Some of the most incredible football players in the world have come from Africa. The continent has produced athletes who have wowed audiences, set records, and established themselves as world-renowned figures. In addition to dominating at home, these African football icons inspired millions of people by making their impact in prestigious European leagues and international competitions.
These legends continue to exemplify greatness in African football history, be it by their incredible goals, leadership, or unwavering pride in representing their countries.
Here are some of the top African legends who have dazzled fans by competing in the UEFA Champions League or leading their nations in the African Cup of Nations, and some who have played for AS Roma:
Top African Football Legends
- George Weah (Liberia)
For good cause, George Weah ranks at the top of most lists of African football luminaries. He is still the only African to win the coveted Ballon d'Or. He is a full-fledged forward with skill, speed, and style.
Achievements:
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- FIFA World Player of the Year (1995)
- 3x African Footballer of the Year
- Only African to win the Ballon d’Or
- Played for: AS Monaco, AC Milan, PSG, Chelsea
- Legacy: From global football icon to President of Liberia
- Named African Player of the Century in 1996
- Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
Eto'o is among the top attackers in international football because of his lethal finishing and big-game exploits. Admired for his devotion to his national team and club achievements, he is a true African football legend.
Achievements:
- 4x African Player of the Year
- UEFA Champions League winner with Barcelona and Inter Milan
- All-time top scorer for Cameroon
- Named twice in the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2005 and 2006
Samuel Eto’o is also the first player to win two consecutive continental trebles in Barcelona and Inter Milan.
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- Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire)
Drogba was a leader as well as a goal scorer. He became legendary in Africa and Europe for his capacity to step up in times of need.
Achievements:
- Chelsea’s all-time UEFA Champions League top scorer
- 2x African Player of the Year
- 2x Premier League Golden Boot
- Scored a crucial goal in the 2012 UCL final
- FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2007
- Yaya Touré (Côte d'Ivoire)
Touré gave the midfield poise and strength. He was one of the most complete midfielders in football because of his ability to control games.
Achievements:
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- 4x consecutive African Player of the Year
- Key figure in Manchester City’s rise
- Won trophies across England, Spain, and Greece
- 2x BBC African Footballer of the Year award
- Led the Ivory Coast to victory in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Although Salah is still playing, he has already earned a spot in the annals of African football legends. He is a worldwide fan favourite because of his swiftness, reliability, and modesty.
Achievements:
- 2x African Player of the Year
- Premier League Golden Boot winner
- UCL and EPL champion with Liverpool
- Played for Chelsea, Roma, and Fiorentina
- 3x Premier League Boots
- 2x PFA Players' Player of the Year awards
- FIFA Puskás Award
Mohamed Salah has also won the Premier League’s Player of the Season and Playmaker of the Season awards, amongst other numerous accolades. The 32-year-old winger recently renewed his Liverpool contract in a two-year deal and is sure to add to his numerous awards.
- Roger Milla (Cameroon)
With each goal, Milla danced his way into our hearts. He demonstrated that passion never wanes and that age is just a number.
Achievements:
- Iconic 1990 World Cup celebration
- Oldest goal-scorer in World Cup history
- Helped put African football on the global map
- Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
Kanu was unpredictable in the nicest sense. His ingenuity and serenity under duress earned him a position among Nigeria’s and Africa’s elite.
Achievements:
- Olympic Gold Medalist (1996)
- UEFA Champions League and EPL winner
- Known for flair, vision, and clutch goals
- 2x African Player of the Year award twice
- BBC African Player of the Year
- Best African Player in the Netherlands
Kanu Nwankwo also won Portsmouth Player of the Year, Barclays Player of the Month for Arsenal, a UEFA Champions League medal, a UEFA Cup medal, a UEFA Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, 3 Eredivisie titles, three FA Cup medals, FA Cup best player, and FA Cup final man of the match.
- Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria)
Okocha wasn’t just good-he was mesmerising. He made football seem like magic and was one of the most talented players the game has ever seen.
Achievements:
- 2x BBC African Footballer of the Year
- Known for unbelievable skills and flair
- Captained Nigeria to AFCON glory
Jay-Jay Okocha also received the Player of the Month award in November 2003 and was named one of the top 125 living footballers by Pelé in 2004.
- Rabah Madjer (Algeria)
Madjer is legendary in both Europe and North Africa. His reputation in football history was solidified by his inventiveness and crucial goals.
