Zimbabwe international Bruce Grobbelaar became the first player from an African nation to win the world's top club competition, with Liverpool in 1983/84, and plenty more African players have thrived in UEFA competitions since. Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o appeared in three Champions League final wins between 2006 and 2010, while Mohamed Salah (Egypt) and Sadio Mané (Senegal) starred as Liverpool added another European title in 2019. More recently, Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) won with Paris in 2025 and 2026.
Last updated: 30/05/2026
Most appearances by African nationals in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)
Watch goals by the top-scoring Africans in the Champions League
98: Mohamed Salah (EGY – Basel, Chelsea, Roma, Liverpool)
92: Didier Drogba (CIV – Marseille, Chelsea, Galatasaray)
78: Samuel Eto'o (CMR – Real Madrid, Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter, Chelsea)
77: Achraf Hakimi (MAR – Real Madrid, Dortmund, Inter, Paris)
76: Michael Essien (GHA – Lyon, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Milan)
72: Samuel Kuffour (GHA – Bayern München)
70: Yaya Touré (CIV – Olympiacos, Barcelona, Manchester City)
67: Kolo Touré (CIV – Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Celtic)
66: Emmanuel Eboué (CIV – Arsenal, Galatasaray)
64: Sadio Mané (SEN – Liverpool, Bayern)
Top-scoring African nationals in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)
Didier Drogba: Watch some of his best Champions League goals
50: Mohamed Salah (EGY – Basel, Chelsea, Roma, Liverpool)
44: Didier Drogba (CIV – Marseille, Chelsea, Galatasaray)
30: Samuel Eto'o (CMR – Real Madrid, Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter, Chelsea)
27: Sadio Mané (SEN – Liverpool, Bayern)
20: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (GAB – Dortmund, Chelsea, Marseille)
20: Riyad Mahrez (ALG – Leicester, Manchester City)
19: Serhou Guirassy (GUI – Rennes, Dortmund)
16: Victor Osimhen (NGR – Lille, Napoli, Galatasaray)
15: Seydou Doumbia (CIV – CSKA Moskva, Basel, Sporting CP)
1 4: Vincent Aboubakar (CMR – Porto, Beşiktaş)
Most appearances by African nationals in UEFA club competition (all rounds)*
Mali's Seydou Keita celebrates a goal for Barcelona in 2012
Mali's Seydou Keita celebrates a goal for Barcelona in 2012©Getty Images
146: Mohamed Salah (EGY – Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Roma, Liverpool)
116: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (GAB – Lille, Dortmund, Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Marseille)
113: Samuel Eto'o (CMR – Real Madrid, Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter, Anji, Chelsea, Everton)
111: Seydou Keita (MLI – Marseille, Lens, Sevilla, Barcelona, Valencia, Roma)
102: Didier Drogba (CIV – Marseille, Chelsea, Galatasaray)
94: Mady Camara (GUI – Olympiacos, Roma, PAOK)
91: Yaya Touré (CIV – Metalurh Donetsk, Olympiacos, Barcelona, Manchester City)
90: Samuel Kuffour (GHA – Bayern München, Roma, Livorno)
90: Kolo Touré (CIV – Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Celtic)
89: Kalidou Koulibaly (SEN – Genk, Napoli, Chelsea)
Top-scoring African nationals in UEFA club competition (all rounds)*
Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o after winning the 2010 Champions League final with Inter
Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o after winning the 2010 Champions League final with InterGetty Images
64: Mohamed Salah (EGY – Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Roma, Liverpool)
59: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (GAB – Lille, Dortmund, Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Marseille)
50: Didier Drogba (CIV – Marseille, Chelsea, Galatasaray)
48: Samuel Eto'o (CMR – Real Madrid, Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter, Anji, Chelsea, Everton)
35: Sadio Mané (SEN – Salzburg, Southampton, Liverpool, Bayern)
35: George Weah (LBR – Monaco, Paris, Milan)
32: Benni McCarthy (RSA – Ajax, Celta, Porto, Blackburn)
31: Frédéric Kanouté (MLI – Lyon, Sevilla)
29: Seydou Doumbia (CIV – Young Boys, CSKA Moskva, Roma, Basel, Sporting CP)
26: Victor Osimhen (NGR – Lille, Napoli, Galatasaray)
26: Vincent Aboubakar (CMR – Porto, Beşiktaş)
26: Emmanuel Adebayor (TGO – Monaco, Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Tottenham, Başakşehir)
Notable firsts
Chelsea's African pioneer, Derek Smethurst
Chelsea's African pioneer, Derek Smethurst©Getty Images
First African player to win a UEFA club competition
Derek Smethurst (RSA – Chelsea 3-2agg Real Madrid, 1971 European Cup Winners' Cup)
First African player to feature in a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final
Abdelkrim Merry (MAR – Bastia 0-3 PSV, 1978)
First African player to win (or feature) in a European Cup final
Bruce Grobbelaar (ZIM – Roma 1-1 Liverpool, aet, Liverpool win 4-2 on penalties, 1983/84)
First African player to score in a European Cup final
Rabah Madjer (ALG – Bayern 1-2 Porto, 1986/87)
First African player to win the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
Taribo West (NGR – Lazio 0-3 Inter, 1998)
First African player to win the UEFA Conference League
