5 best African footballers in Europe right now

From Roger Milla to Samuel Eto'o, from George Weah to Didier Drogba, the best African footballers have dazzled global audiences with their skills and talent while climbing to the pinnacle of the game.

Although African nations, in general, haven't tasted a lot of success at the world stage, the best footballers from the continent continue to play a huge role at the highest levels of the club game.

Liverpool's famed attacking triumvirate is composed of 66.6 % Africans, while other top English clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester City have important players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Riyad Mahrez from the continent.

As players like Kolo Toure have demonstrated in the past, the continent produces great defenders as well, and Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly is one of the most sought-after defenders in the world right now.

Without further ado, let us count down the best African footballers plying their trade in Europe right now.

5 best African footballers in Europe right now

#5 Achraf Hakimi (Inter Milan)

Achraf Hakimi is one of the most versatile players on this list, who is primarily designated as a right-sided midfielder but can easily slot into a full-back or a wing-back role. The talented Moroccan has joined Inter Milan for the next season after a successful loan spell at Borussia Dortmund whom he joined from Real Madrid.

Hakimi was actually born in Europe in Madrid and progressed to the Los Blancos' first team after moving up through the youth set-up.

Hakimi played a bit part role in Real Madrid's triumph in the 2017-18 Uefa Champions League and is thus credited as the first Moroccan to win the tournament.

He won the German Super Cup with Dortmund in 2019 and scored nine times while assisting in 10 goals last season. Still only 21, he is one of the brightest young footballers in the game right now.

#4 Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)

An archetypal centre-back in all respects, Kalidou Koulibaly is both imposing and also possesses great sense of positioning and game-reading abilities. His tackling, anticipation and interception are all rated highly and his comfort on the ball makes him a perfect fit for the possession-based style that his club, Napoli, plays.

Though Koulibaly can be too tough a tackler at times, he is an innately elegant footballer and it is no wonder that Manchester City, another club who famously like to keep the ball, want him to shore up their defence.

Koulibaly has won the Italian Cup and a lot of plaudits as part of an ascending Napoli team which he joined in 2014 after a spell at Genk.

Despite being born and raised in France and playing for the senior World Champions' U20 World Cup side, he switched loyalties and chose to play for the country that his parents hail from, Senegal. This, despite France coach Didider Deschamps reportedly being interested in playing the footballer in the heart of Les Blues' defence. He played in the 2018 World Cup for Senegal.

He has reportedly said that he has no regrets and wants to write a new history for Senegal football.

#3 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

The Pharoh would have topped this list of African footballers if we were compiling it in 2017-18, his brilliant record breaking debut season for Liverpool. He is, of course, still one the best African footballers playing in Europe as the Reds continue to go from strength to strength.

The inverted right-sided attacker had a blockbuster beginning to life in Merseyside as part of the champion Liverpool side Jurgen Klopp was building, netting 44 times and assisting 16 more in 52 games.

Liverpool could have won the Champions League that year had Salah not injured his shoulder in a tussle with Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid and gone off.

His silken skills, wonderful individual goals and legendary understanding with Roberto Firmino and fellow African footballer Sadio Mane continued to dazzle Merseyside as Liverpool finally won the UCL and then the coveted Premier League in consecutive seasons. In 153 games, the Egyptian has netted 94 times and assisted 41 times in a Red shirt as the Klopp era continues in Liverpool.

The two-time African Player of the Year and two-time English Golden Boot winner can become one of the greatest African footballers of all time if his illustrious run with Liverpool persists.

#2 Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

Sadio Mane's name is almost announced in the same breath as Salah due to their combined rise as Liverpool forwards, but Mane, despite working well with Salah, is, in subtle ways, a different kind of footballer from the Egyptian.

Mane is another great attacking winger-forward who likes to attack down the left channel and combines well with the full-back but, despite having skills aplenty and awareness, he can be effectively direct when required.

Many might say Mane is one of the most important playres in Liverpool and is one of the best athletes in the global game right now.

The Senegalese international has been with Liverpool since the 2016-17 season after a move from Southampton. Mane scored 18 times and assisted 9 times as Liverpool won the league last season. The one-time African Footballer of the Year has a few years left in his prime period and seems to be in peak form. He also remains remarkably humble despite reaching the top of the sport.

#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

One might ask how Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can be rated higher than the deadly duo from Liverpool, especially with his club, Arsenal, currently way off the pace in terms of the league from both Liverpool and Manchester City. That is in fact, precisely the reason why the Gabonese is topping this list of African footballers.

While Salah and Mane are part of a brilliant team in rhythm, Aubameyang seemed to carry Arsenal on his individual brilliance to an unlikely FA Cup triumph last season on the back of giddiness-inducing crucial individual goals against Manchester City and Chelsea in the semifinal and final.

But that was certainly not his only contribution for an inconsistent side, with him netting 22 times in the League, just one short of Jamie Vardy who topped the list. In the process, he also became the fastest Arsenal player in the Premier League era to rack up 50 goals for the club.

The 31-year-old footballer not only scores but scores spectacularly and dominates the penalty area. His calm head and precise dribbling also help in him getting crucial assists for the team.

Aubameyang has already shown his class in Germany with Dortmund where he won the German Cup. He became the first Gabonese to win the African Player of the Year award in 2015.

No wonder that the African footballer has been linked with a move away to bigger clubs, no wonder that he is the heartthrob of Gunners fans right now.

Honorable mentions: Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City), Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea)

About the author

A keen follower of European football, but with a soft spot for the Indian game, especially for the Kolkata Maidan variety. Manchester United supporter for more than two decades.

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Edited by Ashwin