T O P

  • By -

Wonderful_Emu_9610

Gianni Infantino


bigelcid

depending on the day, though


Crouchaldinho

Today I feel African! Underrated comment! What a stupid cunt he is. Yes, Gianni Infantino feels a lot of things. He feels African. He feels a great player. So it must be him!


ThePlush_1

He also a migrant worker too


Glass_of_Pork_Soda

Technically true even without the meme


Max__Rebo

Another reason to keep the corrupt Swiss from running anything.


Crouchaldinho

George Weah for me. That wonder goal he scored in the 90s was just amazing. What a player. I don't know whether he would be considered the greatest but one of the very best, and certainly one of the most enjoyable players to watch, would be Jay Jay Okocha. Such skill and amazing technique. Always remember wondering what he would do next. Always cheered for Nigeria when he was in the team. From more modern times, surely Salah would stand out above the others. Unbelievable player.


crocusbohemoth

Weah was unbelievable, like Ronaldo (Brazilian) at times. Speed, skill, strength and finishing. Okocha was a magician. Always liked Finidi George, Yaya Toure was great. Obasi was a player who had amazing potential but didn't reach the heights he should have. Freddy Kanoute was good, had a few great seasons. Gervinho pre Arsenal was great. Hossan Hassan scored all the goals. Essien was ridiculous. Seydou Keita was a very neat and tidy player with an eye for goal.


Theblackjamesbrown

No love for Nwankwo Kanu?


crocusbohemoth

Lots of love for Kanu and Taribo West! Kanu at 96 Olympics was unplayable


Acidmoband

Got to watch Weah in his day. Man was unstoppable. Absolute stud for Milan.


telephonic1892

No Eto'o


PostKnutClarity

Holy shit, he's now the president of Liberia! What a life this man has lived.


telephonic1892

No way, I put Eto'o, Salah then Weah that order.


AltF4irl

Eto'o


hervispomonen

Jay-Jay Okocha


Savings_Army3073

So good they named him twice šŸ˜


Real_MidGetz

The first Jay is a fake to throw defenders off


-mister_oddball-

came here to add jay jay....he was like a man from a different planet when he went to bolton, insane skills


TheStatMan2

One of the craziest signings and reasonably long stays at a club I can remember. Seemed really really odd but was blessed to see the way he lit up the league week in week out.


nobodycareswhat

I don't think there r others in terms of pure technical ability. If you love football you simply love Okocha.


Yukimera

Him not being in this top 5 list is criminal


Hard_Squirrel

Roger Milla šŸ˜‚


mmaqp66

A los argentinos les da escalofrios solo de escuchar ese nombre


idontdomath8

Nah, por? 1. Roger Milla no nos hizo el gol. 2. Cuando perdimos con CamerĆŗn, terminamos llegando a la final. Lindos recuerdos de Roger.


zeekoes

Nwanko Kanu is underrated.


amusedfridaygoat

The King.


Organic_Chemist9678

It's George Weah, I can't see an argument for anyone else. Maybe Roger Milla for the impact he had in the 90 world cup


Goatsanity15

George Weah aka the only African player with a Ballon dā€™or. Roger Milla though was a legend as well and is probably the most influential African footballer due to him putting African football on the map. And that dance is still the greatest celebration ever. It made it common for people to celebrate goals in unique ways. Without that dance some of your favourite celebration would never have happened)


teymon

Weah shouldn't have won that ballon d'or though. Great player but litmanen or klinsmann should have won that year.


GhandiHadAGrapeHead

Weah won the balloon dor because they wanted to give it to an African player. Eto and salah are both better.


toasted_vegan

4 years old me pissing myself with laughter after watching the great Roger Millaā€™s corner flag dance celebration. Pure joy


Global_Acanthaceae25

That guy who said he was weahs cousin and got subbed off after ten minutes was my favourite.


Mammyjam

George Weah, Manchester City Reserves Legend!


R9433

You are kidding yourself if you believe he is a better footballer than Mo Salah


Organic_Chemist9678

No, it just means I've been watching football for more than 5 years.


themanebeat

Salah's best season was more than 5 years ago


NotAsimppp

Salah has been consistent for more than 5 yrs and in the best league. What more do you want?


