A discussion that often breaks out in maquis and popular bars across Africa concerns who is the greatest African football player of all time. The choices vary greatly from country to country, as everyone tries to sweep the board. But there are a number of names that are always repeated across the continent.
One of the most popular is that of Liberian George Weah for being the only African player to win the Ballon d'Or. He was awarded it in 1995 while playing for AC Milan. That same year, he was also recognised as FIFA World Player of the Year. His physical power and ball control made him one of the best strikers of the 1990s. After retiring in 2003, he began a career as a politician which led him to become president of his country in 2018, but he had to step down when he was not re-elected in 2023.
Cameroon's Roger Milla is another of the most frequently mentioned. Especially for his exploits at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Now 38 and retired, he received a call from Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, asking him, bypassing the coach, to join the national team. He did. He came on in the second half of the matches and changed the game, scoring two goals against Romania to earn them a place in the Round of 16, where he scored two more against Colombia. In the end, the indomitable lions were eliminated in the quarter-finals by England 2-3 in extra time. But if there was one thing that made Milla famous in that competition, it was his goal celebration dance around the corner flag. A choreography that has inspired many other players.
Abédi Ayew, better known as Abédi Pelé won the African Ballon d'Or three years in a row: 1991, 1992, 1993. A feat unmatched by any other player. The Ghanaian also won the European Cup in 1993 with Olympique Marseille.
Nor is Didier Drogba usually missing from this list. The Ivorian came to be considered one of the best strikers in the world while playing for Chelsea, a team he helped win their first English Premier League title. In his home country, Côte d'Ivoire, he is regarded as a hero who is credited with playing a major role in the end of the first civil war (2002-2007).
Other names also come up, such as that of Samuel Eto'o, the current president of the Cameroonian football federation, or that of the Egyptian Mohamed Salah.
In the heat of discussions, I like to throw out the name of Eusebio, nicknamed the Black Panther. Portuguese player born in the then Lourenço Marques (Maputo). He won the Golden Ball in 1965 and the Golden Shoe as top scorer in 1968 and 1973. He is considered one of the greatest footballers of the 20th century. But with him there is a recurring debate as to whether he should be considered Mozambican or Portuguese. It is something that is never clarified.