Best African Strikers of all time
And once again, we are here to have a brief look at the African honors of football history, and this time, we are going to present a list of the best African Strikers of all time in our opinion!
Africa has hosted incredible talents over the years. In the last century, players have entered the world of football from the continent with astonishing speeds, amazing dribbles, accurate passes, timely shots, incredible power, incredible movement, great speed and excellent scoring technique.
In the meantime, it is very interesting that some of the best strikers in the world are African. These players have proven their worth in both African and European leagues and are well known.
In the following, we will present a list of greatest African Strikers of all time in our opinion, and share the personal and professional backgrounds of each of these best African Strikers in football history.
Best African Strikers of all time
In the last century, and especially in the last 30 years, the game of football has been very popular in Africa, and due to the vastness of the football world and the endless possibilities it offers to its players, for many talented young people born in this Continent, football is a shortcut to achieving their big dreams.
To be fair, the continent has introduced stunning players to the world of football, and in the meantime, the strikers, who are known as the scoring players of their team, have a special popularity and reputation.
The large number of these players and their presence in various leagues around the world makes it difficult to select the greatest African Strikers in history of football, and unfortunately in this short article, we can not name all these proud players.
While apologizing for this, this is the list of the all-time best strikers in Africa in our opinion!
#1 Samuel Eto’o
Full name:
Samuel Eto'o Fils
Date of birth:
10 March 1981 (age 39)
Place of birth:
Douala, Cameroon
Height:
1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position(s):
Striker
National team:
2000: Cameroon U23, 1997–2014: Cameroon
Senior career:
Real Madrid, Leganés (loan), Espanyol (loan), Mallorca,
Barcelona,
Inter Milan, Anzhi Makhachkala,
Chelsea,
Everton, Sampdoria, Antalyaspor , Konyaspor , Qatar SC
The first player of the list of the
greatest African Strikers of all time
in our opinion is Samuel Eto'o Fils.
While some of the players on this list may have earned more honors or personal accolades than Eto’o, none of them can match the retired Cameroon striker in general!
Known for his stamina, work-rate, ability in the air, and his accurate finishing ability both with his head and feet, he has a long history of playing for many prestigious and successful European teams, and is the only player to have won a triple in a row.
Among the honors of this brilliant striker we can mention Copa del Rey (1) with Mallorca, La Liga titles (3), Copa del Rey (1), Supercopa de España (2), and UEFA Champions League (2) with Barcelona, Serie A title (1), Coppa Italia (2), Supercoppa Italiana (1), UEFA Champions League (1) and FIFA Club World Cup in 2010 with Inter Milan.
His international honors with Cameroon narional team are African Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002, and Olympic Gold Medal in 2000.
And from the individual point of view, we can mention:
Young African Player of the Year (1)
African Player of the Year (4)
ESM Team of the Year (4)
FIFA World Player of the Year Bronze Award (1)
FIFA FIFPro World XI (2)
UEFA Team of the Year (2)
CAF Team of the Year (6)
Pichichi Trophy (1)
UEFA Champions League top assist provider (1)
African Cup of Nations top goalscorer (2)
UEFA Club Forward of the Year (1)
FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball (1)
Coppa Italia top goalscorer (1)
Russian Premier League MVP Award (1)
Golden Foot (1)
Globe Soccer Player Career Award (1)
He is also African Cup of Nations all-time top goalscorer, RCD Mallorca all-time top goalscorer and Cameroon all-time top goalscorer.
Strong, fast, hardworking, and great in teamwork, he is our first choice!
The next player in the list of
best African Strikers of all time
in our opinion is Didier Drogba.
#2 Didier Drogba
Full name:
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily
Date of birth:
11 March 1978 (age 42)
Place of birth:
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height:
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position(s):
Striker
Senior career:
Le Mans, Guingamp, Marseille, Chelsea, Shanghai Shenhua, Galatasaray, Chelsea, Montreal Impact, Phoenix Rising
National team:
2002–2014: Ivory Coast (65)
The second player in the list of the
best African Strikers ever
in our opinion is Didier Yves Drogba Tebily!
