T4kbaba:
Where is Rasheed Yekeen?

Ye-King!

pocohantas:


I see, always thought he ranks higher than Kanu. Did Kanu have heart disease when he was playing in these clubs?

yeah at inter. Was expected to retire but he made a comeback.

pocohantas:


I see, always thought he ranks higher than Kanu. Did Kanu have heart disease when he was playing in these clubs?

Only while he was at Inter Milan in Italy. After that, he bounced back really strong but it did slow him down just a bit.

pocohantas:
Who else scrolled through the list, looking for Jayjay Okocha?

He was a fanctic player but he never achieved anything to mention about him

ednut1:
won only olympics. Nothing at clubs level

That is the thing with Okocha. He didn't achieve much at all but he was so super talented that the world just could not ignore him. He was a player blessed by the football gods in terms of talent but it was not directly proportional to achievements.

Individually, he only won two BBC APOTY awards. Lost out every time too to Eto'o in the early 2000s for the CAF APOTY because Eto'o was doing great at a higher level and at a top club. Okocha was doing his for low level Bolton wanderers. While Okocha was saving Bolton from relegation, Eto'o was winning trophies at Barca and being among the top scorers too. Such is life.

Greatest African player of all times... George weah.... followed by Samuel Eto'o

This is actually my best thread for year 2018. Kudos to you bro. So much respect

naptu2:
Honourable mention.

Bruce Grobbelaar (Liverpool & Zimbabwe) 1984.

[img]http://naijachronicles.files./2018/12/agrob.jpg?w=584[/img]

Bruce Grobbelaar is one of my favourite goalkeepers of all times, not just because of his goalkeeping abilities, but also because of his eccentricities.

Grobbelaar was fond of dancing, wearing crazy masks, doing cartwheels, swinging from the cross bar, etc in order to confuse opposing players (he also scored quite a few goals). On one occasion when he did a couple of handstands that got the crowd roaring, his manager, Bill Paisley had to tell him to stop it because it might distract his own players. Paisley told him to save his tricks for testimonial matches.

[img]http://naijachronicles.files./2018/12/agrob2.jpg?w=584[/img]

Three Everton fans, dressed as jesters, ran on to the field during a Merseyside derby and taunted Grobbelaar with a placard that read " Bruce the clown". Liverpool was trailing 1-0 at the time and Grobbelaar said that the incident spurred him to play one of his best games ever in a derby.

Grobbelaar was the hero of Liverpool's 1984 European Cup final. That final was between Liverpool and Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The match ended 1-1 after extra time and so the game was decided by a penalty shoot out.

Grobbelaar started breakdancing as Italian legend Bruno Conti stepped up to take his penalty. Conti blasted the ball over the bar.

Francesco Graziani stepped up to take the penultimate kick for Roma and Grobbelaar turned around and started biting the net. This gave him an idea. He thought that the net felt like spaghetti, so he started wobbling his legs like spaghetti. Graziani also played the ball over the bar and Alan Kennedy stepped up, scored the last penalty and won the European Cup for Liverpool.

Bruce Grobbelaar's rubber legs in the 1984 European Cup final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2GyLdD1iwE

As I watched Thomas Ravelli's antics for Sweden at the 1994 World Cup in America and anytime that I see a player with a protective face mask or headgear (eg, Petr Cech), the first name that pops into my head is Bruce Grobbelaar.

Exactly what dudek did in the champions league final against ac Milan

One of the best posts I've read on this forum.

Very rich, well articulated, and informative.

Good thread...spoilt by the absence of okocha...even a lot of foreigners will tell u okocha is the greatest of them all

Ronaldinho didn't miss any resulting penalty against Arsenal in the 2005 champions league final.


Lehmann fouled Etoo outside the eighteen yard box.

Well-done Naptu2..You really tried.Superb compilation that took me down memory lane..

One of the well researched and best article I've read on Nairaland in a long while. Thanks Naptu2

yaya toure should be on the list.

What a list. Choke full of information.
Thanks op. This page is bookmarked

Had fun while reading through. Thank you op

pocohantas:
Who else scrolled through the list, looking for Jayjay Okocha?

