Best African Football Players of All Time
Here is a look at the best African footballers players of all time.
We're soccer fans! Who doesn't adore it in Africa? Several world-class soccer players from the continent have recently showcased their skills on various football fields for the world to witness. If we start referring to great soccer players by their nicknames, time could run out on us. Nonetheless, among the countless soccer players we might name, there are Africans who have captured our hearts with their talent. As a result, we have compiled a list of the most notable African footballers.
No one can dispute the fact that there are and have been a number of names from African soil that have played the fantastic game of soccer, despite the majority of the attention being on the gigantic European superstars.
In the game, we have seen a ton of excellent football players, mostly from Europe, but Africa has also produced some true superstars.
Footballers from the past 100 years have been on our minds, both those who represented African nations and those who represented Europe. Considering each football player's individual accomplishments in the context of their football career, We chose to look at the best African footballers in history.
Best African footballers of All Time
Here is a look at the best African footballers of all time.
Samuel Eto'o
Name in home country:
Samuel Eto'o Fils
Date of birth:
Mar 10,1981
Place of birth:
Douala Cameroon
Height:
1,80 m
Citizenship:
Cameroon
Position:
Forward - Centre-Forward
Foot:
both
Samuel Eto'o in every case made us feel good each time we saw him. Eto'o was an astonishing soccer player when he was playing. The player won the most
Champions leagueand has turned into the wealthiest African footballer. He was outstandingly prolific as a goal machine.
Without a doubt about best African footballers, no soccer player from the continent can stand being more noteworthy than Cameroon all time legend Samuel Eto'o. Along with Yaya Toure, Eto'o has won 4 African Player of the Year prize.
Eto'o was a member of the teams that won the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, and was a gold medal winnner at the 2000 Summer Olympics preceding helping Cameroon seal the
AFCONtitle on two different competitions. He netted 130 goals for the Catalans where he won the treble in 2008-2009 campaign.
Eto'o lifted two UCL trophies for Barcelona netting goals in both finals. The Cameroon international additionally won
FIFA Club World Cupand the UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan under Jose Mourinho in 2010.
The player made both FIFA and UEFA Teams of the Year two times and was third in the 2005 version of FIFA World's greatest player prize. Eto'o has a huge amount of individual honors to his name and played for an extraordinary number of great clubs. Four-time African Footballer of the Year displayed unbelievable consistency that was unparalleled.
All in all Eto'o won two Cup of Nations, Olympic gold and played for Indomitable Lions in 3 World Cups.
He has likewise made great victories to the national side's African matches, being the best goal scorer in both the 2006 and 2008 competitions.
Eto'o remains Cameroon's unsurpassed goal scorer, one of the best African footballers, and is the greatest scorer in Cup of Nations ever.
Another unmatched accomplishment among African footballers is that Eto'o has won 3 UCL with Barcelona and Inter Milan.
His record of Four league titles in two unique nations is just bettered by Samuel Kuffour.
George Weah
Name in home country:
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah
Date of birth:
Oct 1, 1966
Place of birth:
Monrovia Liberia
Height:
1,85 m
Citizenship:
Liberia
Position:
Forward - Centre-Forward
Foot:
both
George Weah was known for his amazing solo goal at the beginning of the 1996-97
Serie Acampaign against Verona. He might not have won the UEFA Champions League however in 1996 he won the African Player of the Century. He didn't quit being well known as a soccer player, he gave his hands a shot legislative issues when he challenged for the leader of Liberia yet didn't make it.
The player is the only African soccer player to win the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in the wake of ensuring about both in 1995. Weah additionally lifted African Player of the Year award thrice. In 1994, Ballon d'Or winner assisted
PSGwin the League title preceding winning two Serie A trophies with AC Milan where he had his best part of football career. George Weah netted more than 200 goals in his football career, making him one of the
best African footballers
of all time. The player is a national legend and is currently the President of his country Liberia.
Weah won the IFFHS crown as the best African player of the twentieth century, his great skills stays unrivaled. One-time BBC Footballer of the Year award and one of the best African footballers ever was additionally named in the FIFA 100.