While Drogba's performance on the Elephants's team is commendable, his success at Chelsea is what really gives him such a prominent place on the list.
Didier Drogba is a legend, both on and off the pitch. In addition to being arguably one of Africa's most talented strikers, it was after attending the 2006 World Cup that he called on his countrymen to stop the catastrophic civil war that had been raging in his country for years.
His team honors include Premier League title (4), FA Cup (4), Football League Cup (3), FA Community Shield (2), and UEFA Champions League (1) with Chelsea, Süper Lig (1), Turkish Cup (1), and Turkish Super Cup (1) with Galatasaray, and Western Conference (USL) (1) with Phoenix Rising.
And from the individual point of view, he is one of the most prestigious African players ever: being part of CAF Team of the Year (5), ESM Team of the Year (1), FIFPro World XI (1), MLS All-Star, Ligue 1 Team of the Year (1), and UEFA Team of the Year (1), he won one Onze d'Or, one Onze de Bronze, two Premier League Golden Boot, and UEFA President's Award in 2020.
He was African Footballer of the Year (2), BBC African Footballer of the Year (1), Chelsea Players' Player of the Year (1), Chelsea Player of the Year (1), Ivory Coast Player of the Year (3), Ligue 1 Player of the Year (1), Turkish Footballer of the Year (1).
Among his records we van mention the record of the most goals scored in the Premier League by an African player with 104 goals, record of the most goals scored in UEFA club competitions by an African player with 50 goals, record of the most goals scored in the Champions League by an African player with 44 goals, and record of the Ivory Coast national team all-time top scorer with 65 goals.
The next player in the list of
best African Strikers of all time
in our opinion is George Weah.
#3 George Weah
Full name:
George Weah
Place of birth:
Monrovia, Liberia
Date of birth:
1 October 1966 (age 54)
Height:
1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position(s):
Striker
National team:
1986–2002: Liberia
Senior career:
Bong Range United, Mighty Barrolle, Invincible Eleven, Africa Sports, Tonnerre Yaoundé, Monaco,
Paris Saint-Germain,
A.C. Milan, Chelsea (loan),
Manchester City, Marseille, Al Jazira
The next player in the list of
best African Strikers in football history
in our opinion is George Weah.
Weah became the president of Liberia after winning the 2017 elections, and in terms of raw talent, it’s hard to find too many players who boasted greater technique and skill than him.
Some of his honors are one Liberian Premier League, and one Liberian Cup with Mighty Barrolle, one Liberian Premier League with Invincible Eleven, one Coupe de France with Monaco, one Ligue 1, two Coupe de France, one Coupe de la Ligue with Paris Saint-Germain, two Serie A with A.C. Milan, and one FA Cup with Chelsea.
And from the individual point of view, being part of FIFA XI (2), ESM Team of the Year (1), and FIFA 100, he was African Footballer of the Year (3), UEFA Champions League Top Scorer (1), BBC African Footballer of the Year (1), FIFA World Player of the Year (1), IFFHS African Player of the Century (1), and won one Onze d'Or, one Ballon d'Or, one Onze d'Argent, one FIFA Fair Play Award, and Golden Foot Legends Award in 2005.
The next player in the list of
best African Strikers of all time
in our opinion is Roger Milla.
#4 Roger Milla
Full name:
Albert Roger Miller
Date of birth:
20 May 1952 (age 68)
Place of birth:
Yaoundé, Cameroon
Height:
1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position(s):
Striker
Senior career:
Eclair de Douala, Léopard Douala, Tonnerre, Valenciennes, Monaco, Bastia, Saint-Étienne, Montpellier, Saint-Pierroise, Tonnerre, Pelita Jaya, Putra Samarinda
National team:
1973–1994: Cameroon
The next player in the list of the
greatest African Strikers in history of football
in our opinion is Albert Roger Miller.
It was his presence at the two World Cups that shaped his legend: In Italy, the 38-year-old Mila scored four goals as the Invincible Lions reached the quarter-finals in a unique honor for an African team. And four years later in the United States, he became the oldest goal scorer in the World Cup!
