Football is a sport majorly dominated by European players as the game it originated from Europe but other parts of the world, especially Africa has contributed greatly to the growth of this loved sport and over the centuries, the African continent has gifted the world of football great and iconic players who have showed their prowess and done great magic, not only for their clubs but their countries as well. We know Africa is filled with unmeasurable talents and we bring to you today, some of Africa's greatest footballers who have inspired not only their countrymen but millions from around the world;
i. Abedi Ayew ‘Pele’ (Ghana)
When it comes to great African footballers, the name of Abedi Ayew cannot be left out. Nicknamed “Abedi Pele”, Abedi was a midfielder and with his great football skills, he led the Black Stars of Ghana in 1982 to win the African Cup of Nations Cup (AFCON). A decade later, he was announced as the “Player of The Tournament” but the Black Stars lost the finals of the AFCON penalties to Cote D'Ivoire. He was signed to Marseille and won the Ligue 1 title for three consecutive years, from 1991 to 1993 (but the last title was retracted due to a scandal. Abedi Ayew also played against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League Final in 1993 and won. He was declared the “Man of The Match” and also won the “African Footballer of The Year” thrice.
ii. Didier Drogba (Cote D'Ivoire)
Ivorian striker, Didier Drogba was part of Chelsea's Golden generation which had players like Frank Lampard, Peter Cech John Terry, and many others on the team. The Golden generation made history at the UEFA Champions League which was hosted in Munich in 2012 with Drobga levelling the game with a header and scoring a penalty later which won the Chelsea it's first Champion's League Title. At Chelsea, Drobga won four Premier League titles and was the highest goalscorer in the 2006/07 and 2009/10 Premier League seasons. He was awarded with the “African Footballer of The Year” title twice and even though he did not win any international titles with Ivory Coast, he is the most decorated African footballer of all time.
iii. Essam El-Hadary (Egypt)
El-Hadary was an Egyptian goalkeeper who was popularly known as “The High Dam” and he is certainly one of Egypt's most decorated footballer and one of Africa's greatest footballers of all time. He made his debut for the Egyptian Pharaohs in 1996 when he won four African Cup of Nations titles with them, and three of these trophies coming in three consecutive times (2006, 2008, and 2010). He became the oldest player to play in the FIFA World Cup match at the age of forty-five at it's 2018 edition in Russia, with the match played against Saudi Arabia. He won the Egyptian league eight times with Al Ahly and also won the league title in Sudan with Al-Merreikh.
iv. Yaya Toure (Cote D'Ivoire)
The Ivorian midfielder, nicknamed “The Tall Introvert” tasted success at both national and club teams. He led the Ivory Coast in winning the 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Cup and also won the league titles with clubs like FC Barcelona and Manchester City. At Barcelona, he won the UEFA Champions League title. Yaya Toure has also won the African Footballer of the Year four times. He is known for his strength, vision and goal-scoring instincts. In the 2013 to 2014, he scored twenty league goals for Manchester City which is a great feat for a defensive midfielder.
v. Roger Milla (Cameroon)
Roger Milla is recognized as the second greatest African player in the last hundred years by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). He has made great contributions in making history with Cameroon and assisted them in reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 1990, making them the first African team to play in that round. He scored against Russia at the age of forty-two (42), making him the oldest goal scorer at the World Cup. The striker also won The African Footballer of the Year award twice and led Cameroon to two AFCON titles in 1984 and 1988.
vi. Sadio Mane (Senegal)
Sadio Mane came into recognition after moving from FC Metz and joining RB Salzburg. His great football skills attracted Southampton, who signed him for ten million pounds (£10m). He was later signed by Jugen Klopp to Anfield and be continued putting his skills to great use. He won the UEFA Champions League with Merseyside club in 2019 and shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Senegalese winger aided in ending Liverpool's 30-year wait for the Premier League title as well and is part of the Senegal team that won the 2022 AFCON. He is the most decorated African footballer of all time as well.
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