However, the small height of Liberia implied that his 60 national matches never prompted any accomplishment with the Lone Stars. Zero AFCON trophies, zero World Cup games. Not at all like a few players hailing from little nations, Weah was faithful to Liberia, over and again coming back to the West African nation. He put specific spotlight on education and sexual wellbeing as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1997. Locally he is known as Lord George. Anyways it's difficult to deny that this influences the player's career and his honors.
So also, for such an intelligent, fantastic footballer, Weah's victories at club level were maybe not what you would anticipate. He never figured out how to make an interpretation of his domestic form to the European field, showing up in Lombardy after the team had made the most of their great time of the mid 90s.
Didier Drogba
Name in home country:
Didier Yves Drogba Tebily
Date of birth:
Mar 11, 1978
Place of birth:
Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire
Height:
1,89 m
Citizenship:
Cote d'Ivoire
Position:
Forward - Centre-Forward
Foot:
both
Didier Drogba is on every list of the
best African footballers
. He won the UEFA Champions League and had that mindset of a player who can't be vanquished. Drogba has turned into one of the soccer players the one Africans admire in motivating them to be successful.
Drogba was a goal machine in the box. One of PL's most noteworthy forwards of all time and certainly a Chelsea Legend. He was named African Player of the Year two times and made top three eight times. Didier Drogba scored more than 300 goals in his football career lifting 4
PLtrophies, 4 FA Cup, 3 English League Cups, 2
Community Shieldsand one UEFA Champions League trophy in 2012. The player won the PL golden boot and made the Premier League team of the year.
His individual achievements show Drogba's consistency at the supreme form of the game and his remaining inside the sport. A superb eight times he has been in the best 3 African players of the year, winning the honor twice.
In spite of playing at two World Cups with Cote d'Ivoire, Drogba was not able to win a continental trophy regardless of coming close on various events.
Having been one of the magic strikers of Chelsea, Drogba is one of the best Africans in the European football ever. Surely no Ivorian has accomplished more.
Sir Alex Ferguson declared that the player won UEFA Champions League single-handedly. He was voted the Blues' best footballer in 2012 as a testament to his desired place on the list of the best African footballers ever.
Drogba's best accomplishment was doubtlessly winning the 2012 Champions League, when his thoroughly single-minded performance against
Bayern Munichpractically helped them win the title for the first time.
Roger Milla
Name in home country:
Albert Roger Mooh Milla
Date of birth:
May 20, 1952
Place of birth:
Yaounde Cameroon
Height:
1,76 m
Citizenship:
Cameroon
Position:
Forward - Centre-Forward
Foot:
right
Roger Milla turned into a famous player as the oldest soccer player to appear in a World Cup while he was 42 years old and was believed to have netted 405 goals as one of the
best African soccer players
. Many believe that he's the best African player of all time and that is a controversial topic.
Roger Milla scored 438 goals in 794 games in his football career. He won the African Player of the Year prize twice and furthermore won the Nation's cup twice for Cameroon. The player made World Cup XI team and was third best goalscorer in 1990. Milla turned into the most seasoned player ever to play in a World Cup last game in 1994.
Milla was recognized by IFFHS as the second-best African player of the most recent 100 years. Some hail him because of his consistency, however he is one of only a handful Africans to make a significant and distinctive effect at a World Cup whose honors can back up his reputation. Milla made the FIFA 100 and identified by CAF as the African Player of the Century.
The legend played for Cameroon at 3 World Cups and won the Cup of Nations. He was top scorer at the competition twice and was likewise Player of the Tournament in 1986. No footballer can stand to have ruled the continent's soccer during the 80s like Roger Milla.
He switched between various clubs in
Franceand Cameroon with some amazing netting records. Roger Milla won some titles including a couple of French Cups, however never won a major league. Be that as it may, notwithstanding his life-changing commitments to the World Cup, his practically unrivaled life span, and his great goal scoring records, he doesn't exactly have the titles equal to his scoring record. A couple of French Cups aren't sufficient to see him the best
Abedi Pele
Full name:
Abedi Ayew
Date of birth:
Nov 5, 1964
Place of birth:
Oko Ghana
Height:
1.77 m
Citizenship:
Ghana
Position:
Midfielder - Attacking Midfield
Foot:
right
Abedi Pele is without a doubt one of the
best African players of all time
. He was so great in his days that he won many titles for his club. These days, the player's two children are playing football differently.
