There have been strong links between Africa and Ligue 1 for decades, and many players from the continent have written impressive pages in their careers in the French Championship. Top 20 African players in Ligue 1 history
A look back at the best African players in Ligue 1 history.
Top 20 best African players in Ligue 1 history
- Rigobert Song
Rigoberto Song was a highly experienced central defender. He began his French career with Metz, and from 1994 to 1998 wrote a great page in the club’s history, playing over 120 games and winning the League Cup in 1996.
After spells in Italy and England, he returned to France and joined RC Lens in 2002. He is one of the team’s leaders and captain, and has played over 80 games for the Northerns.
- Emmanuel Adebayor
Before Emmanuel Adebayor began delighting Europe’s top clubs in the Premier League and La Liga, he learned his lesson in Ligue 1.
He initially trained with FC Metz, but it was with AS Monaco that he made the greatest strides before joining Arsenal. In three seasons with the Principality, he played 115 games and scored over 25 goals.
With Monaco, he was a finalist in the Champions League in 2004.
- El-Hadji Diouf
He was one of the figures of League One. El Hadji Diouf left his mark on the Ligue 1 championship, but only lasted four seasons in the league and never won a trophy.
He began his career with Sochaux at the age of just 18 and soon moved on to Stade René, where he caught the eye of RC Lens. It was there that he developed the most, built up a good reputation and became one of Bollar’s favorites.
A complete dribbler, goalscorer and passer, he delighted RC Lens fans for two seasons before moving to the Premier League and Liverpool, where he developed a bad-boy image.
- Souleymane Camara
Sulemain Kamara is undoubtedly the record holder for the most games played in Ligue 1 by an African player.
The Senegalese player played 423 matches in the French Championship for clubs such as AS Monaco, EA Guingamp, OGC Nice and Montpellier HSC.
But it was at Montpellier in particular that he shone and became a legend. He spent 13 seasons with La Paillard, consecrated in 2012 and won QSI’s French Championship title over Paris Saint-Germain.
- Seydou Keita
Seydou Keita is remembered by many for his time with Barcelona and Seville, but before bringing joy to Spanish soccer, it was on the Ligue 1 pitch that his talent could be admired.
The midfielder trained with Marseille, but failed to make the grade and was loaned out to Lorient. He played one season in the second division with the Lorient club, before leading the team back to Ligue 1 the following season.
The same year he won the Coupe de France with Merlus. He was then loaned out to Reims, but never returned to Lorient. Perhaps his best experience was in France, where blood and money swirled. Even if he didn’t win the trophy, he was to become a legend at RC Lens, playing over 200 games and scoring some twenty goals for the team from the north of France.
- Taye Taiwo
Taiye Teiwo was part of the last Marseille team to win the French league title. He was one of the key players.
He stopped Vélodrome with a powerful punch that traveled a long distance. He played several times in the standard team at the end of the Ligue 1 season, winning the treble, the Championship, the Coupe de France and the Trophée des Champions in 2010. They also won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2011.
- Moussa Sow
Moussa Sou was unplayable in the 2010-2011 season. He was part of the LOSC team that became champions that year, and also won the Coupe de France final. A season in which Moussa Sou shone, becoming Ligue 1’s top scorer with 25 goals. Before Lille, he delighted Rennes during the training camp.
- Shabani Nonda
Shabani Nonda was in Ligue 1 for seven seasons in total, starting his career in France with Stade René in 1998 before taking his talent and skill north, starting his career with AS Monaco from 2000 to 2005. He then moved south.
His best year was 2003, when he won the League Cup with Monaco and became the league’s top scorer with 26 goals. In 2004, they also reached the Champions League final. He has scored over 100 goals in 200 Ligue 1 matches.
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of the most memorable players in ASSE’s recent history. However, the Gabonese already had experience of several Ligue 1 clubs. First it was Dijon, then Lille, then Monaco and finally Saint-Etienne.