Achievements:
- Scored in the 1987 European Cup Final
- Led Algeria to the AFCON and the World Cup
- Known for his backheel goal
- African Footballer of the Year
- Arab Footballer of the 20th Century in 2004
- Algerian Footballer of the 20th Century
South American Stars at AS Roma
While Roma fans take a lot of pride in their club’s local roots, Roma have imported some sensational talent over the years, particularly from South America. The history of the sport itself, and much of what makes the beautiful game beautiful, is deeply rooted in the South American style of play, and Roma have certainly taken advantage of that through the decades.
Here is an All-Time XI comprised solely of South American players who have played for Roma:
- Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker (Brazil)
Although he was only Roma’s top-choice goalkeeper for one season, he put together a season for the ages. During the 2017-2018 campaign, Alisson made 37 starts and kept 17 clean-sheets and saved Roma, by some estimates, as many as 13 points that season. With his explosiveness, soft hands, quick reflexes and skilled feet, Alisson is the prototypical modern goalkeeper.
- Right-Back: Cafu (Brazil)
Cafu was not only one of the best full-backs to ever play for Roma, he’s one of the best full-backs to ever play the game, not to mention one of the most decorated. Cafu still remains the only player to ever appear in three-straight World Cup Finals and has two Scudetti on his resume, including 31 starts with Roma during their last championship season (2000-2001).
- Left-Back: Emerson Palmieri (Brazil)
Given the club’s recent struggles with the left-back position, there weren’t many South Americans from which to choose. Palmieri really only had one season of success with Roma, but the promise he showed in 2016-2017, playing to a 7.37 WhoScored match-rating, was enough for him to claim this spot. Solid in either direction, Palmieri was a crucial piece in Luciano Spalletti’s record-setting team, but was unfortunately sold to Chelsea in the winter of 2018.
- Center-Back: Aldair (Brazil)
No South American player made more appearances for Roma than Aldair, who ranks fifth in the club’s all-time appearance list. Arriving from Benfica in the summer of 1990, Aldair enjoyed the best stretch of his career while playing for the Giallorossi. Between 1990 and 2004, Aldair won a Scudetto, the Coppa Italia, the Supercoppa Italiana, a Bronze Medal at the 1996 Olympics, the Copa America in 1997 and the grand-daddy of them all, the FIFA World Cup at USA 1994. One of the best defenders of his generation, Aldair left Roma after the 2002-2003 season to play with Genoa in Serie B and then Murata in San Marino.
- Center-Back: Walter Samuel (Argentina)
A starter on Roma’s 2001 Scudetto team, Samuel came to Italy in the summer of 2000 from Boca Juniors for the modern equivalent of €20 million. Known for his fast, aggressive and physical style of play, Samuel soon became one of the hottest commodities in Europe and was sold to Real Madrid in 2004 for €25 million before returning to Serie A with Inter Milan after only one season in Spain.
- Midfield: David Pizarro (Chile)
After stints with Udinese and Inter Milan, Pizarro came to Roma in the summer of 2006 and immediately became an indispensable part of Roma’s midfield for the next several seasons. While not necessarily a highlight reel type of player, Pizarro’s influence on Luciano Spalletti’s mid 2000s teams cannot be overstated. Call him the poor man’s Andrea Pirlo if you must, but Pizarro’s ability to control the tempo of the match was as good as it got during that era. Throw in his pinpoint passes and you had the perfect maestro for Roma’s mid 2000s midfield.
- Midfield: Falcão (Brazil)
Arriving in the capital from Brazilian side Internacional in 1980, Falcão was an instrumental part of Roma second Scudetto-winning side in 1983, scoring seven goals in 27 appearances and would go on to score 27 goals in 152 appearances with the Giallorossi. In addition to his intellect, Falcão was noted for his touch, team-centered play and leadership, all of which led to him being part of the club’s inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2012.
- Midfield: Rodrigo Taddei (Brazil)
With over 250 appearances at a variety of positions, the versatile and beloved Rodrigo Taddei gets the nod over his countryman Emerson. Taddei was one of those players you never knew quite what to make of, but he was a dutiful servant to the Giallorossi, playing midfield, winger, full-back and wing-back during his decade in the Eternal City. With two Coppa Itaila titles to his credit and five runners-up finishes in Serie A, Taddei was, in many ways, the glue that kept those mid 2000s Roma sides together.
