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African nations may not be the best in the world game but they have already produced some of the world’s most destructive players.
You only have to look at the last two decades of the Premier League to see that African champions have provided the world’s most famous players, with the likes of Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and Michael Essien all featuring English stunners.
However, some of Africa’s most talented players are still working at the highest level, with a new generation of up-and-coming stars competing against the continent’s elite fighters.
Here are the best African players in the world – ranked.
Only one African player, George Weah, has won the Ballon d’Or before, but Sadio Mane is almost done in 2022. After an impressive campaign for team and country, the Senegalese star finished second in the polls behind the winner ran away from Karim Benzema.
Mane had already left Liverpool by the time they got the silverware, with his fortunes taking a hit in the years since he left Anfield. A shock spell at Bayern Munich saw him make a big-money move to Al Nassr in 2023, the seasoned winger no longer considering himself a world-beater.
Along with fellow African player Pape Matar Sarr, Malian player Yves Bissouma continues to excel in the game Tottenham Hotspur in the middle. Aggressive and tireless, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man is one of the most exciting players in the Premier League when it comes to music.
Consistency is a challenge facing Bissouma, who, like Spurs, tends to blow hot and cold. However, he is a top talent and an integral part of Ange Postecoglou’s machine and his hunger for trouble.
Free transfers don’t come much better than Omar Marmoush. The Egyptian had already confirmed that he was a Wolfsburg player in the 2022/23 season before being shaken down by Eintracht Frankfurt for zilch. It’s safe to say he’s hit the ground running with the Eagles.
Marmoush impressed in his first season in Frankfurt, scoring 17 times in all competitions – a tally he is set to break this season. The versatile player has disrupted Bundesliga defenses with his speed and aggression and has developed into a unique forward.
In case you missed it, yes, Brahim Diaz is now representing Morocco on the international stage. After making one appearance for the Spanish national team, the real Madrid The forward changed his mind in 2024 and has already found himself racking up plenty of goals for the Atlas Lions.
Diaz’s contribution to the club’s squad has dwindled since his return to the Santiago Bernabeu, a midfielder who has been used as a bit player by Carlo Ancelotti in recent years. Regardless, he often showed his skills by joining the superstars in the Spanish capital.
Bryan Mbeumo has quietly been one of the nominees Premier Leaguethey are very useful and have not changed over the last few years. The Cameroon international has a powerful left foot yet the stamina needed by players around the world.
Thomas Frank often uses Mbeumo in conjunction with clinic Ivan Toney but the winger has thrived in his former partner’s absence, forming an interesting relationship with fellow African Yoane Wissa.
Victor Boniface was a key part of Bayer Leverkusen’s downfall Bundesliga win in 2023/24. The Nigerian striker has scored impressively in the early stages of Die Werkself’s campaign, although injury has hampered his success.
The midfielder has proved a very smart signing from Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium and is excelling at his potential. Boniface is a defender’s nightmare when he is fit and shooting.
Bayer Leverkusen’s African talent is not limited to Boniface, with Burkina Faso international Edmond Tapsoba leading their defense at the other end of the pitch. Having formed a central midfielder role alongside Xabi Alonso, Tapsoba was also instrumental in Leverkusen’s first Bundesliga victory.
Tapsoba’s speed and attack in the game make him a difficult figure to ignore, with many European giants keeping an eye on him on his way to Germany.
West Ham United fought with some of the biggest clubs in Europe to sign Mohammed Kudus in 2023, the former Ajax player impressed the European team at the Amsterdam club.
Kudus quickly endeared himself to the West Ham fans with his combination of strength, power and finesse on the ball, impressing with 14 goals in his first season in London. There is more to come from the great Ghanaian, be it at the Hammers or elsewhere.
Andre’s first time Look at Manchester United it was very difficult. However, even towards the end of his debut campaign, the Cameroon international began to show evidence of the £47.2m midfielder the Red Devils acquired from Inter.
The 2024/25 season has seen Onana grow in confidence and is far and away the most powerful stopper in Africa having already saved (and saved twice) for United during the campaign.
The much-maligned Nicolas Jackson has changed his record in 2024/25. Being consistent with glaring misses in his debut campaign on ChelseaThe Senegalese striker has obviously worked hard to correct his mistakes over the summer and has yet another player coming.
Jackson still prides himself on the athleticism, pace and work ethic that made him a major threat in 2023/24, but he has added to the consistent finishing of a top goalscorer. £32m now looks like an absolute steal for the Blues.
Serhou Guirassy’s first half in German football was not special. He scored six times in 45 games for Koln before returning to France. However, Stuttgart took advantage of the Guinea international in 2023/24 and it showed a revolutionary change.
Guirassy scored 30 goals in 30 games as Stuttgart finished as runners-up in the Bundesliga and qualified for the Champions League, prompting the striker’s transfer to the Premier League. Borussia Dortmund. He has already scored easy goals coming to Signal Iduna Park.
Ademola Lookman was the only African player to be nominated for 2024 Ballon d’Or. That was mainly until his last game in the 2023/24 Europa League, scoring an impressive hat-trick for Atalanta against previously unbeaten Leverkusen.
A respectable 14th place finish shows the steps Lookman has taken since his unsuccessful spells with various English clubs, the Wandsworth-born and Nigerian international has found a loving home in Bergamo.
Achraf Hakimi is not only the most talented defender in Africa, he is in his class the best defenders in world football. The Moroccan, who impressed for his country in the run up to the 2022 World Cup, impressed for Dortmund before moving to Inter in 2020.
One year, seven goals and a Serie A title later, Hakimi moved on Paris Saint-Germainwhere he only developed his reputation as an attacking full-back. Few can burst into the sidelines with the same quality and intensity as Hakimi.
The African footballer of 2023, Victor Osimhen has made a name for himself as one of them the most impressive batsmen in the world during his time with Napoli. However, disagreements at the club have seen him sent out on loan to Galatasaray for the 2024/25 campaign.
Naturally, the Nigerian international has quickly started scoring goals in Istanbul, which has also attracted the attention of the European giants. If things go well, Osimhen could compete with Erling Haaland for the next decade.
There can be no debate on Africa’s greatest talent: Mohamed Salah.
Being one of the most consistent and dangerous players over the last eight years, Africa’s greatest football player has set the standard on. Liverpool and they show little sign of slowing down anytime soon.
Boasting an incredible physique, speedy movement and a blistering left foot, Salah could be the best African player of all time following his impressive streak on Merseyside.