Naaaah I didn't . Read through all
Happy new year

profmathsland:


Okocha made huge impact but not as much as the others listed here. In terms of pure talent alone, He remains the most gifted player and most talented no.10 to ever come out of the African continent. He didn't make Pele's best 100 of all time and the FIFA legends 100 for nothing naa. But beyond these, Okocha just didn't achieve enough compared to the guys listed here.

Guy let's stop celebrating mediocrity and let face the fact, in football you need to use your talent to achieve big and make impact failure to do so is typical waste.

OVA200:
Guy let's stop celebrating mediocrity and let face the fact, in football you need to use your talent to achieve big and make impact failure to do so is typical waste.

Did you read what I said at all? The fact is Okocha was no mediocre talent. Till today he is regarded as one of the finest footballers to ever come out of Africa. Pele, Maradona, Ronaldinho, Mesut Ozil, Djorkaeff and many many more all testify to Okocha's talents which went global. Only problem he had is his underachievements in terms of trophies and individual awards. I am giving a keener perspective to it but you just want to completely tag Okocha a mediocre. Well suit yourself. It's a new year after all.

@ naptu2,

I expected to see Abedi Pele mentioned. I think he had much more impact than Bruce Grobellar. He had a successful career in football. His sons are still flying his flag very high.

What about Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, aren't they African players too? op ur list is incomplete without them ooooo

Very long

naptu2:
6 African Players That Had The Most Impact On World Football

These are 6 African players that played for African national teams and had the most impact on football worldwide of any African player. They did not only have an impact on football in Africa and Europe, but they were talked about right round the world. Some of them (e.g. Roger Milla) were so famous that their fame went beyond the football world.

If you truly composed this I will advise you to set up a blog

You'd make lots of cash from it

Wow, all players listed are legends

It should be named African football strikers, truly midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers don't really get the recognition they deserve. You think all these players would have won anything without having good defenders, midfielders and even a better goalkeeper at the goal posts. The list is incomplete without Jay Jay periodtt.

sucess001:
Good thread...spoilt by the absence of okocha...even a lot of foreigners will tell u okocha is the greatest of them all

Okocha was a gem in his playing days but I don’t think he should displace any of the above players in the top six. He was an entertainer but overall skill is subjective.

There were Abedi Pele, Michael Essien, Yaya Toure, Elhadji Diouf, Titi Camara, Quinton Fortune, Benny McCarthy, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane....All great and talented players but apart from their successes in Europe, many of them can’t be compared to the 6 listed in terms of impact and achievements with their various national teams.
Okocha underachieved with the Super Eagles and in Europe.

profmathsland:


That is the thing with Okocha. He didn't achieve much at all but he was so super talented that the world just could not ignore him. He was a player blessed by the football gods in terms of talent but it was not directly proportional to achievements.

Individually, he only won two BBC APOTY awards. Lost out every time too to Eto'o in the early 2000s for the CAF APOTY because Eto'o was doing great at a higher level and at a top club. Okocha was doing his for low level Bolton wanderers. While Okocha was saving Bolton from relegation, Eto'o was winning trophies at Barca and being among the top scorers too. Such is life.

Of course he will be among the top scorers, he is a STRIKER. Jay Jay was a midfielder, I remember a match of Bolton I watched then, he even played 4!!! In football, only forwarders get recognition that's the sad truth, period

I read everything

OP, you made my morning with this beautiful analysis



See goosebumps all over my body as i am reading and watching the exploits of great African footballers.


Will we ever see Africans of their kind and quality again??

sucess001:
Good thread...spoilt by the absence of okocha...even a lot of foreigners will tell u okocha is the greatest of them all

What yardstick are you using?


Yes Okocha was a great footballer but what did he win at Club level EVEN country level, did he take us to quarter or semi final or even WC finals?


Can't you see that all the greats mentioned here won several titles including the prestigious UCL

All the footballers here are greater than Okocha when you talk of football achievements

naptu2:
6 African Players That Had The Most Impact On World Football

These are 6 African players that played for African national teams and had the most impact on football worldwide of any African player. They did not only have an impact on football in Africa and Europe, but they were talked about right round the world. Some of them (e.g. Roger Milla) were so famous that their fame went beyond the football world.

This is a great read. Op you did a nice research. This is the best form of investigative journalism. Very interesting. Papillo I know say one day you will be Nigeria's president.

Whenever I remember how we won Brazil in Atlanta 96. I give kudos and respect to the great footballer of all time. Kano nwankwo.