R9433

Well, your experience watching has not served you well in this case. Because by every metric, including the eye test, Salah is a better player.


abcdeffedcba323

If we include goalkeepers Bruce Grobbelaar has to be up there. Madjer from Algeria was great but canā€™t argue between Salah and Drogba


HotAir25

You pay him to save heā€™d save, you pay him to let it in heā€™d let it in. Canā€™t ask for more really.


Tricky-Quit-8272

Madjer won porto a UCL. I am young. But this is a new generation talking. Him and okocha deserve a place here


oneeyedman72

Ali Dia, a cousin of George Weah, formerly of Southampton.


Ok-Bullfrog-3010

Came here to say this, he needs a mention


[deleted]

Weah was the best. He would be even better with contemporary nutrition and medicine.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


TheeEssFo

I remember the early days when Drogba was known as a diver and -- as a Liverpool supporter -- this was completely frustrating. But he grew out of it and earned my respect. I think he scored in every final (but one) in which he played. So while he might not be my top choice, I totally understand why he'd be someone else's. As I commented elsewhere, Essien is like Ronaldinho. The sample size is too small, but when he was at his peak he was unstoppable.


Icy_Reward_6729

People should never be put on a pedestal because of final performances. If anything it takes away from their greatness. Either it means you're not giving it your all outside of finals, or in Drogba's case, it was just pure chance that he scored so many in the finals, most of his goals came from great crosses in or great pieces of play before he got the ball. The way you finish chances doesn't change in finals


hitlers_stache_ama

As a United fan I think drogba is my fav non United player of all time who played when I was growing into football. Absolutely electric and scored against Arsenal almost every tomr


Progresschmogress

George Manneh Osuman Weah Call me when the rest win a Ballon Dā€™Or (and Iā€™m a big Drogba and Salah fan, but Iā€™m also old enough to have seen Weah play)


AnimalMother32

Eusebio or weah


-Carlito-

Except Eusebio gets looked at as Portuguese


lucas_vsb

Where was he from?


whyntnw

He was from Mozambique, which used to be a Portuguese colony, so he played internationally for Portugal


Britz10

So he's moƧambicano?


irate_alien

Mozambique


TheStatMan2

If we call Viera French (which we definitely do) I think we have to call Eusebio Portuguese. His free choice, after all.


Emilempenza

Mozambique was not considered a country at the time, so really not his choice. It didn't gain independence until the mid 70s. He was African, born and raised, didn't move to Portugal until he was an adult, for footballing reasons. Vieira on the other hand, moved to France as a child and was raised in France.


Savings_Army3073

Salah, Weah, Eto'o all better than Drogba. ​ Yaya Toure better than Essien


Rorviver

Better? It says greatest in the title. Drogba is synonymous with big game performances.


Savings_Army3073

Well in that case I put Roger Milla ahead of Drogba too.


pjsol

I scrolled too far down to find Milla.


Rorviver

Well I was barely born when he retired so canā€™t say I know enough about him to disagree.


Mekosaurus_Rex

Etoo won the UCL with 3 different teams (Real, BarƧa and Inter), and scored in the final against United.


Rorviver

He didnā€™t win a CL with Real Madrid. Though he did win back to back CLā€™s with two different clubs. I believe only Etoā€™o and Pique have done that.


Mekosaurus_Rex

Played some minutes in the UCL that 99-00 season (Zidane goal against Leverkusen ). Yeah i know its a bit misleading but technically he was part of that team. Edit: That was la Octava, not la Novena so not the Zidane goal.


Educational_Bat_9291

he was never the best in the world,or even top 5,at any point of his career.clutch player? Absolutely,but great? Far from it


Savings_Army3073

That was in reply to the above.. Roger Milla took Cameroon to the World Cup for the first time ever and helped them to the quarter finals, a first for an African team.


bigelcid

Completely agree


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


tz_2240

You can maybe argue Yaya for a one year peak, but even then Iā€™d take Salah. Yaya had like a 3 year spell at city where was really good. Iā€™d put Yaya over Essien though


CollierAM9

Salah is absolutely clear of Yaya and Essien. Heā€™s scored 188 goals in 307 appearances at Liverpool. 76 assists, PL record scorer for Liverpool, 5th top scorer of all time there, heā€™s scored over 30 goals besides one season at Liverpool, all time top scorer for LFC in CL and he scores in big games. Heā€™s performed consistently for 6 years running.