Nayef Aguerd (MAR – Fiorentina 1-2 West Ham, 2023)
Nation-by-nation: Most appearances by African players in UEFA club competition (all rounds)*
Algeria's Sofiane Feghouli in action for Galatasaray
Algeria's Sofiane Feghouli in action for GalatasarayANP Sport via Getty Images
Algeria – 66: Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia, West Ham, Galatasaray)
Angola – 25: Manuel Cafumana Show (Ludogorets, Maccabi Haifa)
Benin – 18: Babatounde Bello (Žilina, Spartak Trnava)
Botswana – NONE
Burkina Faso – 72: Charles Kaboré (Marseille, Krasnodar, Dinamo Moskva)
Burundi – 21: Youssouf Ndayishimiye (Başakşehir, Nice)
Cameroon – 113: Samuel Eto'o (Real Madrid, Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter, Anji, Chelsea, Everton)
Cape Verde – 57: Roberto Lopes (Shamrock Rovers)
Central African Republic – 25: Foxi Kéthévoama (Újpest, Kecskemét, Astana)
Chad – 23: Japhet N'Doram (Nantes, Monaco)
Comoros – 57: Ben (Olympiacos, Crvena Zvezda)
DR Congo's Dieudonné Mbokani celebrates a goal for Antwerp
DR Congo's Dieudonné Mbokani celebrates a goal for AntwerpAFP via Getty Images
DR Congo – 63: Chancel Mbemba (Anderlecht, Porto, Marseille, Lille)
Republic of Congo – 44: Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo (Club Brugge, Rapid Wien, Celtic, Başakşehir)
Djibouti – NONE
Egypt – 146: Mohamed Salah (Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Roma, Liverpool)
Equatorial Guinea – 12: Santiago Eneme (Sparta Praha)
Eritrea – 29: Henok Goitom (AIK Solna)Eswatini – NONE
Ethiopia – 1: Beneyam Demte (Skënderbeu)
Gabon – 116: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Lille, Dortmund, Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Marseille)
Gambia – 38: Demba Savage (Honka, HJK, Häcken)
Ghana – 90: Samuel Kuffour (Bayern München, Roma, Livorno)
Guinea's Mady Camara in action for Roma
Guinea's Mady Camara in action for RomaGetty Images
Guinea – 94: Mady Camara (Olympiacos, Roma, PAOK)
Guinea-Bissau – 26: Djú Franculino (Midtjylland)
Ivory Coast – 102: Didier Drogba (Marseille, Chelsea, Galatasaray)
Kenya – 33: Victor Wanyama (Celtic, Southampton, Tottenham)
Lesotho – NONE
Liberia – 67: Murphy Dorley (Riteriai, Slavia Praha)
Libya – 48: Al-Musrati (Vitória SC, Braga, Beşiktaş, Monaco)
Madagascar – 61: Anicet Abel (CSKA-Sofia, Botev Plovdiv, Ludogorets)
Malawi – 8: Charles Petro (Sheriff)
Mali – 111: Seydou Keita (Marseille, Lens, Sevilla, Barcelona, Valencia, Roma)
Mauritania's Beyatt Lekoueiry in action for Lausanne-Sport
Mauritania's Beyatt Lekoueiry in action for Lausanne-SportUEFA via Getty Images
Mauritania – 13: Beyatt Lekoueiry (Lausanne-Sport)
Mauritius – 4: Diallo Guidileye (AEL Limassol)
Morocco – 83: Hakim Ziyech (Heerenveen, Twente, Ajax, Chelsea, Galatasaray)
Mozambique – 35: Simão (Panathinaikos)
Namibia – 31: Collin Benjamin (Hamburg)
Niger – 47: Ali Mohamed (Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa)
Nigeria – 81=: Nwankwo Kanu (Ajax, Inter, Arsenal, Portsmouth), Peter Olayinka (Skënderbeu, Zulte Waregem, Slavia Praha, Crvena Zvezda)Rwanda – 37: Mohamed Tchité (Standard Liège, Anderlecht, Racing Santander, Club Brugge)
São Tomé and Principe – NONE
Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly during his time at Chelsea
Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly during his time at ChelseaGetty Images
Senegal – 89: Kalidou Koulibaly (Genk, Napoli, Chelsea)
Seychelles – NONE
Sierra Leone – 33: Mohamed Kamara (HJK, Partizan)
Somalia – 8: Liban Abdi (Ferencváros, Haugesund)
South Africa – 77: Benni McCarthy (Ajax, Celta, Porto, Blackburn)
South Sudan – NONE
Sudan – NONE
Tanzania – 56: Mbwana Samatta (Genk, Antwerp, PAOK)
Togo – 82: Emmanuel Adebayor (Monaco, Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Tottenham, Başakşehir)
Tunisia – 43: Karim Haggui (Strasbourg, Leverkusen, Hannover)
Uganda – 46: Ibrahim Sekagya (Salzburg)
Zambia – 40: Edward Chilufya (Djurgården, Midtjylland, Häcken)
Zimbabwe – 41: Costa Nhamoinesu (Sparta Praha)
Zimbabwe's Costa Nhamoinesu in action for Sparta in 2015
Zimbabwe's Costa Nhamoinesu in action for Sparta in 2015Getty Images
More like this?
Argentina's top Champions League performers
Belgium's top Champions League performers
Brazil's top Champions League performers
Croatia's top Champions League performers
Denmark's top Champions League performers
England's top Champions League performers
France's top Champions League performers
Germany's top Champions League performers
Italy's top Champions League performers
Netherlands' top Champions League performers
Poland's top Champions League performers
Portugal's top Champions League performers
Serbia's top Champions League performers
Spain's top Champions League performers
Switzerland's top Champions League performers
Türkiye's top Champions League performers
USA's top Champions League performers
Wales' top Champions League performers
Asia's top Champions League performers
Australia/New Zealand's top Champions League performers
Central and North America's top Champions League performers
South America's top Champions League performers
*UEFA club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, European/South American Cup, Finalissima, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup