Top 10 Best African Soccer Players of All Time
The greatest African soccer players from Gyan to Essien.
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... 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 Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Turkish club Antalyaspor. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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. 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.
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!
The Newcomers
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.
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Crystal Palace.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
He helped Cameroon reach the Confederations Cup. He tragically died on the field.
Riyad Mahrez is a professional footballer who plays for English club Leicester City and the Algerian national team as a winger. 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.
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.