It’s difficult to definitively rank the top African footballers of all time, as there have been many great players from the continent over the years. However, here are some of the most notable and influential:
George Weah – from Liberia, he won the Ballon d’Or in 1995 and was the first African player to win the award.
Samuel Eto’o – from Cameroon, he won the African Player of the Year award four times and scored over 300 goals in his career.
Abedi Pele – from Ghana, he won three African Player of the Year awards and was a key player for Marseille during their success in the early 1990s.
Roger Milla – from Cameroon, he was a star of the 1990 World Cup and scored four goals in the tournament.
Didier Drogba – from Ivory Coast, he is the all-time top scorer for his national team and won four Premier League titles with Chelsea.
Jay-Jay Okocha – from Nigeria, he was known for his incredible dribbling skills and was a fan favorite during his time at Bolton Wanderers.
Yaya Toure – from Ivory Coast, he won the African Player of the Year award four times and was a key player for Manchester City during their successful years.
Rashidi Yekini – from Nigeria, he is the all-time top scorer for the Nigerian national team and scored the country’s first-ever goal in a World Cup.
Mahmoud El-Khatib – from Egypt, he was a star of the 1980s and helped lead his club team, Al Ahly, to many domestic and international titles.
Rabah Madjer – from Algeria, he scored a crucial goal in the 1987 European Cup final for his team, Porto, and was a key player for Algeria during the 1982 World Cup.
Honorable mentions: Hossam Hassan (Egypt), Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria), Michael Essien (Ghana), Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia), Thomas N’Kono (Cameroon).