Samuel Eto'o
Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o is the African player with the most Champions League wins. The former FC Barcelona and Inter striker was crowned European champion three times: twice with FC Barcelona in 2005/2006 and 2008/2009, and once with Inter Milan in 2009/2010. Eto'o is also the top African scorer in the C1 final, having scored two goals. The Cameroonian has played the second most Champions League matches of any African, with 81 matches to his credit and a total of 33 achievements.
Didier Drogba
Ivorian Didier Drogba is the most capped African player in the Champions League (89), but also the one who has scored the most goals (42) ahead of Samuel Eto'o. The former Chelsea player won a UCL in 2012 with the Blues, after he was instrumental in the victory of the final against Bayern Munich. Drogba did not have the chance to play C1 matches with Olympique de Marseille, but he was able to do so with the Turkish club Galatasaray.
Mohamed Salah
The 30-year-old Egyptian has competed in more than 80 Champions League games, winning a total of 40 goals between his stints with FC Basel, Chelsea, AS Roma and Liverpool. He is now the African player with the most goals in C1, just four lengths behind the record-holder, Didier Drogba. Winner of the Champions League in 2019 with the Reds, Mohamed Salah played in three C1 finals during his career. Before retiring his cleats, the Egyptian could certainly beat the Ivorian's numbers in terms of matches and goals. To be continued…
Sadio Mane
Currently at Bayern Munich, the Senegalese player is participataing in the Champions League with a second club this Wednesday evening. Egyptian Salah's attacking partner in Liverpool, Sadio Mané does not have the same statistics as his former teammate. However, the new Bayern player made his mark on the competition when the Reds crowned them in 2019, where he scored four goals and provided two assists. In addition to the statistics, it is above all through his percussion and dribbling game that the Senegalese makes an impression.
Nwankwo Kanu
The Nigerian striker won the Champions League in 1995 with Ajax Amsterdam. Having competed in 60 C1 matches, the 1-metre-96-centimetre-tall scorer also won the African Ballon d'Or in 1996 and 1999. For the youth who may not remember Kanu, he is a charismatic striker who brought glory to several clubs in the Premier League over the course of 14 years.
Riyad Mahrez
The Algerian player has never won the Champions League, but he still contributed to Manchester City's fine run in 2021. Defeated in the final against Chelsea, the Citizens were able to count on an amped-up Mahrez to eliminate Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals. Having scored 17 goals in 47 C1 games, the Algerian intends to beef up his statistics under the orders of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Emmanuel Adebayor
While the Togolese player has never won the cup with big ears, he has been able to respond to every European request and has worn the jerseys of prestigious clubs such as Real Madrid, Arsenal, AS Monaco and Manchester City. A very good header, Adebayor scored 13 Champions League goals during his career.
George Weah
The 1995 Ballon d'Or had very little experience with the Champions League. A Paris Saint-Germain player at the time, he was eliminated in the C1 semi-finals in 1995 against AC Milan, a team he joined the following season. In total, he scored 14 goals in 22 C1 games — a very respectable goal percentage.
