius who combined speed, flair, and power to create beautiful moments in football. Well, let the debate continue, but to me, there is no doubt that Abedi Ayew Pele is Africa's number one football player of all time!

Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly (born June 15, 1992) is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Egypt national team. Known for his speed, dribbling, and goal-scoring abilities, Salah has won multiple Premier League Golden Boots and... read more

He is the best player in Egypt! Not Mohamed Aboutrika (though Mohamed Aboutrika is still good).

Salah is the best player if you compare him with Messi. I think he is good.

Sulley Muntari

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

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Benni McCarthy

Sadio Mané

Sadio Mané is one of the best young African players at this moment. His strength and dribbling terrorize many defenses in the EPL. He made history in his first Premier League season by setting the record for the fastest hat trick in English Premier League history. He is a new legend of African and Senegalese football. With his talent, he has much more to show the world. The 23-year-old Senegalese player is one of the best in the Premier League.

Emmanuel Adebayor

Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese former professional footballer who played as a forward. Over his career, he played for clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, and Crystal Palace. He was also the captain of the Togo national team.

Asamoah Gyan

I vote him the best of his time. First reason: he is fearless, a true star. Humble, humble, humble.

An amazing player with great finishes and fantastic ball control.

Superb player who is great in the air and one of the best on the Ghanaian national team.

Kevin-Prince Boateng

Rabah Madjer

He was the best of the best. Never has Africa had a player like him. No one can do what he did for his club or country. Best skills, best goals, best free kicks, best passes, dribbling - you can say he is the best African player of all time. I hope you will agree. Thanks to all.

Roger Milla

It was all about the dance, the smile, and the goals as the then 37-year-old lit up the World Cup in 1990, as the Indomitable Lions almost went all the way to the final during a memorable tournament run - courtesy of Milla's goals.
Even his name is entertaining - Albert Roger Mooh Milla was voted one of the 125 greatest living football players in 2004 by Pele, but many young football fans around the world showed their own appreciation of Milla when, after scoring a goal, they'd run up to the corner flag and do that dance.

Roger Milla is still the best striker Cameroon has ever had to date. He scored goals for his country when his team needed one. He was a perfect finisher, flawless, and made his country and Africa proud. He is a true legend.

Siphiwe Tshabalala

Just look at his goal at the World Cup to see what a player can do for his country. He had the entire country cheering him on!

A skillful player who does not lose the ball easily on the field of play. I can still imagine his World Cup goal.

Nwankwo Kanu

Sensational in his day, Kanu had an exciting career with Ajax before moving to Arsenal. He led Nigeria to win the U-17 World Cup, and in 1996, he scored the winning goal against Brazil (who had the likes of Bebeto and Dunga), helping Nigeria win Olympic gold in football.

Please take your time and do research on Kanu Nwankwo. He should be ranked between 3rd and 5th.

Demba Ba

Hossam Hassan

Evergreen goalscorer, hero, legend, record breaker - these are just some of the words you need to describe Hassan, who amassed 169 caps for Egypt and scored 69 goals, both of which remain national records.
He will be remembered by many after appearing for his country at the 1990 World Cup, where they were unlucky to be eliminated after two draws and a narrow 1-0 defeat to England, following Mark Wright's headed goal that sent them out.

Best striker ever. He did not receive the recognition he deserved as a legend in Europe because he played locally. Just a hint: he played only one and a half years in Europe, scoring a super hat trick at Celtic in the Europa League!

Kalusha Bwalya

I watched this great son of Southern African soccer for most of his long career. He was a marvel to watch. His record for Zambia speaks for itself. In the modern game, to appear 140 times for your country and net 100 goals, most of which were of the highest quality, is truly remarkable. Kalu, you had a magical left foot.

The best footballer I've ever seen take quality and positive free kicks. Any free kick for Great Kalu was already considered a goal. He is such a great player of all time.

The best in the entire Southern Africa region. He scored very remarkable goals for Chipolopolo. Appearing 141 times and scoring 100 goals is no small achievement. It is indeed a great one.

Marc-Vivien Foé

He helped Cameroon reach the Confederations Cup. He tragically died on the field.

Riyad Mahrez

Riyad Mahrez, born February 21, 1991, is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League and for the Algerian national team. He previously played for Leicester City, where he was a key player in their historic 2015-16 Premier League title win. Mahrez also had a successful... read more

Very talented player! He is one of the greatest. Why? Because he made Leicester City, an unknown English team, shine and win the EPL with merit against the greatest teams, such as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal.

Sofiane Feghouli

Peter Ndlovu

He joined Coventry City at 21 years old and went on to be a star in the English Premier League.
He single-handedly managed to push Zimbabwe's FIFA rankings to their highest ever.