The Lille man has gradually been improving his game in the French top flight and is now one of the finest all-round midfielders in the Ligue 1. In many ways he is the complete package; he is powerful and provides an attacking presence, yet at the same time he has an excellent turn of pace and knows how to knock the ball past defenders and beat them on the ground.
He has a terrific scoring record with the Girondins and, in recent times, has forged an effective partnership with Senegalese winger Henri Saivet. He ended the Ligue 1 season on fire and regularly looked determined not simply to find the net but also to dominate contests and ensure victory for the Bordelais.
One example was the French Cup final, when he scored twice against Evian to bring the trophy back to the Stade Chaban Delmas. At 6'4", he is a towering presence and offers a major physical threat. However, recently, his improving composure has added another element to his game.
He currently sits in fifth place in the Ligue 1 scorer charts and this season has picked up where he left off. Witness, for example, his brace and Man of the Match performance against Sochaux in early October. He has struggled to assert himself amidst the massed ranks of attacking talent at struggling Fulham, and he only sporadically demonstrated his class in the Premier League before that.
Still, I am confident that if he can find the right environment next season, be it in the Premier League or abroad, the year-old can finally begin to progress after some stuttering seasons. There is some indication that he may be primed to blossom for Fulham in the second half of the season. The Cameroonian defender has fallen out of the picture with the national side and has endured a torrid time at Norwich.
He was particularly culpable for a number of goals in the Canaries' defeat at the hands of Manchester City and has since been dropped by Chris Hughton. Still, I am confident that this is merely another blip in a career that has seen the Paris-born centre-back endure long spells on the sidelines at Tottenham Hotspur and suffer relegation with Newcastle. He has all the tools to be an excellent centre-back, but he needs to be a little more disciplined and avoid a tendency to switch off or meander away from the crucial areas.
Sometimes it just takes a change of scene for a player to unveil himself before the watching world. Vincent Aboubakar was resigned to a substitute role for much of last season with Valenciennes, scoring only two goals in the process. However, a move across Northern France, to Lorient, this summer, has prompted a turn up in fortunes for the Cameroon frontman.
He has already won championships in Nigeria with Bayelsa United and Scotland with Celtic, and he also enjoyed a successful stint in Israel with Ashdod. Ambrose was also a pivotal part of Celtic's remarkable pair of performances against Barcelona in the Champions League and has demonstrated his composure in imposing atmospheres on numerous occasions.
One of his key assets, perhaps, is his versatility. For Nigeria he operates as a right-back, while for the Buoys he provides presence as a centre-back or a defensive midfielder. Already one of the older heads in the national side, Ambrose is well on track to become an all-time great for the Super Eagles. His performances at Upton Park have made his acquisition by Sam Allardyce on a free transfer look like a remarkable spot of business. Diame is a classic West African midfielder: He can pass, he can tackle, he has a remarkable engine, and he is physically excellent, possessing both strength and pace.
It is no surprise that his showings in East London prompted interest from major clubs such as Arsenal and Spurs. He was one of many Ghanaian players who flopped at the Cup of Nations, and the excitement that surrounded his move to English giants Chelsea quickly dissipated as he was shipped out on loan to Vitesse.
He signed a five-year deal when arriving at Stamford Bridge, and surely one day, he will be in a position to continue the fine Ghanaian tradition at the club. While at Lille, where he was part of the title-winning side of , Aurelien Chedjou showed himself to be a complete defender. He is adept at carrying the ball out of defence, can tackle effectively and understands the importance of teamwork.
This summer, Chedjou moved to Turkish giants Galatasaray and has settled well, initially under Fatih Terim and, more recently, under Roberto Mancini. Cameroon can boast a sublime defensive unit, and Chedjou has all of the tools to be the star man of this backline at Brazil Taye Taiwo has rarely been missed from the Nigeria set-up over the last few years. Beyond his defensive prowess, he has, notably, chipped in with some crucial goals.
Many were surprised when, despite the numerous major clubs to have been linked with his signature in the summer, Younes Belhanda chose to sign for Dynamo Kiev. It has been a slow start to the season for Kiev, with a large influx of new, foreign players disrupting the rhythm of the side. He was particularly impressive in the rout of Metalurh Donetsk, when he scored a hat-trick and made an assist from central-midfield. He is steadily growing into life at the Olympic Sports Complex.
The Premier League has long been his desired destination, and Arsenal and Tottenham remain on alert. His energy remains endless, and his tackling remains pure. But when receiving the ball at his feet and with space ahead of him, he often left a lot to be desired with his passing and decision-making.
He has been reduced to a substitute role since then, but I have no doubt that he will return to the fold stronger than before. Topics: Football News , Football. Chosen for You Chosen for You. Most Read Stories Most Read. His showing against Norway remains one of the finest performances by an African player on the global stage.
The Atlas Lions never quite flourished in continental competition during this time though and Hadji never won the African Nations Cup. A stop-start club career saw him spend time in Germany, Spain, Portugal and even Luxembourg. Hadji was remembered fondly for his time in England with Coventry City , but was powerless to prevent the Sky Blues from relegation in Foe won two continental crowns with Cameroon—in and —and also represented the side at the and World Cups.