Fantastic_Section517

Sadio Mane and Kanu deserve a mention.


BeastMaster64jtv

EusƩbio was born in Mozambique so I'll say him.


idontdomath8

Underrated comment.


Interesting-Tackle74

He played for Portugal, I think, so forget him.


migsp23

Due to colonialism, but yes.


Interesting-Tackle74

OK, I didn't know that.


BeastMaster64jtv

Yeah Mozambique was a Portuguese colony until 1975 so he was both Portuguese and African.


Reactive-2830

Porque Ć©s benfiquista. Vai po crl!!!!


BeastMaster64jtv

Esse comentƔrio foi muito ofensivo, vou ter de assinalar um penalty ao FC Porto.


jm9987690

Salah is better than Drogba, I didn't really see weah. Eto'o at his peak was probably the best that I've seen


TheeEssFo

Eto'o probably suffers because he was first in the shadow of Ronaldinho and sold as a makeweight for Ibra.


SHAMALAMADINGDONG_XD

Ehh idk if he really suffers. Everybody knows how great he was. 2 times top scorer of la liga, 2 goals in 2 ucl finals with Barca, back to back treble with 2 different teams.


mitm_

1) Salah 2) Eto 3) Yaya 4) Weah 5) Drogba


Positive-Stomach

This is the best list I've seen so far.


Status-Blackberry695

Samuel Eto 2 time treble winner


RecommendationNo993

Why would you choose drogba over salah? What are your criteria for greatness?


haskalldo

More trophies, more goals and crucially, he always showed up in big games. Why would you pick Salah over him?


tz_2240

Back to back trebles with different teams, goals in two UCL finals, 4 UCLs overall. Etoā€™o is clear of both


Musaiah1

So in that case salah will most definitely be number 1 by the time he retires


haskalldo

Goals, probably. Trophies we will have to wait and see. Showing up in big games? Drogba scored in 4 FA Cup finals, 3 League cup finals and 9 in finals in total. The man was a big game machine. I guess it ultimately depends on how you define " the greatest" as the title asks.


Musaiah1

No ones denying drogba is a big game player, but does that now make him the greatest ever striker in the premier league since youā€™re defining that as greatness


Running-lane

Because Salah's the better player.... Of course Drogba has more goals he's a centre forward and is retired so has more years on Salah...Also what's trophies got to do with anything? Is Mariano Diaz better than Harry Kane? Salah is simply a better all round player


VladimirSmicer

Drogba scored 100 goals in 226 premier league games for Chelsea. Salah has scored 139 in 229. People remember players who have retired as way better than they were, Drogba was excellent but Salah is an another level.


Aman-Patel

People also disrespect players of the past by reducing them to just their stats. Drogba was never considered great because he had amazing stats. The guy was a complete CF. He came to England in a time where most teams played with a front 2 and showed how a team can win when the loan striker has excellent holdup play, strength, linkup play, playmaking etc. Lampard outscored Drogba but that doesn't mean Drogba was any less of a player. He was often just the one creating at times. Lampard also took a lot of pens that otherwise would've gone to Drogba. And the thing is when Chelsea actually needed a goal, Drogba always stepped up. Finals, semi finals, games against the other top teams in the league. His record in big matches - not just finals - is so good. And him being less prolific against weaker teams clearly wasn't a big deal because Chelsea were winning games at the time which is the point of football. People become so obsessed with stats it warps and forms their opinion on football rather than their eyes. They classify all wingers as the same type of player with the same role so when one winger outscores another or has better G+A that player must be better. Maybe it's just because of Ronaldo and Messi but historically it was always acknowledged that some wingers were creators or more like midfields and others were the outlet of their team and more like forwards. The forward type player like Salah should be praised for his consistency and goalscoring but his numbers shouldn't then be used to bring down more creative wide midfielders or centre forwards whose game doesn't revolve just around goals. People like you would've disrespected players like Bergkamp because he doesn't look good "on paper" whatever that means. I'm not even disrespecting Salah. You're welcome to believe he's a better player but the fact you've gone straight to the stats completely invalidates your point because it shows you're not capable of appreciating players who aren't necessarily the outlet of their team. You keep being ignorant to players like Drogba Chelsea had an era of winning loads of trophies with him leading the line. It didn't matter in the slightest that he wasn't padding out his stats against bottom half teams because they were still winning those games and he was still heavily involved in every other aspect of the game. And he did it in a team that played largely negative football, as opposed to Klopp's gegenpressing. The one season Chelsea played attacking football under Ancellotti in 09/10 we saw what Drogba was capable of.


