African football has more strength in depth than ever before and this year’s tournament is a must-watch, with the tournament previously starring some of football’s best ever players
Sunday will see the long-awaited 33 rd edition of the African Cup of Nations get underway in Cameroon.
A host of nations will have their eyes on the prize in what looks certain to be the highest-quality tournament of all-time, two-and-a-half years on from Algeria edging out Senegal in the 2019 edition.
A host of Premier League stars such as Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Edouard Mendy, Ismaila Sarr, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahred, Naby Keita, Bertrand Traore and Thomas Partey all featuring.
African football has greater talent and depth than ever, but there is no shortage of iconic names who can be counted among the best players the continent has ever produced.
With that in mind, Mirror Football ranks the best 10 African footballers of all time – excluding those who are still making their legacy.
10) Yaya Toure
Toure was capped 101 times for the Ivory Coast, helping them to the 2015 AFCON title
Crowned African Footballer of the Year four times and helping Ivory Coast to the 2015 AFCON title, having previously been twice runners-up, Toure’s place on the list is well-merited.
Won two La Liga titles at Barcelona and three Premier League titles with Manchester City, where he truly developed as a global star and was a driving force behind the club’s successes.
Toure, who began his career as a striker, later became a defensive midfielder but evolved into a box-to-box player throughout his career.
9) Nwankwo Kanu
Kanu won gold with the Super Eagles at the 1996 Olympics
Twice African Footballer of the Year Kanu stood out for his unorthodox, yet highly successful, style of play.
Standing at 1.97m with a slender frame yet notable physical strength, Kanu was an elegant footballer whose movement, on-pitch intelligence, nimble footwork and technical ability were notable.
The striker represented Nigeria at three World Cups and while he won Olympic gold in 1996, the Super Eagles continually fell just short in the AFCON.
He won the Champions League with Ajax, UEFA Cup with Inter and multiple Premier League titles with Arsenal, alongside multiple other trophies.
8) Jay-Jay Okocha
Jay-Jay Okocha starred across multiple World Cups for Nigeria, including in 1998
‘So good, they named him twice’, Okocha’s sublime technical ability and flair was eye-catching, making him one of the most gifted players of his generation.
Won the AFCON in 1994 and secured Olympic goal with the Super Eagles two years later, while he was AFCON joint top scorer and the competition’s outstanding individual in 2004.
Starring at Fenerbahce, Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton, among others, Okocha never won a league title and for a player of his ability, his trophy cabinet is surprisingly underwhelming.
Despite this, Okocha was aesthetically a joy and he made football fun with his range of outrageous tricks and daring talent – he will remain an African footballing icon.
7) Michael Essien
Essien – who missed the 2010 World Cup through injury – became one of the world’s best midfielders
Unquestionably one of the greatest African players of all time and one of the best midfielders of this century, Essien’s lack of success with Ghana prevents him from ranking higher.
His best achievements with his nation were one World Cup appearance and an AFCON runner-up in 2010, paling in contrasts to his wonderful club career.
Having broken onto the scene with a superb Lyon team, Essien thrived at Chelsea – where he won two Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Ended a glittering two-decade long club career in 2020.
6) Abedi Ayew ‘Pele’
Pele became a star for Ghana and Marseille in the early 1990s
One of the world’s greatest players in the early 90s and named after the famous Brazilian, Pele starred for Marseille.
He helped them win back-to-back Ligue 1 titles (with a third chalked from the club’s record) and to reach a Champions League final, which he later won with the club in 1993.
Pele won the AFCON with Ghana in 1982 and a decade later was named player of the tournament as the Black Stars lost in the final to the Ivory Coast.
Named in the top three Africans of all time by IFFHS and a three-time African Player of the Year winning, he unfortunately never had the chance to showcase his skills in a World Cup with Ghana.
His sons, Ibrahim, Andre and Jordan, have also become internationals for Ghana
5) Essam El-Hadary
El-Hadary played in the 2018 World Cup for Egypt aged 45, after four AFCON titles
El-Hadary was a four-time AFCON-winner with Egypt – more than any other player in the competition’s history.
Capped 159 times by his nation, the decorated goalkeeper only played one season in Europe – with Swiss club Sion.
He kept three clean sheets in AFCON finals and was described by Didier Drogba as his toughest ever opponent.
He won a league title in Sudan with Al-Merreikh but in Egypt he was supreme, winning the league with Al Ahly a remarkable eight times.
At the age of 45, he played in the 2018 World Cup – the tournament’s oldest ever player.
4) Didier Drogba
Drogba never won an international title with Ivory Coast – retiring from the team a year before their 2015 AFCON
A player who needs no introduction, Drogba’s achievements at club level eclipsed those for the Ivory Coast – the African nation who in the 2000s have promised so much but delivered so little (prior to their 2015 AFCON crown, which Drogba missed out on).
Drogba won 17 trophies across his stints with Chelsea – including the 2012 Champions League title – and Galatasaray, but never tasted success with Les Éléphants.
That means he just misses out on a top three spot here, despite twice winning the African Player of the Year award and is even credited with helping end a civil war in his homeland.
3) Samuel Eto’o
Eto’o became one of football’s most prolific strikers and enjoyed multiple successes with Cameroon
The four-time African Player of the Year is the most successful African player to star at the top level of European football.
Eto’o has won three Champions Leagues with Barcelona and Inter, while he was named Man of the Match as Barca defeated Arsenal in the 2006 decider.
The Cameroon striker also enjoyed stints at Real Mallorca, Chelsea, Everton and Sampdoria, among others, in a glittering career – which encompassed over 400 professional goals.
Eto’o won two AFCON tournaments and is the top scorer in the tournament’s history while also scooping Olympic gold and representing the Indomitable Lions in three World Cups.
2) Roger Milla
Veteran striker Roger Milla was the star for the Cameroon side who were the story of the 1990 World Cup
Perhaps the most iconic African player of all time, Milla spearheaded the breakthrough Cameroon team at the 1990 World Cup.
He helped Cameroon become the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals at the grand old age of 38, netting four goals and his dance around the corner flag celebration after scoring was well-known.
Twice African Footballer of the Year Milla also netted at the 1994 World Cup, against Russia, meaning that – aged 42 – he is the oldest ever player to score in the competition.
In 2007, the Confederation of African Football named Milla the best African player of the previous 50 years.
His club career was less prolific – he did net over 400 goals and played for several Ligue 1 sides, but never netted more than 13 goals in a single campaign in the top-flight.
Despite coming to a wider audience in the 1990s, Milla’s peak decade was the 1980s – helping The Indomitable Lions to the 1984 and 1988 AFCON titles.
1) George Weah
George Weah won multiple Serie A titles with Milan and has since become the president of Liberia
Named African Footballer of the Year three times, Weah’s prominence in the 1990s led him to be nicknamed “King George” and being recognised as the greatest African player of the 20 th century.
In 1995, Weah became the first and so far only African player to win the Ballon d’Or to add to his European Footballer of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year crowns for that year.
Most famed for his stint with Milan – where he spearheaded the Rossoneri to two Serie A titles – he also won six trophies across his spells with Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain, while also winning the FA Cup with Chelsea.
From the relatively tiny nation of Liberia – population 5million – Weah never tasted success at international level but his influence on African football was profound.
Known for his acceleration, speed, and dribbling ability, along with his goal scoring talent – Weah was one of the 1990s greatest players.
“King George” is currently the president of Liberia having moved into politics.