He would have been present in as well, but missed the tournament due to injury. Named by the International Federation of Football History and as the 10th-best African player of the last century, George was a sinuous winger who, at least during the early part of his career, was a direct and menacing threat from the flanks. Considered among the finest wingers in the world during the early 90s… but not so much during his failed stint in England with Ipswich.
George was finely furnished with honours at Ajax where, alongside countryman Kanu, he won the Champions League in and lost a final in An excellent dribbler and a terrifically efficient finisher. Pele once identified Pokou as his successor. I would argue that only Rashidi Yekini and Roger Milla have made an individual impact at the Cup of Nations comparable to that of Pokou. The Ivorian was top scorer twice —in and —and was also the Player of the Tournament in the latter competition.
His time at Nancy was heavily affected by injury, but before that he managed 44 goals in 63 outings with Rennes. Toure has suffered the misfortune of his countrymen as the recent incarnation of the Elephants have so often stumbled at the business end of the Cup of Nations. He has represented his nation at two World Cups. He has won the Premier League twice and the Ivorian championship twice. Odegbami guided Nigeria to their maiden African title, on home soil, in He spent his whole career at Ibadan side Shooting Stars, picking up numerous Nigerian leagues and domestic trophies in the process.
The highlight was perhaps the African Cup Winners Cup of —the first triumph by a Nigerian side in a continental competition. Surely one of the finest—and certainly one of the most consistent—defenders Africa has ever produced, Naybet was a stalwart for Morocco and also made a successful transition to European football. He was another great African defender linked with Manchester United. He won the African Champions League with Wydad Casablanca in , a triumph which earned him a move across the Mediterranean.
He won the Spanish championship with Deportivo La Coruna in , before further supplementing his trophy haul with a number of Spanish Cups. A continental champion with Nigeria in , Ikpeba was also part of the team that won the Olympic gold two years later.
He represented Naija at two World Cups. A big-game player and key influence in numerous important clashes, the forward was one of the first and most visible African-born players to represent the French national side. He remains the second-highest scorer in the history of AS Saint-Etienne. Mekhloufi failed to win much with the Desert Lions, with his greatest contribution came as part of the Front de Liberation Nationale side that travelled the world representing their countrymen then under French rule.
This is not a criticism that can be levelled at Mekhloufi, who excelled in France with Saint-Etienne. That victory in proved to be the last act of a glorious career on the Loire. A wild boy earlier in his career , Tonton has gently emerged as the wise old head of Cameroonian football—becoming an African icon in the process. Song remains, along with Zinedine Zidane, the only player to be sent off at two World Cups. He has represented the central African giants at a remarkable four World Cups—the most of any player on this list.
International success has not been reflected in his club career, which explains his fairly modest standing in this list. Diarra was a tough-tackling midfielder who, along with Michael Essien, forged the basis of that excellent Lyon side that so often threatened to take the French side to the next level during the middle of the last decade.
The Mali captain guided the team to third place at the Under World Cup in , but has struggled to win anything with Les Eigles over the last decade. Between and he won the league title, be it in France or in Spain with Real Madrid every season—six consecutive major titles, not to mention a swathe of domestic cups.
His failings at Everton, where he struggled to muscle his way past Duncan Ferguson and Paul Rideout, should not diminish his standing. He also won a historic Olympic gold in , playing his part in a famous final victory over Argentina.
Still managed to win the FA Cup at Everton in , having eliminated Tottenham in the semi-final with a terrific brace. Radebe was an elegant, consistent defender who led by example and enjoyed a storied career in South Africa and Yorkshire. Leeds United's Player of the Season in , he could have achieved much more had he moved to Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson came calling in He also represented Bafana Bafana at two World Cups in and He arrived at Leeds in , primarily to provide company for his compatriot Phil Masinga.
Radebe never won a major league, but still managed to collect various trophies in South Africa before the adventure began. Golden Boy may not be a household name to most of you, but the Ghanaian midfielder with miraculous close control has an outstanding record that places him firmly within my top In as much as I may not effectively prove that Jay Jay is a more complete footballer that Kanu Nwankwo and his likes who have been named severally the African best, I must say that Jay Jay has proved to among the best to me considering his consistency.
He saved many clubs from the shame of being perpetual losers. No wonder he is always wanted by clubs that needed a saviour. George weah name should have been the first because in Africa he is the first ever African to carry world best ,European Best and African best in one season. Your opinion, but try a little consultation prior to going worldwide.
Your email address will not be published. About Advertise Privacy Policy Contact. Friday, November 12, Top 10 Greatest African Players of all time by Precious. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. Tags: GNews Kanu Okocha. Share Tweet Precious Precious is a lover of football, enthusiastic but unbiased Culer.
Comments 40 Anonymous says:. Thompson Ofori says:. Anonymous says:. Michael john says:. Manulo says:. Majiel Marros says:.
I think i will agree with this selection but why is etoo above weah. Akin Omodele says:. FatherJP says:. Nana Adu says:. Appiah Kubi Obed says:. Sheriff haidara says:. Niwamanya Daniel says:. Fruitdull says:.
Frank says:. Jah says:. DeCardinal says:. Jallah e. Baysah says:. I think George M. Weah should be the first on the list.
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