African football has a history of excellent exports. The continent is one born with rich talent and excellent players who have made and still make massive waves in European football.
Throughout the years, we have seen great African players play huge roles in top European Clubs and increase the pedigree of African football abroad. Most of the time, these teams have just one African player in them but there have been instances where there have been more than one African player playing a key role on the team.
In this article, we highlight some of the best African duos.
Finidi George and Kanu Nwankwo – Ajax Amsterdam
This very talented Nigerian duo kicks off the list. High flying winger, Finidi George and Kanu Nwankwo played together for an Ajax side coached by Dutch football icon, Louis Van Gaal.
They were so popular at the time and often dominated Super Eagles News and even African football news in general.
Both players spent the early parts of their careers at Ajax and were able to win major honors. Together they won a total of eight major trophies including a UEFA Champions League and three straight Dutch Eredivisie titles.
Till date, Nwankwo Kanu remains the Nigerian with the most UEFA Champions League appearances.
Wondering what could make me smile and rekindle my belief in the entity called Nigeria and I stumbled on this picture of Nwankwo Kanu and Finidi George after winning the UEFA Champions League with Ajax in 1995. The land is indeed GREEN. Nigeria will be sweet again. pic.twitter.com/ID5Wg3NkBv
— Godwin Enakhena (@genakhena) May 7, 2020
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane – Liverpool
One of the more famous African duos in modern football, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane played together as the wing pairing in Jurgen Klopp’s great Liverpool team.
Both players offered pace, energy and several goal contributions to what was one of the greatest Premier League teams in recent history.
Together, they won a UEFA Champions League, a Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao cup. Both players have also been crowned African Footballer of the year twice while playing together at Liverpool.
Both sides made it to the finals of AFCON 2021 but it was Sadio Mane's Senegal that ended up victorious. Once again, the duo will be one of the top players to watch out for at AFCON 2023.
Yaya Toure and Samuel Eto’o – Barcelona
These teammates were part of arguably the greatest team to have ever been assembled. Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o and Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure played together for the Barcelona team that ruled the world under Pep Guardiola.
Both players today will be remembered as two of the greatest of their generation in their positions and they have the silverware to show for it. They won one La Liga title, UEFA Champions League and Copa Del Rey treble together at Barcelona in the 2008/2009 season.
Dider Drogba, John Obi Mikel – Chelsea
In a period that saw Chelsea have great African players like Solomon Kalou and Micheal Essien, Didier Drogba and John Obi Mikel are the ones that stand out.
The Nigerian midfielder and the Ivorian striker are among the longest serving Chelsea players and are seen as club greats due to their longevity and contribution to several title winning seasons.
John Obi Mikel's 2012 final display 🏆#UCL pic.twitter.com/QYgd0LgIMa
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 22, 2023
They were key cogs in the Chelsea machine that solidified the Blues as a major player in the Premier League during the Abramovich era.
Together, both players were important figures in a squad that won two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups and one UEFA Champions League.
Emmanuel Adebayor and Emmanuel Eboue – Arsenal
This duo played together as part of a young and exciting team that played wonderful football for Arsenal. Adebayor was a prolific goalscorer who also possessed flair and skill while Eboue was a powerful right back.
@BFooli bring back the infamous Henry, Adebayor, Eboue pic.twitter.com/Wt3vk3UM3G
— The Weekdy (@koni_108) March 11, 2015
Their time together at Arsenal did not yield silverware as there were more dominant teams in that time period but they constantly challenged at the top of the Premier League and played UEFA Champions League football on a consistent basis.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 month ago