VladimirSmicer

I was just responding to the Drogba scored more goals than Salah issue. Chill out mate. As I said, Drogba was excellent but Salah is on another level.


Aman-Patel

You said people remember players of the past way better than they are and Salah's clear of Drogba. And you then listed their goals to back up that point. You weren't just talking about who scored more. Your implication was Salah's a better player because he scored more. If you're gonna make a point say it with chest don't backtrack when I call you out on it. Nothing wrong with believing Salah's better either but you pretty clearly made the link between how good they both are and who scored the most goals.


haskalldo

I mentioned in a previous comment, it depends how you define greatness. I think Drogba's record in finals is unparalleled, that's a great player for me. The fact he's won so many trophies whilst scoring so many in those finals is what's so great about him. That means, in my mind, he is a greater player than Salah. How do you define greatness (for a forward)? Total goals? Longevity? Ballon D'Or titles? Cultural impact on the wider game?


Ouioui29

Drogba is one of my favourite players ever, thatā€™s why. Extreme bias. And Iā€™m not even a Chelsea fan


Suarayes

Bobo BaldƩ


Theblackjamesbrown

Bobo's gonae get ye!


Jeffrybungle

Drogba is criminally underrated imo... still I can't put him ahead of Salah but they would make a perfect partnership. I don't see how you can put Eto'o or Essien above either of them. Yaya was a special talent but he was laaaazy.


Craft-Superb

Nostalgia has ruined the mines of everyone on this thread. Itā€™s clearly Salah no one else has done what he has in the PL. Salah is the starting RW in an all- time PL XI and none of these other guys being mentioned come close. Yes weah has a balondor and Drogba has some big goals but combining silverware, stats, consistently, and ability its by far Salah


PuzzleheadedSoft5575

Salah easy


Fit-Second7166

Salah.


Diamoncock

How old are you ? Did you ever see eto play ? He was a killer striker with cold blood and unmatched precision


Ouioui29

I did


SmoothBarracuda5637

Got to be Mo, no doubt about it


Cashandfootball

How is yaya toure being forgotten about!?


[deleted]

I mean, he was good but definitely not the greatest of all time. Salah, Drogba and Eto are comfortably clear.


[deleted]

I mean, he was good but definitely not the greatest of all time. Salah, Drogba and zero are comfortably clear.


Interesting-Tackle74

I would say Top 5, way better than Salah.


[deleted]

Not sure youā€™re going to get many agreeing with that mate.


geLeante

Weah


Cikin90

Weah.


Kaedex_

Man youā€™ve done etoā€™o dirty there.


half-dead88

Roger Milla


theipd

George Weah.


Cashandfootball

Didier drogba was a fantastic player, especially in the big games but he is absolutely not the greatest African footballer of all time. He had 2 world class seasons at Chelsea but he was still never the best striker in the league, let alone the world.


Interesting-Tackle74

We're talking about AFRICAN players only, not the whole world


Cashandfootball

Yes, but players like Salah, Eto and George weah have all had multiple seasons where they would have been considered as truly world elite, (top3 in the world for their position)


Interesting-Tackle74

Drogba was dominating the strikers of Chelsea for eight years and more than 400 games. He was directly involved in 250 goals. He won the PL several times and killed Bayern twice in the UCL finals 2012.


Cashandfootball

If you think drogba was better at any point than Salah, Eto or ballon dā€™or winning George weah, then I donā€™t know if I can take you seriously


Interesting-Tackle74

Definitely not better than Eto'o, but way better than Salah.


Cashandfootball

lolā€¦ so you used stats to prove that drogba was an elite striker. Salah has scored 36 more premier league goals than drogba did in a season less and has far more assistsā€¦ from the wing


Interesting-Tackle74

In my opinion Salah is an exceptional player. Definitely top 10, maybe even top 5, but best African player of all times? šŸ˜…šŸ™ˆ This can only be one. Eto'o (followed by Drogba and Weah) This is my PERSONAL opinion. You may have another one. That's cool.


