Top 20 African best players
20 Dieumerci Mbokani
The powerful 30-year-old former TP Mazembe striker is currently on loan at Norwich City from Dynamo Kiev. The Canaries are banking on him to continue to show the form that earned him four championship medals in Belgium.
19 Michael Essien
The Chelsea and Ghana legend has become something of a forgotten man as age catches up with him and injuries slow him down, but he has been earning rave reviews at Panathinaikos in Greece of late.
18 Victor Wanyama
The Kenyan national captain’s form has slipped a little as Southampton struggle this season, but the powerfully-built 24-year-old remains a dependable and solid defensive midfielder.
17 Vincent Enyeama
Enyeama’s fortunes have dipped this season and he has retired from the Nigerian national team, but less than a year ago he was still considered one of the best goalkeepers in France, and on the continent. Form is temporary, class is permanent ...
16 Sofiane Feghouli
Valencia winger Feghouli has twice been named Algeria Player of the Year and is approaching 150 La Liga appearances. He was shortlisted for CAF’s Player of the Year and this season’s form has made him a transfer target of Manchester United.
15 Ahmed Musa
Nigeria’s new national captain is a tiny attacker with a big heart who made headlines with a brace against Argentina in the 2014 World Cup. Comfortable on either wing or down the middle, he is a key player for top Russian outfit, CSKA Moscow.
14 Didier Drogba
Africa’s greatest striker of the 21st century now plays in the MLS ‘retirement league’ – but he remains a fearsome goal threat and many top clubs would be happy to call on the Chelsea legend’s services.
13 Yannick Bolassie
The French-born DRC international is the master of the unpredictable, playing with a free-wheeling style that has English Premiership defenders back-pedaling and Crystal Palace fans drooling. It is no coincidence that when Bolassie has been out injured, the Eagles have found it almost impossible to get goals.
12 Sadio Mane
Like Wanyama, Mane has endured a difficult season with Southampton but the Saints rate their Senegalese winger sufficiently to have blocked Manchester United’s efforts to sign him. He was on the shortlist for CAF’s Player of the Year award.
11 Mohamed Salah
Egypt winger Mohamed Salah is Egypt’s 2015 Player of the Year and was shortlisted for CAF’s main award too. After an unhappy time at Chelsea he is proving to be an astute signing by Roma.
10 Gervinho
Gervais Yaho Kouassi was discarded by Arsenal – but moving to Serie A was the best thing he could have done and he has been a star at Roma ever since. Known to all as Gervinho, the pacy attacker was one of the stars of Ivory Coast’s Afcon success last year.
9 Aymen Abdennour
Abdennour is not widely known outside of France – where he starred for Monaco – and Spain, where he stars for Valencia, but the scouts of mega-rich Chelsea admire him. The reigning English champions tried to buy the left-sided centre-back last year as a replacement for John Terry. The tall Tunisian was on the shortlist for CAF’s Player of the Year.
8 Yacine Brahimi
Super-skilled Algerian winger Yacine Brahimi has been in hot form for Porto, baffling defenders with his unpredictable style and technical excellence. Another on the CAF shortlist, he was 2014’s BBC African footballer of the Year.
7 Mehdi Benatia
The Bayern Munich and Morocco centre-back honed his defensive capabilities in Serie A and has been linked with a move to La Liga and the English Premiership, proof of the appreciation of his talents across Europe’s major leagues.
6 Odion Ighalo
The 26-year-old Nigerian striker has been operating under the radar after years struggling to break through in Italy. But this season he has shocked English Premiership defenders with Watford as he vies with Jamie Vardy and Romelu Lukaku for headlines thanks to his goals. Built in the mould of past Super Eagles greats who have led the line, Ighalo is a star in the making.
5 Serge Aurier
The powerfully-built right-wingback was one of the Ivory coast’s most influential players as they won the 2015 Afcon, marauding down the flank to spark attacks, and unsettling opponents with powerhouse tackles. This is the sort of stuff the 23-year-old is showing increasingly for French super-club PSG, making him Africa’s most exciting defender.
4 Andre Ayew
The son of the legendary Abedi Pele is making his own legend in his first season in the English Premiership after years of consistent excellence at Marseille in France. While the Swans flounder about near the relegation zone this season, Andre Ayew has been their one bright spark showing sublime skills, tenacity and an eye for goals. He was also Ghana’s inspiration as the Black Stars reached the 2015 Afcon Final.
3 Riyad Mahrez
How many football fans gave Leicester a second glance a year ago? And how many knew anything about Riyad Mahrez? Sure, the Algerian international midfielder was amongst Leicester’s more accomplished players, but with the Foxes staring relegation in the face, Mahrez wasn’t in the headlines. Everyone knows the 24-year-old now as his class and quick-thinking complements Jamie Vardy’s pace, power and dogged pursuit of goals.
2 Yaya Toure
For the past five years, Yaya has been the giant of giants among African footballers. And many days, he is still the best of the best, his ability to combine silken sophistication with raw unadulterated power makes him an irresistible force for Manchester City and Ivory Coast. But there have also been days when Toure has been way below his best, seemingly disinterested. Still, his year has been good enough to see him crowned BBC African Footballer of the Year, although he was pipped to the CAF title – much to his chagrin.
1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, take a bow. CAF’s African Footballer of the Year is, right now, the best African footballer on the planet. A relative unknown when he joined Borussia Dortmund in 2013, he is now the talk of Europe, averaging almost a goal a game in the Bundesliga this season and maintaining a high standard for the Gabonese national team too.
