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TOP 50 Best African Players of All-Time

#1 Larbi Ben Barek "La Perle Noire"

- Pro Period : 1934 - 1957

- International Career : 1938 - 1954

- 399 matches - 187 goals - / assists

- Attacking-Midfielder/Right-Winger/Second Striker - 1m78

- 32 Trophies/1 Individual Award

#2 Samuel Eto'o "The Lion King"

- Pro Period : 1997 - 2019

- International Career : 1997 - 2014

- 855 matches - 414 goals - 122 assists

- Striker - 1m80

- 19 Trophies/27 Individual Awards

#3 Mohamed Salah "The Pharaoh"

- Pro Period : 2009 -

- International Career : 2011 -

- 728 matches - 366 goals - 189 assists

- Right-Winger/Striker - 1m75

- 10 Trophies/51 Individual Awards

#4 George Weah "Mister George"

- Pro Period : 1985 - 2003

- International Career : 1987 - 2002

- 599 matches - 273 goals - 66 assists

- Striker/Left-Winger - 1m84

- 12 Trophies/17 Individual Awards

#5 Didier Drogba "Drogbadaboum"

- Pro Period : 1998 - 2018

- International Career : 2002 - 2014

- 794 matches - 368 goals - 139 assists

- Striker - 1m89

- 17 Trophies/37 Individual Awards

#6 Sadio Mané

- Pro Period : 2011 -

- International Career : 2012 -

- 668 matches - 271 goals - 135 assists

- Left-Winger/Left-Midfielder/Striker - 1m74

- 13 Trophies/36 Individual Awards

#7 Yaya Touré

- Pro Period : 2001 - 2020

- International Career : 2004 - 2015

- 706 matches - 122 goals - 86 assists

- Central-Midfielder/Defensive-Midfielder/Attacking-Midfielder - 1m89

- 17 Trophies/20 Individual Awards

#8 Abedi Pelé "The African King"

- Pro Period : 1980 - 2000

- International Career : 1982 - 1998

- 608 matches - 190 goals - / assists

- Attacking-Midfielder/Left-Winger/Second Striker - 1m73

- 10 Trophies/14 Individual Awards

#9 Roger Milla "The Old Lion"

- Pro Period : 1969 - 1995

- International Career : 1973 - 1994

- 883 matches - 486 goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m76

- 9 Trophies/13 Individual Awards

#10 Salif Keita "The Black Panther"

- Pro Period : 1963 - 1980

- International Career : 1964 - 1972

- 504 matches - 275 goals - / assists

- Striker/Left-Winger - 1m76

- 9 Trophies/4 Individual Awards

#11 Rabah Madjer "The King of the Heel"

- Pro Period : 1974 - 1992

- International Career : 1978 - 1992

- 417 matches - 199 goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m82

- 15 Trophies/9 Individual Awards

#12 Michael Essien "The Bison"

- Pro Period : 2000 - 2020

- International Career : 2002 - 2014

- 603 matches - 67 goals - 27 assists

- Defensive-Midfielder/Central-Midfielder - 1m77

- 12 Trophies/11 Individual Awards

#13 Jay-Jay Okocha

- Pro Period : 1990 - 2008

- International Career : 1993 - 2006

- 595 matches - 112 goals - / assists

- Attacking-Midfielder/Right-Winger/Striker - 1m73

- 8 Trophies/7 Individual Awards

#14 Joseph-Antoine Bell "Jojo"

- Pro Period : 1975 - 1994

- International Career : 1977 - 1994

- 416+ matches - / goals conceded - / clean sheets

- Goalkeeper - 1m82

- 11 Trophies/1 Individual Award

#15 Lakhdar Belloumi "The Artist"

- Pro Period : 1974 - 1999

- International Career : 1978 - 1989

- 777 matches - 337 goals - / assists

- Attacking-Midfielder/Second Striker - 1m78

- 2 Trophies/9 Individual Awards

#16 Thomas N'Kono "El Rey Negro"

- Pro Period : 1972 - 1997

- International Career : 1975 - 1994

- 644 matches - / goals conceded - / clean sheets

- Goalkeeper - 1m83

- 13 Trophies/2 Individual Awards

#17 Bruce Grobbelaar "The Flying Goalkeeper"