His honor list includes Cameroon Première Division (3) with Léopards Douala, African Cup Winners' Cup (1), and Cameroonian Cup (1) with Tonnerre Yaoundé, Coupe de France (1) with Monaco, Coupe de France (1) with Bastia, and Africa Cup of Nations (2) with Cameroon national team.
And from the individual point of view, he was African Footballer of the Year (2), Africa Cup of Nations Best Player (1), African Cup of Nations Top Scorer(2), part of FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1) and FIFA 100, and won one FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot and one Golden Foot Legends Award.
The next player in the list of
best African Strikers of all time
in our opinion is Nwankwo Kanu.
#5 Nwankwo Kanu
Full name:
Nwankwo Kanu
Date of birth:
1 August 1976 (age 44)
Place of birth:
Owerri, Nigeria
Height:
1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)
Playing position(s):
Forward
Senior career:
Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Ajax, Inter Milan, Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion, Portsmouth
National team:
1993: Nigeria U17, 1996: Nigeria U23, 1994–2011: Nigeria
The next player of the list of
all-time best strikers in Africa
in our opinion is Nwankwo Kanu.
Kanu may not have been an innate goalscorer, but his technical skills, dribbling and close control, as well as his physical strength, made him an unpredictable player on the pitch.
Among his honors we can mention Nigerian Premier League (1) with Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Eredivisie (3), UEFA Champions League (1), UEFA Super Cup (1), and Intercontinental Cup (1) with Ajax, UEFA Cup (1) with Inter Milan, Premier League (2), FA Cup (2), FA Charity Shield (1), and UEFA Cup runner-up (1) with Arsenal, and FA Cup (1) with Portsmouth.
He won FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1993 with Nigeria U17, Olympic Gold Medal in 1996 with Nigeria U23, Afro-Asian Cup of Nations in 1995 with Nigerian national team.
And from the individual point of view, he was African Footballer of the Year (2) and BBC African Footballer of the Year (2).
The next player in the list of best African Strikers ever in our opinion is Mohamed Salah.
#6 Mohamed Salah
Full name:
Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly
Date of birth:
15 June 1992 (age 28)
Place of birth:
Nagrig, Basyoun, Egypt
Height:
1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position(s):
Forward
Current team:
Liverpool
Senior career:
Al Mokawloon, Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina (loan),Roma, Liverpool
National team:
2010–2011: Egypt U20, 2011–2012: Egypt U23, 2011–: Egypt
The next player in the list of best African Strikers ever in our opinion is Mohamed Salah.
When he was expelled from Chelsea, Mohamed Salah's golden era seemed to be over, but this brilliant player, with his impressive performance at Fiorentina and Roma, soon proved that he was ready to return to the English Premier League with Liverpool!
Some of his honors are Swiss Super League (2) with Basel, Premier League (1), UEFA Champions League (1), UEFA Super Cup (1), and FIFA Club World Cup with Liverpool, and Africa Cup of Nations runner-up in 2017 with Egyptian national team.
And from the individual point of view, he was UAFA Golden Boy (1), Swiss Super League Player of the Year (1), A.S. Roma Player of the Season (1), CAF Team of the Year (4), BBC African Footballer of the Year (2), African Footballer of the Year (2), PFA Players' Player of the Year (1), Premier League Player of the Season (1), Liverpool Players' Player of the Season (1).
He has won one Onze d'Argent, one FIFA Puskás Award, two Premier League Golden Boots and one FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball.
He has the record of the most goals by an African player in a Premier League season with 32 goals.
The next place in the list of best African Strikers of all time in our opinion belongs to Emmanuel Adebayor.
#7 Emmanuel Adebayor
Full name:
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor
Date of birth:
26 February 1984 (age 36)
Place of birth:
Lomé, Togo
Height:
1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position(s):
Striker
Senior career:
Metz, Monaco, Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid (loan), Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, İstanbul Başakşehir, Kayserispor, Olimpia
National team:
2000–: Togo
The next player in the list of greatest African Strikers of all time in our opinion is Emmanuel Adebayor.
He is a tall striker who, in addition to his excellent performance on the air, reached the back of the opponent's defenders with his unparalleled speed.
