Africa has produced so many talents when it comes to the beautiful game of football. Players like Kanu, Drogba, and Eto’o, to name but a few. These legends of the game stood against all the odds to become exhilarating performers with successful careers as proof, and a good number of trophies won.
I bring to you the most successful African footballers of all time laying emphasis on the number of trophies won.
1. SAMUEL ETO’O
Without doubt, the Cameroon forward is the most decorated African footballer to have ever played the game. Pundits considered the former Cameroon international who had the prime of his football career at Barcelona FC between 2004 and 2009, scoring 108 goals in 144 matches as one of the best strikers in the world.
He won 18 major trophies. These include 3 UEFA Champions League trophies, 3 Spanish La Liga titles, 2 Copa Del Rey, 2 Coppa Italia, 1 Italian Serie A trophy, 1 FIFA club world cup, 1 super coppa Italiana, 1 Olympic gold medal and 2 African Cup of Nations. In individual honors, the striker has won the award for African player of the year for a record four times in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010.
Samuel Eto’o participated in 4 world cups and 6 African Cup of Nations competitions, making him the all-time leading scorer in the competition with 18 goals. On the 7th of September 2019, he announced his retirement from football.
2. YAYA TOURE
Yaya Toure is a box-to-box midfielder who played his best football at the Etihad. While enjoying a successful career playing at the top level, he tasted victory in different tournaments with a stack of trophies to show for it.
Throughout his career, he has won 18 major trophies, and this includes 3 English Premier League titles, 2 La Liga, 1 African Cup of Nations, 1 Copa Del Rey, 1 Supercopa Espana, 1 FIFA club world Cup, three football league cup, 1 UEFA Champions League trophy, 1 UEFA Super Cup 1, FA Cup, 1 FA Community shield, 1 super League Greece and 1 Greek Cup.
He was voted African Footballer of the Year for a consecutive four years between 2011-2014.
3. DIDIER DROGBA
This darling son of Africa was one of the legends to have passed through the gates of Chelsea football club. The striker’s impact at the club has been worthy of note as he has scored more goals than any other foreign player for the club, making him the club’s fourth highest goal scorer of all time.
His gallery of trophies includes 4 English Premier League titles, 4 Fa cups, 3 League cups, 2 FA community shield, 1 UEFA champions league, 1 Super Lig title at Galatasaray, 1 TFF Super Kupa and 1 Türkiye Kupası.
Drogba was named the African footballer of the year twice both in 2006 and 2009.
4. NWANKWO KANU
Worthy of boasting of being a part of the Arsenal’s invincibles team that went all 2003/2004 League season without losing a single match, he is the only African to have won a golden trophy in that regard.
In his trophy cabinet, he has accumulated 3 Eridivisie titles, 2 English Premier League titles three fa cups 1 UEFA Champions League trophy, 1 Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 FA Community shield, 1 afro Asia Cup of Nations, 1 Olympic game and 1 FA charity shield.
He was named African footballer of the year in 1996 and 1999, and also bagged the BBC African footballer of the year in 1997 and 1999.
5. OBI MIKEL
The Nigerian midfielder went through the ranks in the English Premier League with Chelsea. His 11 years span at the Stamford bridge will probably justify the struggle that the London club had to go through with Manchester United to secure his signature back in 2006.
Mikel had never won the African footballer of the year award but also has several trophies in his cabinet, most of which were with Chelsea totaling 12. Having won 4 FA Cups, 2 England premier league titles, 2 League Cups, 1 FA Community shield, 1 UEFA champions league trophy, 1 UEFA Europa League, and 1 African Cup of Nations title. One can add an Olympic bronze medal to the mix.
6. MICHAEL ESSIEN
Essien made 58 appearances for Ghana between 2002 – 2014, he bagged several individual honors like the BBC African Footballer of the Year in 2006, Ghana Player of the Year in 2007 and also made the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Team of the Year in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.
He made the majority of his club appearances for Chelsea between 2005 – 2014 featuring 168 times for the London club before securing moves to Real Madrid, AC Milan, Panathinaikos and eventually Sabail FK in the Azerbaijan Premier League in Baku.
Michael Kojo Essien has 12 major trophies in his career, which are 2 English Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups, 2 Ligue 1, 2 Trophee des champions, 1 League Cup, 1 FA Community shield and 1 UEFA Champions League trophy.
Content created and supplied by: LizzyMedia (via Opera News )
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