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| African players who made a mark in European football and winning the Uefa Champions League. |
Check out the list of top 5 African footballers to win the European pretigious club trophy in style. Nnwako Kanu, Sulley Muntari, Yaya Toure and Micheal Essien missed out from the top 5.
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5. Sammy Kuffour (Bayern Munich)
One of the most memorable images in Champions League history was Sammy Kuffour crying and beating the ground in the 1999 final after Bayern Munich lost to Manchester United. However, the Ghanaian redeemed himself two years later, when the Bavarians clinched the title by beating Valencia on penalties.
Kuffour is one Africa’s most decorated footballers, having won six Bundesliga titles, four German Cups and the Intercontinental Cup too, along with his Champions League medal.
4. Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
One of the key protagonists in Liverpool's magnificent campaign this season, Mane also played a key role in their Champions League success in 2019. His performance to dispatch Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena was outstanding, with the Senegal forward also proving during the 2017/18 campaign that, he was more than capable of terrorising Europe's best defences with 10 goals in 11 UCL outings.
Will Mane add another winner's medal this weekend?
3. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Another member of the Liverpool side that won the title in 2019. Salah was influential in the final against Tottenham Hotspur, netting an early penalty after Mane had won a penalty. He followed that up with a Premier League title in 2020, having been unfortunate to miss out against Real Madrid in 2018.
Salah has been simply phenomenal since arriving in English football; he's a three-time Golden Boot winner, and has played a key role in Liverpool's return to prominence in recent years.
2. Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
If there is one African who has been key to one club’s success, it’s Didier Drogba. Having joined them in 2004, the Ivorian helped transform Chelsea into a European powerhouse. He played a vital role in the Blues’ domestic success, helping them win four Premier League titles, four FA Cup titles and three League Cup titles.
However, Drogba’s best moment arrived in the 2011/12 campaign, when he netted a late equaliser in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, before going on to score the winning spot-kick as the Blues claimed their first title in Europe.
1. Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona/ Inter Milan)
It is no surprise to see Eto’o at the top of this list. The two-time Afcon winner is, without a doubt, Africa’s most decorated player in Europe, having won the Champions League three times, and league titles in La Liga and Italy too. He played vital role in Barcelona’s European success in the 2005/06 and 2008/09 seasons, and became only the second player to score in two Champions League finals.
The Cameroonian also became the fourth player to win the trophy two seasons in a row, after helping Inter Milan claim the title in the 2009/10 campaign.