His story finally began with Les Verts. He scored 40 goals in around 80 games and won the Coupe de la Ligue with La Santé, but that was the last trophy won by ASSE.
- Marc-Vivien Foé
Sadly, everyone knows the tragic story of Marc-Vivian Foet. Sadly, the defensive midfielder died during the 2003 Confederations Cup semi-final at Stade de Gerland. On that day, at the age of 28, the soccer world lost a player of great talent.
He was double French champion with Reims and Lyon, and also won the League Cup with over 170 matches and some twenty goals. The lion isn’t dead, he’s asleep.
- Rachid Mekhloufi
Rachid Mekrofi has an unusual history linked to Algeria. His first success with AS Saint-Etienne was impressive. He then left the club during the Algerian war.
At the time, he was a member of the French national team and had a good chance of playing in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.
He decided to form an FLN team with other Algerians and fled to Tunisia. He played a few games with this team, but was later disbanded, playing for Servette Genève before returning to Saint-Etienne. He won the French Championship four times with ASSE and also won the French Cup. He played 341 matches and scored over 150 goals.
- Mahamadou Diarra
Diarra tiptoed into France from the Netherlands and won’t be a starter just yet. However, thanks to his exceptional qualities, he will soon become one of them. He formed an exceptional midfield at Olympique Lyonnais alongside Juninho and Michael Essien.
He not only won the French league title five times, but also the championship trophy four times. He joined Real Madrid in 2006 for 26 million euros, against the president’s wishes.
- Mamadou Niang
Mamadou Niant is one of the symbols of Olympique de Marseille. A symbol of the victorious OM, he was there to win their last league title in 2010. He scored 18 league goals that year.
Niand went on to score over 130 Ligue 1 goals, mainly for Marseille but also for Troyes and Strasbourg.
- Salif Keïta
Salifu Keita is an AS Saint-Etienne legend. He played 186 games for the Forest club and scored over 142 goals.
He was also Africa’s first Ballon d’Or winner, and won three French Championship titles, two French Cups and three Champions Trophies with Les Verts.
- Mustapha Dahleb
He was Paris Saint-Germain’s first big star. He wore the club’s uniform from 1974 to 1984. During this decade, he scored an impressive 98 goals in 310 matches.
He remains PSG’s seventh-highest scorer. During his Parisian adventures, he won the French Cup twice, in 1982 and 1983.
- Michael Essien
Michael Essien contributed to Lyon’s success in the 2000s. Originally from Bastia, he shone in the capital of the Gaules.
He not only won back-to-back league titles in 2004 and 2005, but also three league trophies at the same time. He then moved to Chelsea, where he played over 250 matches and won the Champions League.
- Abedi Pelé
Abedi Pelé was destined to be good with the ball. He represented a strong OM. He was so strong that he won the French championship three times, and in 1993 won the Champions League with Marseille.
He was also the man who played Bori’s passes. He also won the African Ballon d’Or three times and the African Cup of Nations in 1982.
- Hassan Akesbi
Hassan Akesbi may not be a household name, but he’s well worth knowing. With 173 goals, he is by far the top African scorer in Ligue 1 history, scoring most of his goals not only at Nîmes, where he stayed for six years, but also at Reims and Monaco.
- Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba left a lasting impression at OM and is still revered. Although he only spent one season at the club, he scored 37 goals in 61 games. Before arriving on the banks of the Canebières, he delighted Le Mans, but above all Guingamp, whom he saved from relegation.
- George Weah
Without doubt, Mr. George is the greatest African player ever to play in Ligue 1. He began his career in Monaco, France, but exploded in Paris.
Not only did he win the French league title in 1994, but also the Coupe de la Ligue and the Coupe de France in 1995. Of course, many nostalgic fans will remember his goal against Bayern Munich in 1994. He won the Ballon d’Or with Milan in 1995, but his performance for PSG would have played a big part.
Leave a Reply