All African players who have won the Champions League are listed in full below. More than a few African players have managed to write their names in golden letters on the pages of the UEFA Champions League, the greatest football club competition, throughout its history. This article is dedicated to those outstanding African football players who won the biggest competition in Europe.

African Beginnings in European Soccer

The first African player to win the European Cup which was later renamed as UEFA Champions League was Zimbabwean goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar. Born in Durban, South Africa, Grobbelaar played international football for Zimbabwe and lifted Liverpool to victory in the 1983/84 season of the European cup.

Before Grobbelaar made history, four other Africans had bagged a title with SL Benfica which happened during 1960/61 season. However, Alberto Costa Pereira, Joaquim Santana José Águas and Mário Coluna were from Portugal as they played for Portuguese national team.

African Champions League Winners: A Comprehensive List

Since then there has been a number of African players who have enjoyed winning the prestigious Champions League title. These talented Africans have been featured, including their clubs and countries, when they won this coveted title.

1980s:

• 1983/84: Bruce Grobbelaar (Zimbabwe) – Liverpool
• 1986/87: Rabah Madjer (Algeria) – FC Porto

1990s:

• 1992/93: Abedi Pele (Ghana) – Olympique de Marseille
• 1994/95: Finidi George (Nigeria) & Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria) – Ajax Amsterdam
• 1996/97: Ibrahim Tanko (Ghana) – Borussia Dortmund
• 1999/00 & 2000/01: Geremi (Cameroon) & Samuel Kuffour (Ghana) – Real Madrid & Bayern Munich

2000s:

• 2003/04: Benni McCarthy (South Africa) – FC Porto
• 2004/05: Djimi Traoré (Mali) – Liverpool
• 2005/06, 2008/09, & 2009/10: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) – FC Barcelona & Inter Milan
• 2008/09: Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast) & Seydou Keita (Mali) – FC Barcelona
• 2009/10: Sulley Muntari (Ghana) & McDonald Mariga (Kenya) – Inter Milan
• 2011/12: John Obi Mikel (Nigeria), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), & Michael Essien (Ghana) – Chelsea

2010s & 2020s:

• 2017/18: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) – Real Madrid
• 2018/19: Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Sadio Mané (Senegal), Joel Matip (Cameroon), & Naby Keita (Guinea) – Liverpool
• 2020/21: Edouard Mendy (Senegal) & Hakim Ziyech (Morocco) – Chelsea

The Future of African Footballers in the Champions League

The list of African players who won the Champions League is a testament to the continent’s immense footballing talent. From legends like Bruce Grobbelaar to modern-day stars such as Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané; African players made an impact on the history of the UEFA champion league. As this competition continues developing we can only be sure that best talents from this continent will always find themselves on grandest stages of Europe adding into already rich tapestry of Africans success stories in UCL.