An amazing international superstar of the mid-'90s, Pele is a thrice African Footballer of the Year and a one-time BBC African Player of the Year.
Named in the best 3 Africans ever by IFFHS and recognized by his namesake, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, as one of the best 125 footballers to have at any point lived.
Sadly, he never figured out how to play at a World Cup, yet in 1982 he won the Cup of Nations with Ghana. After 10 years he was player of the competition as the
Black Starslost in the last step to Cote d'Ivoire.
Abedi Pele made his name in southern France with Marseille.
A European Cup finalist loser in 1991, he came back two years after the fact to win OM's Champions League to date. Three times was a
Ligue 1champion at the Velodrome, in spite of the fact that at any rate the remainder of these titles will always be discolored.
Nwankwo Kanu
Name in home country:
Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu
Date of birth:
Aug 1, 1976
Place of birth:
Owerri Nigeria
Height:
1,97 m
Citizenship:
Nigeria
Position:
Forward - Centre-Forward
Foot:
right
At the point when Kanu had a heart medical procedure as a footballer, Some believed that it is over for the striker. He returned and get probably the best forward ever in Africa. Kanu is tall and slender however scoring goals were never an issue. He realizes how to defeat goalkeepers when he attacks.
A true legend! The striker won nearly everything and is one of only a handful few footballers to have won the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Olympic Gold award, UEFA Cup and FA Cup. Kanu likewise won the Eredivisie at Ajax three times and was named African Player of the year twice. The player is the best Nigerian player ever and a true legend for Arsenal and
Ajax.
Twice African Footballer of the Year earned approvals across Europe for his improvement, his one of a kind style and his unpredictable, yet astounding, football abilities.
Twice BBC Footballer of the Year is the only footballer on this rundown to have won Olympic gold yet not the Cup of Nations. Consistent disappointment with Nigeria on the continental field is, irrefutably, a dark blemish on Kanu's career.
In any case, he spoke played for Nigeria at 3 World Cups. The Nigerian netted 25 goals in 52 matches for Ajax, making sure about a Champions League award all the while. Kanu lifted the Premier League twice in the midst of a large group of different awards.
One of a handful few footballers to have won the Olympic gold, UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, the Premier League, and the
UEFA Cup, he likewise went through relegation with Portsmouth toward the finish of his football.
Yaya Toure
Name in home country:
Gnegneri Yaya Toure
Date of birth:
May 13, 1983
Place of birth:
Sekoura Bouake Cote d'Ivoire
Height:
1,88 m
Citizenship:
Cote d'Ivoire
Position:
Midfielder - Central Midfield
Foot:
right
Yaya Toure might be known as the greatest midfielder in Africa ever. He has played for some well-known clubs far and wide and won any possible awards. At the point when you are thinking about an astonishing footballer, you can't overlook Yaya Toure.
The Midfielder could be brilliant in anyplace in the field, this was the reason he had a fruitful period at the top level. He's simply the greatest midfielder Africa at any point produced. Toure won totally everything there is to win while at Barcelona, at that point joined
Man Citywhere he assumed a key role in providing them with the League trophy. His quality, vision, and attacking skills are unparalleled. Yaya
is the footballer with the most African Player of the Year prize with 4 awards to his name. A true legend. After leaving Barcelona the strong midfielder improved his game a great deal in the wake of landing
Englandwith Manchester City. Yaya Toure was one of the greatest stars of Cote d'Ivoire's Golden Generation.
Yaya Toure was named African Footballer of the Year twice in 2011 and 2012. He was additionally named in the PFA Premier League team of the Year in 2012.
In spite of rising as probably the best midfielder ever to be found on the African nations, similar to his teammates he has endured an entire arrangement of Cup of Nations defeats.
He has played for the Elephants at three World Cups.