- Pro Period : 1972 - 2002

- International Career : 1980 - 1998

- 808 matches - / goals conceded - / clean sheets

- Goalkeeper - 1m85

- 21 Trophies/0 Individual Award

#18 Badou Zaki

- Pro Period : 1976 - 1993

- International Career : 1979 - 1992

- 581 matches - / goals conceded - / clean sheets

- Goalkeeper - 1m88

- 5 Trophies/2 Individual Awards

#19 Samuel Kuffour

- Pro Period : 1993 - 2009

- International Career : 1993 - 2006

- 407 matches - 15 goals - 7 assists

- Center-Back - 1m78

- 19 Trophies/8 Individual Awards

#20 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

- Pro Period : 2008 -

- International Career : 2009 -

- 785 matches - 389 goals - 113 assists

- Striker/Left-Winger/Right-Winger - 1m87

- 7 Trophies/21 Individual Awards

#21 Riyad Mahrez

- Pro Period : 2009 -

- International Career : 2014 -

- 639 matches - 188 goals - 165 assists

- Right-Winger/Right-Midfielder/Attacking-Midfielder - 1m79

- 14 Trophies/52 Individual Awards

#22 Kalidou Koulibaly

- Pro Period : 2010 -

- International Career : 2015 -

- 639 matches - 24 goals - 19 assists

- Center-Back - 1m86

- 9 Trophies/11 Individual Awards

#23 Nwankwo Kanu "Papilo"

- Pro Period : 1991 - 2012

- International Career : 1994 - 2011

- 656 matches - 154 goals - 69 assists

- Striker/Second Striker - 1m97

- 17 Trophies/5 Individual Awards

#24 Victor Osimhen

- Pro Period : 2017 -

- International Career : 2017 -

- 278 matches - 150 goals - 44 assists

- Striker - 1m86

- 3 Trophies/18 Individual Awards

#25 Noureddine Naybet "The Minister of Defense"

- Pro Period : 1989 - 2006

- International Career : 1990 - 2006

- 604 matches - 31 goals - / assists

- Libero/Center-Back - 1m82

- 13 Trophies/7 Individual Awards

#26 Hossam Hassan "The African Cantona"

- Pro Period : 1985 - 2007

- International Career : 1985 - 2006

- 708 matches - 301 goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m78

- 41 Trophies/4 Individual Awards

#27 Hassan Akesbi

- Pro Period : 1952 - 1970

- International Career : 1960 - 1969

- 366 matches - 219 goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m73

- 4 Trophies/0 Individual Award

#28 Mahmoud Al-Khatib "Bibo"

- Pro Period : 1972 - 1988

- International Career : 1974 - 1986

- 329 matches - 181 goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m84

- 20 Trophies/6 Individual Awards

#29 Mohamed Aboutrika "The Magician"

- Pro Period : 1997 - 2013

- International Career : 2001 - 2013

- 520 matches - 222 goals - 70 assists

- Attacking-Midfielder/Second Striker/Left-Winger - 1m83

- 26 Trophies/22 Individual Awards

#30 Ahmed Faras "Sidi Ahmed"

- Pro Period : 1965 - 1982

- International Career : 1966 - 1979

- 855 matches - 260 goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m72

- 5 Trophies/4 Individual Awards

#31 El-Hadji Diouf "Dioufy"

- Pro Period : 1998 - 2015

- International Career : 2000 - 2008

- 578 matches - 99 goals - / assists

- Right-Winger/Striker/Left-Winger - 1m80

- 3 Trophies/6 Individual Awards

#32 Rachid Mekhloufi "Mek"

- Pro Period : 1954 - 1970

- International Career : 1956 - 1968

- 482 matches - 232 goals - / assists

- Attacking-Midfielder/Second Striker/Striker - 1m74

- 10 Trophies/3 Individual Awards

#33 Kalusha Bwalya "Kalu"

- Pro Period : 1979 - 2000

- International Career : 1983 - 2004

- 425 matches - 123 goals - / assists

- Striker/Attacking-Midfielder/Left-Winger - 1m77

- 5 Trophies/4 Individual Awards

#34 Tarak Dhiab "The Emperor of Tunisian Football"