His honors include UEFA Champions League runner-up (1) with Monaco, Football League Cup runner-up (1) with Arsenal, Copa del Rey (1) with Real Madrid, FA Cup runner-up (1) with Crystal Palace, and Four Nations Tournament third place with Togo national team.
And from the individual point of view, he was BBC African Footballer of the Year (1), African Player of the Year (1) and Togo's all-time top goalscorer.
The next player in the list of best African Strikers of all time in our opinion is Hossam Hassan.
#8 Hossam Hassan
Full name:
Hossam Hassan Hussein
Date of birth:
10 August 1966 (age 54)
Place of birth:
Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
Height:
1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position(s):
Striker
Senior career:
Al Ahly, PAOK, Neuchâtel Xamax, Al Ain, Zamalek, Al Masry, Tersana, Al Ittihad Alexandria
National team:
1985–2006: Egypt
The next player in the list of Best African Strikers in football history in our opinion is Hossam Hassan.
This innate goal scorer, who is one of the legends of Egyptian football history, coached and managed the team after retiring.
His twin brother Ibrahim also played professional football.
His honors include Egyptian Premier League (11), Egyptian Cup (4), African Cup Winners' Cup (4), African Cup of Champions Clubs (1), Arab Club Champions Cup (1), Arab Cup Winners' Cup (1), Arab Super Cup (2), and Afro-Asian Cup (1) with Al Ahly, UAE Pro League (1) with Al Ain, Egyptian Premier League (3), Egyptian Cup (1), Egyptian Super Cup (2), CAF Champions League (1), CAF Super Cup (1), UAFA Club Cup (1), and Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup (1) with Zamalek.
He also won three African Cups of Nations, one Arab Nations Cup and one All-Africa Games title with Egyptian national team.
And from the individual point of view, he was African Cup of Nations Top Scorer (1) and Egyptian Premier League Top Scorer (2).
The next player in the list of best African Strikers of all time in our opinion is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
#9 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Full name:
Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang
Date of birth:
18 June 1989 (age 31)
Place of birth:
Laval, France
Height:
1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position(s):
Striker
Current team:
Arsenal
Senior career:
A.C. Milan, Dijon (loan), Lille (loan), Monaco (loan), Saint-Étienne, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal
National team:
2009: France U21, 2012: Gabon U23, 2009–: Gabon
The next player of our list of greatest African Strikers in history of football in our opinion is Aubameyang.
He is considered to be one of the best strikers in the world, known for his pace, finishing, and off-ball movement. Aubameyang plays mainly as a striker, but has also been deployed as a wide forward.
Some of his honors are Coupe de la Ligue (1) with Saint-Étienne, DFB-Pokal (1), and DFL-Supercup (2) with Borussia Dortmund, and FA Cup (1), FA Community Shield (1), EFL Cup runner-up (1), and UEFA Europa League runner-up (1) with Arsenal.
And from the individual point of view, he was Ligue 1 Best African Player (1), Borussia Dortmund Player of the Season (1), African Footballer of the Year (1), Bundesliga Player of the Year (1), Bundesliga top scorer (1), Premier League Golden Boot (1), and Arsenal Player of the Season (1).
And finally, the last player in the list of best African Strikers of all time in our opinion is Frederic Kanouté.
#10 Frederic Kanoute
Full name:
Frédéric Oumar Kanouté
Date of birth:
2 September 1977 (age 43)
Place of birth:
Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, France
Height:
1.93 m
Playing position(s):
Striker
Senior career:
Lyon, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Sevilla, Beijing Guoan
National team:
1998–1999: France U21, 2004–2010: Mali
The last player of our list of greatest African Strikers of all time in our opinion is Frederic Kanoute. He was tall, good in the air, skilful and strong and could play up front or just behind the lead striker.
Some of his honors are UEFA Intertoto Cup (1) with Lyon, Copa del Rey (2), Supercopa de España (1), UEFA Cup (2), and UEFA Super Cup (1) with Sevilla.
And from the individual point of view, he was African Cup of Nations Top scorer (1) and African Footballer of the Year (1).
In this article we had a brief look on the greatest African Strikers of all time in our opinion. In the next articles we will review other best African soccer players in history and their honors and achievements.
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