Jay-Jay Okocha
Name in home country:
Augustine Azuka Okocha
Date of birth:
Aug 14, 1973
Place of birth:
Enugu Nigeria
Height:
1.73 m
Citizenship:
Nigeria
Position:
Midfielder - Attacking Midfield
Foot:
both
Jay-Jay Okocha was a machine in the football field. He was so astonishing in dribbling that it was hard to realize on the off chance that he was a Nigerian or a Brazilian. It was hard to foresee his proceeds onward the pitch and didn't quit entertaining his huge number of fans the world over.
With regards to unadulterated ability and trickery, nobody approaches Okocha. The Nigerian could dribble a whole side and was a first team player in all clubs he played for. He won the
African Cup of Nationsand Olympic Gold with his country and had various individual honors involving two BBC African Player of the Year honors.
His wonderful specialized skilss and style was identified by the BBC to won their African Footballer of the Year honor. Okocha is one of just two footballers to be recognized more than once.
He never won the CAF prize, however was runner-up twice. Jay Jay was listed as one of the 125 biggest footballers of all time by Pele.
Jay Jay won Olympic gold as a member of the skilled Nigerian team of the mid 90s and the African trophy in 1994. He exceeded expectations at the 2004 version of the competition too, where he was the best goal scorer and the tournament's extraordinary player.
He played for Nigeria thrice at World Cups. The honors are shockingly insufficient for a player of Okocha's remarkable talent. He settled at Bolton which was not exactly fitting a star of his level in the wake of 10 years wandering different European leagues.
Okocha won a couple of cups from those Eyropean leagues, however always lost a championship trophy. Defenders will state that Okocha was just excessively stylish, too delightful a player to really assume a job at the first class football.
Michael Essien
Name in home country:
Michael Kojo Essien
Date of birth:
Dec 3, 1982
Place of birth:
Accra Ghana
Height:
1,78 m
Citizenship:
Ghana
Position:
Midfielder - Defensive Midfield
Foot:
right
Michael Essien made his name as member of an amazing
Lyonside ahead of joining Chelsea in 2005. BBC African Player of the Year has been 3rd on the scene for the CAF prize multiple times with 4 and one runner-up record.
International honors are without a doubt a place to remind disappointment for the player. A mixure of hardship and injury has implied that he has not had the option to manage this energizing generation Ghana as he clearly would have trusted. He has accomplished little significant with Ghana.
He played for Ghana at World Cup once. However, these is a huge difference with his club level records, which has been practically undiluted greatness.
A most loved of Jose Mourinho, whom he alludes to as Daddy, both men have shared a lot of their triumphs. The player has won one UEFA Champions League trophy, 4 major titles and lots of of domestic championships.
Sammy Kuffour
Name in home country:
Samuel Osei Kuffour
Date of birth:
Sep 3, 1976
Place of birth:
Kumasi Ghana
Height:
1.78 m
Citizenship:
Ghana
Position:
Defender - Centre-Back
A great Center-back who was regarded among the best defenders in Europe last decade was double runner-up in the African Player of the Year prize and a one BBC African Footballer of the Year winner.
Sammy Kuffour played for Ghana at the 2006 World Cup, yet came 10 years soon to genuinely appreciate the country's golden generation at the international level.
He delighted in an immensely fruitful 12 years at Bayern Munchen. Kuffour won 4 German championships and 6 domestic league trophies.
Sammy is well known for his dramatic displays of grief following the 1999 Champions League loss against
Man United. However, he compensated for this with triumph over Valencia two years after the fact.
Kuffour is one of just 3 Ghanaians to lift the world's premier domestic club trounament.
Rabah Madjer
Name in home country:
Rabah Mustapha Madjer
Date of birth:
Dec 15, 1958
Place of birth:
Hussein Dey Algeria
Height:
1,79 m
Citizenship:
Algeria
Position:
Forward - Centre-Forward
Broadly viewed as one of the best Algerian soccer players ever and was named one of the greatest Africans of the last century. Madjer is a true legend for Portuguese giant
FC Portoas his amazing goal was vital in the 1987 European Cup final game which he assisted his team to win. This was in the wake of helping Algeria arrive at their first historically speaking World Cup finals in 1982.
