Sport
Who are the top African scorers in Champions League history?
African football has come a long way in the 21st century with some of the sport’s biggest stars now hailing from the world’s forgotten continent. The biggest African stars often find themselves stealing the headlines, thanks to their goal scoring exploits. Whether it was from stunning strikes, memorable celebrations or even lifting the trophy itself, it’s hard not to smile when you see how far some of Africa’s top players have come in the past few years. But just who are the top African scorers in Champions League history?
6 top African scorers in Champions League history
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang (15 goals)
There is no doubting that Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is one of the best finishers in the game today and his total of 15 Champions League goals proves that. The remarkable thing is that the Gabonese talisman achieved all of these with just one club – Borussia Dortmund.
During his time in Germany, Aubameyang was one of Europe’s most deadly finishers and this was best seen in the 2016/17 edition of the Champions League. In a campaign where Dortmund reached the last eight, Aubameyang scored 7 goals in 9 games including a memorable hat-trick against Benfica to send them to the quarter finals. A true star no matter who he faces.
Sadio Mane (18 goals)
With pace and skill to spare, Sadio Mane has been a pivotal part of Liverpool’s transformation into a world class outfit. Therefore, seeing his total of 18 goals shouldn’t be a surprise to any football fan. The Senegalese winger is often at the heart of Liverpool’s best work and has been doing this for several seasons now at Anfield. His 10 goals in 13 games helped Liverpool reach a surprise final spot in the 2017/18 season underlining just how decisive his work can be.
Furthermore, Mane has netted six of those goals against Portuguese side FC Porto – a record for any Liverpool player scoring against a foreign club. How much higher will be go in our list of the top African scorers in Champions League history?
Seydou Doumbia (19 goals)
One of football’s elite journeymen, Seydou Doumbia has proven that he is one of Europe’s most underappreciated strikers in recent memory. Nothing proves this more for the Ivorian than his 19 goals in Europe’s elite competition. These goals have come for many of Europe’s lesser known sides such as FC Basel, Sporting Lisbon and CSKA Moscow.
It was his time in Russia that Doumbia was at his best scoring the majority of those goals. This included an incredible 6 goals in 8 goals during the 2015-16 season where an impressive hat trick against Sporting Lisbon enabled CSKA to reach the group stages of the club itself. A strong effort for someone who never shone for any of Europe’s giant teams.
Samuel Eto’o (33 goals)
For a long time, Samuel Eto’o held every record an African player could hold. The Cameroonian superstar was at the helm of a Barcelona team that dominated the Champions League in the mid-2000s. His best time with the Spanish club came in the 2008/09 season where he scored 6 goals in 11 games including the winning goal in the final against Manchester United to secure the title.
He carried this form over with him to Inter Milan winning the title against just one season later. His best continental campaign would come just one season later scoring 8 goals in 10 games although Inter would crash out in the last eight. Having also scored for the likes of Chelsea, Real Mallorca and Anzhi Makhachkala, there is no doubting the legacy that Samuel Eto’o has left behind and he sits third on our list of African Champions League scorers.
Mohamed Salah (34 goals)
When Mo Salah burst onto the scene with FC Basel in 2012, few would’ve expected him to become the superstar he is today. However, the Egyptian superstar has become one of football’s brightest talents and his 34 Champions League goals is concrete proof of that, putting him second on the list of all-time African scorers.
Whilst his time with Roma and Chelsea in the competition was rather muted, his form with Liverpool has been the total opposite. His debut year with The Reds in the 2017/18 campaign saw him net 11 goals in 13 games helping them reach the final and then win it just one year later. His form earnt him the title of UEFA Men’s Best Player in 2018 and has proved him to be one of the best forwards in world football.
Didier Drogba (44 goals)
When it comes to football, few players have gained a cult following like Didier Drogba has. Drogba is revered by fans across the world whether it was from his time in France or England. After scoring 5 goals in the 2003/04 competition for Marseille, it brought him a move to Chelsea where he truly moved to another level.
Drogba averaged a goal every 2 games each season with Chelsea and his goal in the 2012 Champions League final was the catalyst that helped The Blues beat Bayern Munich to win their first ever title and that game’s Man of the Match award. Having also scored in the tournament with Turkish side Galatasaray, it was hardly surprising to see Drogba issued with the prestigious UEFA President’s Award in 2020 for all that he achieved in the sport including being the highest scoring African player in Champions League history.
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