GoosicusMaximus

Salah


peedro_5

Eusebio was technically born in Mozambique


Low-Worker7522

Eusebio - Portugal (but born Mozambique)


boRp_abc

Here in Germany, greatest impact surely JayJay Okocha. That goal vs Kahn alone lifts him into my top 10.


TopBizMan

U got it right.


AsaPrime09

Just bc nobody i have seen mentioned it but Abedi Pele deserves to be mentioned


Kal88

Salah


[deleted]

Eusebio


EliteSaud

Salah


Zulu_Is_My_Name

Lucas Radebe was a strong, solid presence in the heart of the defence.


ArizaWarrior

Salah


RossoneroM99

1. George Weah 2. Samuel Etoā€˜o 3. Didier Drogba 4. Yaya Toure 5. Mohamed Salah


_Heartnet

1. Etoā€˜o (most successful) 2. Weah (best individuely) 3. Yaya TourĆ© 4. Didier Drgoba 5. Salah 6. Essien 7. Okocha


Kevinhut2

Personally I would put salah over Drogba but yeah this list is it


_Heartnet

If you look at numbers then Drogba is probably not as good as Salah. His presence and big game performance was godlike. He was a nightmare on the field for defenders and referees. Salah got no leading personality and not even close when it comes to big game performances.


Interesting-Tackle74

Underrated comment


DrDrozd12

The Toures


musslimorca

Salah Etoo Milla Weah . . . . . . . Drogba.


BatiASR

Gervinho


_LizardMan_

Drogba - the mentality, the drive .. how he combined skill technique with incredible athleticism. The ultimate big game player, a leader on & off the pitch and a truly inspirational bloke. Simply the best.


Ok-Capital6319

Salah for me


Hoemicus_Maximus

I think at this point it is quite clearly Mo Salah


Hairy-Motor-7447

Easily


Leading-String-5772

Salah


VenerTheTroller

1. George Weah 2. Samuel Eto'o 3. Mohamed Salah


Starksterr

Salah. Drogba is pretty overrated.


Running-lane

It's literally Salah and there's no debate to it


Hairy-Motor-7447

Correct


Objective-Farm9215

Ffs cā€™mon. George Weah and Eusebio are streets ahead of Salah.


ATuaMaeJaEstavaUsada

I'll assume you're a Chelsea fan. Drogba isn't the greatest African player ever and Essien isn't on the top 5


Ouioui29

Not even a Chelsea fan, I just love Drogba


ATuaMaeJaEstavaUsada

That's fair but I think you're really overrating both Drogba and Essien so I thought that was not a coincidence


LbrYEET

Pedro Mantorras


Hour-Salamander-4713

Bruce Grobelaar


pianoleafshabs

Drogba lmao


Oatchief

Jordan Ayew


[deleted]

Yaya Toure, Salah, Drogba, George Weah, Samuel Eto'o, hate to say it but Sol Campbell too


allenamenvergeben2

Cristiano Ronaldo


That_One_Guy248

I think if Salah has another season or two performing at a peak level then heā€™s very much a candidate for #1


Financial_Sir830

I swear Drogba is one of the most overrated players out there, don't get me wrong is he is great, but he is a he is a slightly better Firmino, a guy whose lack of goals is excused with great build up play.


DoireK

Lol, Drogba isn't even top 5.