Rabah Madjer won nine major trophies with FC Porto and netted in excess of 150 goals. In 1990, Rabah Madjer was the player of the competition as Algeria won the Cup of Nations, identified as the African footballer of the year in 1987, and was named Algerian player of the twentieth century.
In 1990, The player won the African trophy with Algeria. He likewise player for the Desert Lions in two back to back World Cups. He gained extraordinary accomplishments in
Portugal, playing the key figure role for the Porto team that won the European Cup in 1987. This is the feature in the midst of plenty of domestic and other European titles.
Essam El-Hadary
Name in home country:
Essam Kamal Tawfiq El Hadary
Date of birth:
Jan 15, 1973
Place of birth:
Damietta Egypt
Height:
1,88 m
Citizenship:
Egypt
Position:
Goalkeeper
Foot:
right
We have only two goalkeepers in this article and Essam El-Hadary is certainly the best African goalkeeper of all time. He won the African Cup of Nations 4 times, no footballer has more. He was named the side of the competition thrice and kept a clean sheet in 3 AFCON finals. El-Hadary lifted 8 League trophies with Al-Merreikh and
Al-Ahly. Hessam El-Hadary represented 22 years for the
Egyptnational side.
The goalkeeper was once called by Didier Drogba to be his hardest rival ever. The legend is underrated without a doubt. Not many of Egypt's Golden Generation had their influence more than El-Hadary. Three times El-Hadary made the team of the competition, and more than 3 Cup of Nations finals, without a goal!
He won an extraordinary record of 4 African Champions League titles and a large group of different trophies from the continent.
Hossam Hassan
Name in home country:
Hossam Hassan Hussein
Date of birth:
Aug 10, 1966
Place of birth:
Helwan Egypt
Height:
1,78 m
Citizenship:
Egypt
Position:
Forward - Centre-Forward
Foot:
right
One of numerous Egyptians to play for the most part abroad, Hassan's legacy is based upon his acomplishments with Al-Ahly and the Pharaohs national team.
Hassan may not be regarded equal to a portion of different players in this list because of his losses at North Africa, however he is a forward who should demand global consideration. The astonishing scorer was crucial in 3 of the Pharaohs's AFCON championships and furthermore went to the 1990 World Cup with Egypt.
With 68 goals in 176 matches Hossam Hassan is the North Africa's best goal scorer ever. In 1998, he was the top scorer the Cup of Nations where he netted 7 goals. His amazing records at club level resulted in lifting plenty of cups and honors with African Club of the Century, Al-Ahly. Hassan won 13 league trophies, 5 Egyptian championships, and one African Champions League title shows everything.
The player likewise won a second continental trophy in the wake of showing up at
Zamalekafter leaving Al-Ahly.
Thomas N'Kono
Date of birth:
Jul 20, 1955
Place of birth:
Dizangue Cameroon
Height:
1,83 m
Citizenship:
Cameroon
Position:
Goalkeeper
In this article N'Kono is positioned as Africa's second-greatest goalkeeper behind El-Hadary. In the wake of making the podium two times finally he was named African Footballer of the Year twice.
First team player at two World Cups for Cameroon, the team were undefeated and conceded a single goal in 1982.
N'Kono likewise won Africa's top award with the unbeaten Lions in 1984, in spite of the fact that Bell drove that side as N'Kono left for his club side. He played for Espanyol for almost 10 years and made significant progress with
Yaounde club Canon. He won lots of domestic trophies and some continental club titles with Kpa-Kum.
Ahmed Hassan
Full name:
Ahmed Hassan Kamel Hussein
Date of birth:
May 2, 1975
Place of birth:
Maghagha Egypt
Height:
1,77 m
Citizenship:
Egypt
Position:
Midfielder - Attacking Midfield
Foot:
right
One of the greatest African playmakers of his time, Hassan was a flank midfielder prior to move in the center of the pitch to lead the game. The player was the AFCON player of the competition twice in 2006 and 2010. Ahmed He just similar to his compatriots suffered failure to meet all requirements to qualify for the World Cup.
He won Cup of Nations four-time with Egypt and remains the world's
fourth most-capped footballer of all time
.
