African Players have lost their Midas Touch in European Cup Competitions

The UEFA Champions League is set for an exciting knockout stage after the Round of 16 draw took place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. Following a thrilling revamped group phase, which saw unforgettable matches and a dramatic final day with all 36 teams playing simultaneously, the competition now enters an equally thrilling phase. Among the standout ties, Premier League leaders Liverpool will face French champions Paris Saint-Germain in what promises to be the tie of the round. Defending champions Real Madrid will meet city rivals Atletico Madrid, while Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen will square off. Meanwhile, teams like Arsenal and Barcelona have been handed more favorable matchups. The first legs of the last-16 ties are scheduled for March 4 and 5, with the second legs to follow on March 11 and 12.

• Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
• Borussia Dortmund vs Lille
• PSV vs Arsenal
• Real Madrid vs Atletico
• Feyenoord vs Inter
• Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen
• Benfica vs Barcelona
• PSG vs Liverpool

The draw also established the tournament’s path, with the bracket now set all the way through to this season’s final on May 31 in Munich.

In the UEFA Champions League 2024 final, the only African players on the matchday squad were Brahim Diaz and Sebastien Haller. Haller played for Borussia Dortmund, who lost 2-0 to Real Madrid, coming on in the 80th minute, just three minutes before Vinicius Junior scored the second goal to seal Real Madrid’s 15th title. Haller, currently on loan at Utrecht from Dortmund, scored just one goal in four appearances during the 2023/24 season.

The 2023 final saw two African players on each team’s roster. Andre Onana, the goalkeeper for Inter Milan, was the only African on the field for the losing side, while Riyad Mahrez was an unused substitute for Manchester City, who won 1-0 thanks to a Rodri goal. Onana kept eight clean sheets in 13 appearances that season. Mo Salah was the second-highest scorer with eight goals, while Victor Osimhen scored five.

In the 2022 final, Liverpool featured four African players: starters Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, Naby Keita, who came on in the 77th minute, and unused substitute Joel Matip. Unfortunately, Liverpool lost 1-0 to Real Madrid, with Vinicius Junior scoring in the 59th minute. Mane scored five goals in 13 appearances, two of which came in back-to-back semi-final games. Salah netted eight goals in 13 matches, with one goal in the Round of 16 knockout stages. Sebastien Haller scored 11 goals, while Riyad Mahrez finished with seven.

In the 2021 final, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez was the only African player on the losing side for the full 90 minutes. Chelsea featured Edouard Mendy in goal and unused substitute Hakim Ziyech. Chelsea won 1-0 thanks to Kai Havertz’s first-half goal, with Mendy making the Champions League team of the season after keeping nine clean sheets in 12 appearances. Mo Salah and Youssef En-Nesyri both finished the season with six goals.

In the 2020 final, Idrissa Gana Gueye and Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting were both on the Paris Saint-Germain bench in their 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich, with Kingsley Coman scoring the only goal in the 59th minute. Gana Gueye remained an unused substitute, while Choupo-Moting came on in the 80th minute. Hakim Ziyech recorded five assists, while Riyad Mahrez had four.

The last final where African players truly shone was in 2019, when Liverpool triumphed 2-0 over Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs had Serge Aurier and Victor Wanyama as unused substitutes, while Liverpool started three African players: Joel Matip, Mo Salah, and Sadio Mane. Salah scored a second-minute penalty, and Liverpool went on to win. Ziyech and Mane made the squad of the tournament. Moussa Marega finished the season with six goals, Salah had five, and Riyad Mahrez provided four assists.

Mo Salah is the African player with the most goals in the UEFA Champions League, boasting 47 goals in 86 appearances and currently sitting 14th in the all-time rankings. Didier Drogba follows closely in 17th with 44 goals in 92 appearances, while Samuel Eto’o is 28th with 30 goals in 78 matches, and Sadio Mane is 40th with 27 goals in 63 appearances.

Georges Weah, the former President of Liberia and the only African to win the Ballon d’Or, was PSG’s and the competition’s top scorer during the 1994-95 season.

Rabah Madjer made history as the first African player to score in a European Cup final and win the title in 1987. Eto’o joined this exclusive list when he scored a crucial equalizer for Barcelona in the 2006 final against Arsenal in Paris, becoming the first African player to score in multiple finals—he also netted against Manchester United in 2009. From 2010 onwards, Premier League-based African stars such as Drogba, Salah, and Mane further expanded the list.

The first African footballer to win a European Champions League final was Bruce Grobbelaar, a goalkeeper born in Durban, South Africa, who represented Zimbabwe internationally. Grobbelaar won the European Champions Cup (the predecessor of the modern Champions League) with Liverpool in the 1983/84 season.