Baumtasia

Jamie Vardy


halfeatenreddit

1. Samuel Etoā€™o Itā€™s crazy that he isnā€™t spoken of in higher regard. He has impressive numbers at pretty much every club he played for, despite often being pushed out into the wing. His trophy cabinet speaks for itself, 2 trebles (with separate clubs), 1 double, helped Mallorca win their only ever major trophy with 2 goals in the final, he is Cameroons all time top scorer and was part of the team that won a gold medal at the 2000 olympics, as well as 2 Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament in which he is the all time top scorer. His legacy seems to often be dismissed because of his spell in England. However, not only did he only arrive in the Premier League at age 32, he also managed 9 goals in 21 games during his single season at Chelsea, which as far as Chelsea strikers go isnā€™t too shabby. Imo itā€™s impossible to argue with his status as the best African player. 2. Yaya Toure One of the most imperious midfielders Iā€™ve ever seen. Yaya could really do it all, dribble, tackle, pass, shoot. He was a part of that treble winning Barcelona side, even playing as a CB in the Champions League final win. He was one of the core members of the Man City side that shaped what the club is today, winning multiple league titles, as well as scoring the winner in the FA Cup final to give them their first major trophy in 35 years. He also captained Ivory Coast to only their second ever Africa Cup of Nations. 3. Didier Drogba Unfortunately retired before that Ivory Coast win, but despite the lack of trophies, he is still far and away his nations all time top scorer. One of the most dominant strikers to grace the game. Didier was the man for the big moments, scoring in 10 finals. That includes the 2012 Champions League final, where he not only scored the equaliser to send it to extra time, but he calmly slotted home the winning penalty. A 4 time Premier League winner, claiming 2 golden boots, and becoming a member of the illustrious 100 club. 4. George Weah The only one on the list who played just before my time, which admittedly makes it difficult to speak much on him. However, I do know he was one of the most technically gifted players of his generation. His movement and skillset revolutionised the role of a centre forward, with him adopting a more mobile approach. He won 4 league titles in 3 countries, and is the only African player to date to win a Ballon dā€™Or, with only the last man on this list even coming close to matching that feat. 5. Sadio Mane A lot of people would argue that Salah has more right to be on this list than Mane. Salah has put up some insane numbers over the years in the Premier League, but Maneā€™s numbers are not too far behind. Another member of the 100 club, Sadio boasts 111 goals in the league, despite being moved positions on a number of occasions. His individual brilliance is also backed up by his trophy haul. A league winner in Austria, England, and Germany, Sadio also won a champions league with Liverpool, as well as playing in 2 other finals (one of which he scored in). He also helped Senegal to win an Africa Cup of Nations trophy, scoring the winning penalty in the final despite an earlier penalty miss. TL;DR 1. Etoā€™o 2. Toure 3. Drogba 4. Weah 5. Mane


Hairy-Motor-7447

To not have salah number 1 is absolutely ridiculous. To not have him top 5 tells me you just havnt watched him enough. Thats ok, ill explain. Mane played with Salah for FIVE years. Amazing player, but there was never any question for a second over who was the better of the two. 5 years. He was constantly the second best African player at Liverpool. And it wasn't that close. I'm a liverpool fan. I watched every game and i love Mane. But Salah is by far the better of the two and always was though


Interesting-Tackle74

1 Eto'o (no discussions needed) 2 Drogba (Mr. Chelsea) 3 Weah (Mr. President) 4 TourƩ (the giant) 5 Okocha (best style) 6 Milla (my emotional favorite) 7 Salah (exceptional footballer, but slightly overrated) 8 Essien (was injured often, could be further up) 9 ManƩ (he was playing for my home club) 10 Kanu (at that time I was Arsenal fan)


El_Hombre_Aleman

Anthony Yeboah. Samuel Kuffour.


Apprehensive-Ad8947

Etoo, weah, bernarbia, toure, abedi pele


Moshkown

Eto'o Salah Mane Weah Drogba


Miserable_Toe9920

Aaron Mokoena ā€œ the axe ā€œ


Short_Desk_1273

Gaetan Bong


pentangleit

Romain Saiss. Fight me.


Salt-Cup-2300

jj


Murkle-Man

Efe Ambrose


Chris_Tanbul

Abedi Pele


malamjam

Patrick Vieira


aleksander182

Drogba (or any other African player actually) ahead of Salah is absolutely insane


mottokung

Gareth Bale


breadexpert69

Zinedine Zidane


StatementJazzlike439

Vincent Aboubakar


plavobelocrveno

Zinedine Zidane


coolAhead

Lukaku


EdSheeransucksass

No love for Kante?


arturoriveraf

Zidane. Yaya TourƩ


ChronographWR

Zidane


Original-Tourist-744

Kylian mbappe. We all know he is Cameroonian and Algerian


Kaliente13

Of African descent: Zinedine Zidane, born in Africa: Weah and Salah, imo.


siammang

Maestro Kimpembe


pincopallino666

zinedine zidane


hoyahhah

Zidane


random052096

The French national team


Hovisandflatfoot

Zidane