His 184 appearances for Egypt is probably not going to be bested at any point in the near future. Hassan played for Al-Ahly only for 3 years and did not lifted more domestic titles like other Africans in the list. However playing in Belgium and Turkey delivered further trophies and set Hassan separated from other Egyptian footballers who struggled abroad.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Name in home country
: Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang
Date of birth
: Jun 18, 1989
Place of birth
: Laval France
Height
: 1,86 m
Position
: Attack - Centre-Forward
Foot
: Right
As of 2023, Aubameyang plays as a striker for Chelsea. He is noted for his off-the-ball movement, speed, and goal-scoring skills. He was a former Gabonese international and the nation's all-time leading scorer.
After beginning his senior club career with AC Milan, Pierre-Emerick played for Saint-Étienne, where he won the Coupe de la Ligue, before moving on to Borussia Dortmund in 2013, where he went on to become the seventh-highest goalscoring player in the history of the club. As of 2018, Aubameyang was the most expensive Gabonese footballer ever after moving to Arsenal for £56 million (€60 million).
Aubameyang has scored the most goals for Gabon overall and has competed in four editions of the Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics. Aubameyang received the African Footballer of the Year award in 2015.
Riyad Mahrez
Date of birth
: Feb 21, 1991
Place of birth
: Sarcelles France
Height
: 1,79 m
Position
: Attack - Right Winger
Foot
: Left
Riyad Mahrez is currently the Algeria national team captain and a winger for Manchester City. Mahrez began his career as a professional in 2009 with Quimper, then in January 2014, he joined English club Leicester City. In his debut season, he helped Leicester City win second tier of English league football known as championship.
He was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year after winning the Premier League title with Leicester City. He received the African Footballer of the Year award in 2016.
Sadio Mane
Date of birth
: Apr 10, 1992
Place of birth
: Bambaly Senegal
Height
: 1,74 m
Position
: Attack - Left Winger
Foot
: Right
Both the Senegal national team and Bayern Munich use Sadio Mané as a striker. He is renowned for his strength, agility, and pace. He is recognized as one of the finest players in the world and among the top African players of all time. In a 6-1 victory over Aston Villa in 2015, he there created a new Premier League record for the quickest hat-trick, scoring all three goals in 176 seconds.
Joining Liverpool in 2016, he assisted the team in getting to back-to-back UEFA Champions League Finals in 2018 and 2019. In addition, he tied for the league's top scorer spot in 2018–19, earning the Premier League Golden Boot.
Mane was a member of the Liverpool squad in winning the 2019–20 Premier League, ending their 30-year Premier League title gap. He became the third African to achieve the 100-goal mark in the Premier League in October 2021. In the 2019 and 2022 Ballon d'Or events, Mané placed fourth and second. Since making his debut for Senegal in 2012, Mané has scored 34 goals in 93 games.
He received his second African Player of the Year award in 2022 to have an spot on our
list of African best players of all time
Mohamed Salah
Full name
: Mohamed Salah Hamed Ghaly
Date of birth
: Jun 15, 1992
Place of birth
: Nagrig, Basyoun Egypt
Height
: 1,75 m
Position
: Attack - Right Winger
Foot
: Left
Mo Salah is regarded as one of the finest players in the world and among the
top African soccer players
of all time. Salah joined Liverpool in 2017 and broke the record for the most Premier League goals scored with 32 the same year.
The club's victories in the Champions League and Premier League the next two seasons were made possible in large part by Salah. In 2018 and 2021, Salah also placed third for the Best FIFA Men's Player award.
For scoring the game-winning goal in the first Merseyside derby of the 2017–18 campaign, he was given the 2018 FIFA Puskás Award. In 2017 and 2018, Salah received the CAF African Footballer of the Year award.
Who did we miss? Is there a player that you feel should have made this rundown? Tell us in the comment section below.
READ MORE:
تاک:
DISCLAIMER! Sportmob does not claim ownership of any of the pictures posted on this website. Again, we do not host pictures or videos ourselves. Our authors merely link to the rightful owner. Lastly, Sportmob have carefully considered and reviewed all of its content. Despite that, it is possible that some information might be out-dated or incomplete.