Samuel Eto’o holds the record for the most Champions League medals among African players, having won the title three times. He secured two UCL trophies with Barcelona (2005/06 and 2008/09) and another with Inter Milan (2009/10).

Only three African players have won multiple Champions League titles: Geremi with Real Madrid (2000 and 2002), Seydou Keita with Barcelona (2009 and 2011), and Samuel Eto’o with Barcelona and Inter Milan. Eto’o was named Man of the Match in Barcelona’s 2006 final victory over Arsenal, while Didier Drogba earned the same honor in Chelsea’s 2012 shootout win over Bayern Munich.

A total of 28 African players have won the European Cup/Champions League, with 26 of those victories occurring in the post-1992 Champions League era. Bruce Grobbelaar (Zimbabwe) and Rabah Madjer (Algeria) are the only African players to have won the European Cup before 1992, with Liverpool and Porto, respectively. Since the Champions League’s inception in 1992, African players have consistently been part of winning squads, from Ghana’s Abedi Pele with Marseille in 1993 to Morocco’s Brahim Diaz with Real Madrid in 2024.

The first African-born player to feature in a European Champion Clubs’ Cup final was Just Fontaine, born in Marrakech, Morocco, who played for Stade de Reims in the 1958/59 final, where they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid.

The first African-born players to win a European Champion Cup final were Alberto Costa Pereira (born in Mozambique), Joaquim Santana (born in Angola), José Águas (born in Angola), and Mário Coluna (born in Mozambique), who all claimed the trophy with SL Benfica in 1960/61. Though they were born in Africa, they were regarded as Portuguese players and represented the Portuguese national team.

For decades, African players have shaped European football with their distinct talent, style, and passion. From humble beginnings, they are now essential to top European clubs. African players began making their mark in Europe in the early 20th century. Larbi Benbarek, known as the « Black Pearl, » was the first African to join a major European club. Moving from Morocco to France, he broke barriers and inspired future generations, proving that African players could excel in European leagues.

Rachid Mekhloufi, an Algerian forward, continued this trend in the 1950s with AS Saint-Étienne, gaining widespread recognition and becoming a role model for aspiring African footballers. These pioneers paved the way for the surge of African talent in the years that followed.

As of the 2024-25 season, Serhou Guirassy leads the goalscoring standings with 10 goals, while Borussia Dortmund has qualified for the Round of 16.

The best-known Africans left in the competition are:

• Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge)
• Ramiz Zerrouki (Feyenoord)
• Aissa Mandi, Nabil Bentaleb (Lille)
• Edmond Tapsoba, Amine Adli, Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen)
• Ramy Bensebaini, Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund)
• Thomas Partey (Arsenal)
• Reinildo Mandava (Atletico Madrid)
• Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
• Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid)
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Now that the matchups are set, we can try to determine who has the easiest and toughest path to glory. While we humans can make our best guesses, analytics can offer a more precise picture of how each team’s chances have shifted based on their potential opponents for the rest of the competition.

Here’s what the data tells us:

After finishing top of the group stage, Liverpool entered the knockout draw as the favorites to win the tournament. However, they’ve been handed the toughest possible challenge, facing PSG in the Round of 16. Despite this difficult draw, Liverpool still has a higher chance of lifting the trophy than any other team.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have been the most affected by the draw. Their chances of winning a first-ever Champions League title have taken the biggest hit. They will face PSV in the Round of 16, a team they defeated 4-0 at home last season (with a 1-1 draw away) and will likely feel confident against. However, with one of the Madrid sides potentially waiting in the quarterfinals and possibly Liverpool in the semifinals, their path to the title is far from straightforward.

Bayer Leverkusen have benefited the most from the draw, with their chances of winning the Champions League increasing by 1.2%. Real Madrid’s chances have risen by 1.1%, while PSG’s chances (8.8%) remain unchanged.

These are just predictions, of course. The real outcome will only be decided on the pitch by the end of May.

African players have made a lasting impact on European football, bringing skill, creativity, and passion to the game. Their achievements have inspired future generations across the continent. As African talent continues to shine, their stories stand as a tribute to Africa’s rich footballing history. This legacy not only cements the continent’s place in global football but also ensures its influence continues to grow with every season.

Elume Raymond™ is a seasoned sports writer with more than a decade of experience in the field. He leverages data and analytics to deliver in-depth analysis across a wide range of sports events and topics, from regional competitions to global tournaments. Passionate about sports, Elume Raymond™ is dedicated to sharing his enthusiasm with his audience, offering captivating stories and unique perspectives that engage and inspire.