Best African Players of All Time

From Europe to Asia and then the highly rated English Premier League, these stars have at different times shown how much skills can come from Africa. Looking at their numbers, it should be dicey to make a list of their very best.

But No, we have followed these players throughout their individual on-field achievements and can tell you for a fact, the very best among them.

I mean, here’s the list of Best African players of all time in descending order and everything they achieved during their playtime.

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List of Players

10. Rabah Madjer (Algeria)

A lot of us were not even born when Rabah Madjer was inking his name in the hall of fame. The Algerian football legend is widely considered the best Algerian footballer ever, even named the greatest of the last century in his home country.

Madjer went on to become a hero for FC Porto in Portugal. His incredible goal in the 1987 European Cup final was a major reason they won the trophy.

This achievement came just a few years after he helped Algeria reach their first-ever World Cup finals in 1982. Throughout his career, Madjer racked up an impressive nine major titles with Porto and even scored over 150 goals.

9. Seydou Keita (Mali)

Seydou Keita happens to be the one of the greatest player who functioned as both a central and defensive midfielder.

His achievements at the club level are simply unbelievable, the best any African midfielder has ever done. Making the first 11 in Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona is proof of his excellence.

A team that was considered the greatest football team at the time, and during his time there, he stacked up trophies like;

• 3 La Liga titles (Spanish League championship)
• 2 Copa del Rey titles (Spanish Cup)
• 3 Supercopa de España titles (Spanish Super Cup)
• 2 Champions League titles (Europe’s biggest club competition)
• 2 UEFA Super Cup titles (Champions League winner vs. Europa League winner)
• 2 Club World Cup titles (best club team in the world)

And that’s not even all, he also won titles with other clubs like Lorient and Sevilla. Plus, netting about 78 goals, which is pretty impressive for someone playing in the midfield.

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8. Essam El-hadary (Egypt)

Essam El-Hadary of Egypt finds himself in the 8th spot on our list of famous African Football Players of All Time, even as a goalkeeper.

While he is one of the best goalies of African descent, his National Team achievements across 22 years in soccer speak volumes. He holds the record for most wins in this tournament, an impressive four times with the Egyptian national team.

His skills were recognized three times as he was named part of the best team for the African Cup of Nations, not to mention that he prevented the opposing team from scoring a single goal in 3 different AFCON finals. His skills were not limited to AFCON, he won eight league titles with clubs like Al-Merreikh and Al-Ahly.

7. Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria)

Here’s the man with the magic moves, he is favorably called “Jay-Jay” because his skills are so unbelievable. Augustine Okocha is a legend in African football, a midfielder who could weave through an entire team like they weren’t even there.

Throughout his career, he was a key player for every club he suited up for. Talking about the trophies he won, he helped Nigeria win the African Cup of Nations and even brought home the Olympic Gold medal.

On top of that, he stacked up individual awards, including being named BBC African Player of the Year for 2 good times.

Okocha was known for his incredible footwork. Defenders simply couldn’t tackle him because he would leave them in the dust with his fancy moves.

And he wasn’t just a showman, scoring amazing goals from long range and putting dangerous free kicks on target was his fantasy.

6. Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)

Nicknamed “Papilo,” Kanu is not just a legend in Nigeria, but also a beloved figure at clubs like Arsenal, Ajax, and Portsmouth.

Kanu’s talent kicked off well on time, and he was instrumental in Nigeria’s victory at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship, even finishing as the tournament’s second-highest scorer. This success was the beginning of his remarkable professional career.

Throughout his career, Kanu collected a number of titles like winning the UEFA Champions League with Ajax. He also lifted the UEFA Cup, adding another European trophy to his collection.

In England, Kanu tasted Premier League glory and the FA Cup three times, solidifying himself as a legend in the hearts of English fans.

His time at Ajax wasn’t short of domestic success either, he also secured three Eredivisie titles in the Netherlands, as well as being named the African Player of the Year title twice.

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5. Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)

Yaya Touré is a name that needs no introduction, widely regarded as Africa’s greatest-ever midfielder, Touré’s trophy cabinet is overflowing with silverware.

His time at Barcelona was phenomenal. He played a key role in their success, helping them win everything there was to win.

Then, he moved to Manchester City and became a crucial piece of the puzzle that brought them their long-awaited Premier League title.

He holds the record for the most African Player of the Year awards, with a remarkable four times wins under his belt. Yaya Touré is a true legend of the game, and his impact on African football is undeniable.

4. Roger Milla (Cameroon)

Here’s the legend many consider the greatest African footballer ever, and it’s hard to disagree. The Cameroonian striker was a force to be reckoned with. Throughout his career, Milla netted as many as 438 goals in 794 matches.

Milla was a two-time African Player of the Year and helped Cameroon win the African Cup of Nations twice. He even made his way onto the World Cup, where he was the third-highest goalscorer of the tournament. That’s not even all, Milla defied the odds and even became the oldest player ever to appear in a World Cup at 42.

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3. Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)

On the third spot of our list comes the Chelsea Legend and Ivorian Hero Didier Drogba. The man wasn’t just any striker, he was a predator in the penalty box, striking fear into defenders across the Premier League.

Many consider him one of the greatest strikers the league has ever seen, and there’s no doubt he’s a true Chelsea legend.

His dominance on the pitch was undeniable, such that he was named African Footballer of the Year twice. Over his career span, the man gathered a number of trophies including:

• 4 Premier League titles
• 4 FA Cups
• 3 English League Cups
• 2 Community Shields
• The UEFA Champions League trophy (one of the most prestigious trophies in club football)

Drogba also proved himself as a top scorer, claiming the Premier League Golden Boot award once and was part of the team named the Premier League Team of the Year twice.

In total, he found the back of the net over 300 times throughout his professional career, a truly remarkable achievement.

2. George Weah (Liberia)

Meet George Weah, a true legend in African football who went on to become the President of his country, Liberia. He not only won the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 1995 but also bagged the African Player of the Year title three times.

Weah kicked off his remarkable journey by helping PSG secure the League title in 1994 and then went on to conquer Serie A not once, but twice, with AC Milan.

Talking about numbers, Weah netted over 200 goals throughout his professional career, I mean that figure showcases his skill and prowess on the field.

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1. Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

It is right to call Eto’o the king of African football. No other African footballer even comes close to his achievements, one of which is that he holds the record for winning the African Player of the Year award 4 times.

Eto’o started his reign by winning Olympic Gold with the Indomitable Lion in 2000 and then helped his team secure the African Cup of Nations title twice.

Not to mention that he later became one of the top scorers at Barcelona, where he netted an incredible 130 goals. It was there that he achieved greatness, being part of the historic treble-winning team in the 2008-2009 season (winning La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League).

Eto’o’s trophy cabinet doesn’t stop there. He’s one of the very few players to win the Champions League with two different clubs.

He scored in both finals for Barcelona and then went on to win it again with Inter Milan in 2010, under the watchful eyes of José Mourinho.

His talent was recognized worldwide. He was selected for both the UEFA Team of the Year and wasn’t far off from the biggest individual prize either, coming third in the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year award.

With a trophy collection like his and having played for some of the best clubs in the world, there’s no doubt Samuel Eto’o deserves the title of the greatest African footballer of all time.