The powerful 30-year-old former TP Mazembe striker is currently on loan at Norwich City from Dynamo Kiev. The Canaries are banking on him to continue to show the form that earned him four championship medals in Belgium.
19 Michael Essien
The Chelsea and Ghana legend has become something of a forgotten man as age catches up with him and injuries slow him down, but he has been earning rave reviews at Panathinaikos in Greece of late.
18 Victor Wanyama
The Kenyan national captain’s form has slipped a little as Southampton struggle this season, but the powerfully-built 24-year-old remains a dependable and solid defensive midfielder.
17 Vincent Enyeama
Enyeama’s fortunes have dipped this season and he has retired from the Nigerian national team, but less than a year ago he was still considered one of the best goalkeepers in France, and on the continent. Form is temporary, class is permanent ...
16 Sofiane Feghouli
Valencia winger Feghouli has twice been named Algeria Player of the Year and is approaching 150 La Liga appearances. He was shortlisted for CAF’s Player of the Year and this season’s form has made him a transfer target of Manchester United.
15 Ahmed Musa
Nigeria’s new national captain is a tiny attacker with a big heart who made headlines with a brace against Argentina in the 2014 World Cup. Comfortable on either wing or down the middle, he is a key player for top Russian outfit, CSKA Moscow.
14 Didier Drogba
Africa’s greatest striker of the 21st century now plays in the MLS ‘retirement league’ – but he remains a fearsome goal threat and many top clubs would be happy to call on the Chelsea legend’s services.
13 Yannick Bolassie
The French-born DRC international is the master of the unpredictable, playing with a free-wheeling style that has English Premiership defenders back-pedaling and Crystal Palace fans drooling. It is no coincidence that when Bolassie has been out injured, the Eagles have found it almost impossible to get goals.
12 Sadio Mane
Like Wanyama, Mane has endured a difficult season with Southampton but the Saints rate their Senegalese winger sufficiently to have blocked Manchester United’s efforts to sign him. He was on the shortlist for CAF’s Player of the Year award.
11 Mohamed Salah
Egypt winger Mohamed Salah is Egypt’s 2015 Player of the Year and was shortlisted for CAF’s main award too. After an unhappy time at Chelsea he is proving to be an astute signing by Roma.
10 Gervinho
Gervais Yaho Kouassi was discarded by Arsenal – but moving to Serie A was the best thing he could have done and he has been a star at Roma ever since. Known to all as Gervinho, the pacy attacker was one of the stars of Ivory Coast’s Afcon success last year.
9 Aymen Abdennour
Abdennour is not widely known outside of France – where he starred for Monaco – and Spain, where he stars for Valencia, but the scouts of mega-rich Chelsea admire him. The reigning English champions tried to buy the left-sided centre-back last year as a replacement for John Terry. The tall Tunisian was on the shortlist for CAF’s Player of the Year.
8 Yacine Brahimi
Super-skilled Algerian winger Yacine Brahimi has been in hot form for Porto, baffling defenders with his unpredictable style and technical excellence. Another on the CAF shortlist, he was 2014’s BBC African footballer of the Year.
7 Mehdi Benatia
The Bayern Munich and Morocco centre-back honed his defensive capabilities in Serie A and has been linked with a move to La Liga and the English Premiership, proof of the appreciation of his talents across Europe’s major leagues.
6 Odion Ighalo
The 26-year-old Nigerian striker has been operating under the radar after years struggling to break through in Italy. But this season he has shocked English Premiership defenders with Watford as he vies with Jamie Vardy and Romelu Lukaku for headlines thanks to his goals. Built in the mould of past Super Eagles greats who have led the line, Ighalo is a star in the making.
5 Serge Aurier
The powerfully-built right-wingback was one of the Ivory coast’s most influential players as they won the 2015 Afcon, marauding down the flank to spark attacks, and unsettling opponents with powerhouse tackles. This is the sort of stuff the 23-year-old is showing increasingly for French super-club PSG, making him Africa’s most exciting defender.
4 Andre Ayew
The son of the legendary Abedi Pele is making his own legend in his first season in the English Premiership after years of consistent excellence at Marseille in France. While the Swans flounder about near the relegation zone this season, Andre Ayew has been their one bright spark showing sublime skills, tenacity and an eye for goals. He was also Ghana’s inspiration as the Black Stars reached the 2015 Afcon Final.
3 Riyad Mahrez
How many football fans gave Leicester a second glance a year ago? And how many knew anything about Riyad Mahrez? Sure, the Algerian international midfielder was amongst Leicester’s more accomplished players, but with the Foxes staring relegation in the face, Mahrez wasn’t in the headlines. Everyone knows the 24-year-old now as his class and quick-thinking complements Jamie Vardy’s pace, power and dogged pursuit of goals.
2 Yaya Toure
For the past five years, Yaya has been the giant of giants among African footballers. And many days, he is still the best of the best, his ability to combine silken sophistication with raw unadulterated power makes him an irresistible force for Manchester City and Ivory Coast. But there have also been days when Toure has been way below his best, seemingly disinterested. Still, his year has been good enough to see him crowned BBC African Footballer of the Year, although he was pipped to the CAF title – much to his chagrin.
1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, take a bow. CAF’s African Footballer of the Year is, right now, the best African footballer on the planet. A relative unknown when he joined Borussia Dortmund in 2013, he is now the talk of Europe, averaging almost a goal a game in the Bundesliga this season and maintaining a high standard for the Gabonese national team too.
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