- Pro Period : 1972 - 1990

- International Career : 1974 - 1990

- 519 matches - 139 goals - / assists

- Attacking-Midfielder - 1m73

- 9 Trophies/2 Individual Awards

#35 Théophile Abega "Docteur"

- Pro Period : 1977 - 1987

- International Career : 1980 - 1987

- / matches - / goals - / assists

- Central-Midfielder/Attacking-Midfielder - 1m83

- 11 Trophies/4 Individual Awards

#36 Laurent Pokou "The Baoulé Emperor"

- Pro Period : 1963 - 1983

- International Career : 1967 - 1980

- / matches - / goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m78

- 12 Trophies/6 Individual Awards

#37 Rigobert Song "Magnan"

- Pro Period : 1992 - 2010

- International Career : 1993 - 2010

- 648 matches - 23 goals - 6 assists

- Center-Back - 1m83

- 8 Trophies/8 Individual Awards

#38 Ademola Lookman

- Pro Period : 2015 -

- International Career : 2022 -

- 323 matches - 85 goals - 46 assists

- Left-Winger/Second Striker/Right-Winger - 1m74

- 2 Trophies/3 Individual Awards

#39 Emmanuel Adebayor

- Pro Period : 2001 - 2020

- International Career : 2000 - 2019

- 675 matches - 237 goals - 67 assists

- Striker - 1m91

- 2 Trophies/5 Individual Awards

#40 Kolo Touré

- Pro Period : 1999 - 2017

- International Career : 2000 - 2015

- 636 matches - 25 goals - 19 assists

- Center-Back/Right-Back - 1m78

- 16 Trophies/2 Individual Awards

#41 Mustapha Hadji "The Brazilian African"

- Pro Period : 1992 - 2010

- International Career : 1993 - 2002

- 533 matches - 113 goals - / assists

- Attacking-midfielder, Right-midfielder, Second Striker - 1m84

- 1 Trophy/3 Individual Awards

#42 Lauren

- Pro Period : 1995 - 2010

- International Career : 1997 - 2002

- 458 matches - 30 goals - 10 assists

- Right-Back/Right-Midfielder/Left-Back - 1m80

- 12 Trophies/2 Individual Awards

#43 Patrick Mboma "Magic Patrick"

- Pro Period : 1992 - 2005

- International Career : 1995 - 2004

- 369 matches - 168 goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m85

- 9 Trophies/7 Individual Awards

#44 Patrick Ntsoelengoe "Ace"

- Pro Period : 1971 - 1988

- International Career : 1977

- 792 matches - 338 goals - / assists

- Attacking-Midfielder/Striker - 1m72

- / Trophies/2 Individual Awards

#45 Achraf Hakimi

- Pro Period : 2017 -

- International Career : 2016 -

- 409 matches - 54 goals - 77 assists

- Right-Back/Right-Midfielder - 1m81

- 12 Trophies/33 Individual Awards

#46 Pierre Kalala Mukendi "The Bomber"

- Pro Period : 1958 - 1974

- International Career : 1963 - 1970

- / matches - / goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m86

- 8 Trophies/0 Individual Award

#47 Anthony Yeboah "Tony"

- Pro Period : 1981 - 2002

- International Career : 1985 - 1997

- 531 matches - 253 goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m80

- 7 Trophies/13 Individual Awards

#48 Ahmed Oudjani "Medo"

- Pro Period : 1957 - 1972

- International Career : 1963 - 1965

- 236 matches - 130 goals - / assists

- Striker - 1m77

- 4 Trophies/1 Individual Awards

#49 Edouard Mendy

- Pro Period : 2011 - 

- International Career : 2018 -

- 330 matches - 298 goals conceded - 148 clean sheets

- Goalkeeper - 1m94

- 5 Trophies/3 Individual Awards

#50 Yassine Bounou "Bono"

- Pro Period : 2010 -

- International Career : 2013 -

- 452 matches - 447 goals conceded - 182 clean sheets

- Goalkeeper - 1m95

- 9 Trophies/19 Individual Awards