The African Continent has produced some of the most exceptional footballing talent to ever grace the world stage.
Have a look at our top 10 list below and let us know your thoughts!
Nwankwo Kanu
Born: 1 August 1976
Nationality: Nigeria
International honours: U-17 World Cup, Olympic Gold, AFCON runner-up Club honours: 2 Nigerian Premier Leagues, 3 Eredivisies, 1 UEFA Champions League, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 UEFA Cup, 2 Premier Leagues, 3 FA Cups, 1 FA Community Shield
One of Nigeria’s favourite sons, Nwankwo Kanu enjoyed spectacular success at both club and international level, though he wasn’t quite able to guide the Super Eagles to an Africa Cup of Nations title, ending as runners-up in 2000. Kanu won the Champions League with Ajax, the UEFA Cup with Inter Milan, two Premier League titles with Arsenal and three FA Cups, including the 2008 triumph with Portsmouth where he scored the winning goal in the final.
Samuel Eto’o
Born: 10 March 1981
Nationality: Cameroon
International honours: 2 AFCONs, Olympic Gold Club honours: 2 Copa Del Reys, 3 La Ligas, 2 Spanish Super Cups, 3 UEFA Champions Leagues, 1 Serie A, 2 Coppa Italia, 2 Supercoppa Italiana, 1 FIFA Club World Cup
A four-time African Player of the Year, Samuel Eto’o is arguably the continent’s finest ever player. The Cameroonian won two Africa Cup of Nations titles as well as Olympic Gold when he was just a teenager. His club career has been even more stellar, with major success at European heavyweights Barcelona and Internazionale, where he accumulated three UEFA Champions League titles, four domestic league titles and numerous other cups. He racked up over 100 caps and 50 goals for Cameroon and played at four World Cups.
Abedi Pele
Born: 5 November 1964
Nationality: Ghana
International honours: 1 AFCON Club honours: 2 French Ligues, 1 UEFA Champions League, 1 Qatar Cup, 1 UAE President’s Cup, 1 UAE Pro League
A three-time winner of the African Football of the Year, Abedi Pele is recognised as Ghana’s greatest player. He led the Black Stars to the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations title (their last triumph in the competition) and was the best player at the 1992 AFCON where Ghana lost to Ivory Coast in the final, though sadly he never played at a World Cup. At club level, Pele’s greatest success came with French giants Olympique Marseille, where he won two Ligue 1 titles and the 1992/93 UEFA Champions League. His legacy continues through his sons Andre, Jordan and Ibrahim Ayew, who are all professional footballers in their own right.
Lakhdar Belloumi
Born: 29 December 1958
Nationality: Algeria
International honours: N/A Club honours: 2 Algerian championships
Lakhdar Belloumi is regarded as Algeria’s greatest ever player, but he was denied major success at both club and international level. The attacking midfielder is the most capped player in the history of Algeria’s national team and was a cultural phenomenon in the 1980s, where he played in the Olympics, two World Cups and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. The highlight of his career was two Algerian league titles with Mascara and MC Oran and being chosen as African Player of the Year in 1981.
Roger Milla
Born: 20 May 1952
Nationality: Cameroon
International honours: 2 AFCONs Club honours: 1 Cameroon Premier Division, 1 African Cup Winners’ Cup, 2 Coupe de France, 1 French Division 2
Fondly remembered for his dancing heroics at the 1990 World Cup, where helped Cameroon reach the quarterfinals, Roger Milla also holds the record for being the oldest goal scorer at the tournament when he netted as a 42-year-old in USA 1994. Yet Milla’s World Cup heroics were only one part of a brilliant career, as he also won two Africa Cup of Nations titles and numerous honours in Cameroonian and French soccer.
Salif Keita
Born: 8 December 1946
Nationality: Mali
International honours: N/A Club honours: 3 Malian Cups, 3 French Ligue 1, 2 Coupe de France, 1 Taca de Portugal
Salif Keita was the African Footballer of the Year in 1970 and is widely recognised as Mali’s greatest ever player. He won no major honours with his national team, though he did take the Eagles to the final of the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were beaten by Congo. At club level, he enjoyed an extraordinary goal scoring record with French giants Saint-Etienne and helped them win three league titles and two Coupes de France.
Didier Drogba
Born: 11 March 1978
Nationality: Ivory Coast
International honours: N/A Club honours: 4 Premier Leagues, 4 FA Cups, 3 League Cups, 2 FA Community Shields, 1 UEFA Champions League, 1 Super Lig, 1 Super Kupa, 1 Turkey Kupasi
Regarded as a legend by both Chelsea and the Ivory Coast national team, Didier Drogba is an all-time African legend. Though he never won any major honours with the Elephants, he took them to two runners-up finishes at the Africa Cup of Nations and three successive World Cup appearances. At club level, Drogba won a stack of honours with Chelsea and was renowned for scoring vital goals in big games, including in the finals of the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.
Jay-Jay Okocha
Born: 14 August 1973
Nationality: Nigeria
International honours: 1 AFCON, Olympic Gold Club honours: 2 Saarland Cups, 1 Oberliga Sudwest, 1 Chancellor Cup, 1 Ataturk Cup, 1 Trophee des Champions, 1 UEFA Intertoto Cup
One of the most gifted playmakers to have come out of African football, Jay-Jay Okocho was a legend for Nigeria’s national team and the many clubs he turned out for in a career that spanned the better part of two decades. Okocha won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, but it was his trophy-laden spells with Fenerbahce, Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanders in the 1990s and early 2000s where he established himself as one of the most skilful and beloved players in the world.
Hossam Hassan
Born: 10 August 1966
Nationality: Egypt
International honours: 3 AFCONs Club honours: 14 Egyptian Leagues, 5 Egyptian Cups, 2 CAF Champions Leagues, 4 African Cup Winners’ Cups, 1 CAF Super Cup, 1 UAE League
Hossam Hassan was a fixture in the Egyptian national team for more than two decades and in the process, he racked up an incredible 169 caps and scored 69 goals - as well as winning three Africa Cup of Nations titles, the first in 1986 and the third a full 20 years later in 2006. At club level, he was a prolific goal scorer and serial trophy winner with Cairo giants Al Ahly and Zamalek, collecting no less than 14 Egyptian League titles and two CAF Champions League triumphs in his career.
George Weah
Born: 1 October 1966
Nationality: Liberia
International honours: N/A Club honours: 2 Liberian Leagues, 1 Liberian Cup, 3 Coupe de France, 1 French Ligue 1, 1 Coupe de la Ligue, 2 Serie A, 1 FA Cup
A three-time Africa Player of the Year, winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or, as well as the African Player of the Century, George Weah’s standing as a legend of the game on this continent is unmatched. Though he never took Liberia to any major honours (or even World Cup qualification), his prolific scoring record through his club established him as a true great. Weah is also renowned for his humanitarianism and a strong political career in his home country.
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