₦airaland Forum

Liverpool duo of Mohammed Salah of Egypt and Sadio Mane of Senegal, along with youngsters Joel Matip of Cameroon and Liverpool and Achraf Hakimi of Morocco and Real Madrid have an opportunity to join the illustrious list of African players that have won the European Cup as Liverpool take on Real Madrid in the 2018 European Cup final tomorrow.

https://scontent.flos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33361231_2074056552851641_5073224917747499008_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=821b06684223c20e53e066ea559e16b8&oe=5BC1D327

Here's a look at the stars that make up the galaxy of African players that have won the European Cup.



1) Bruce Grobbelaar (Liverpool & Zimbabwe) 1984.

https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33540557_2073922549531708_7648184796702572544_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=9859a938a94f3771d8cfc1a502d1a4ae&oe=5B8606C1

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.

https://scontent.flos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33540668_2073918692865427_2228768300668551168_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=6a948ecde7b2cf4b7860fd9f10911043&oe=5B9301DC

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.

2) Rabah Madjer (FC Porto & Algeria) 1987.

https://scontent.flos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33601729_2073918876198742_4709774717756637184_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=d2b866f0b674d744ee28508dd788ff8f&oe=5B7B20D9

This is one player that I hate very much and yet I also love him very much.

Rabah Madjer became an African legend when he scored an audacious backheeled goal in the 1987 European Cup final to help FC Porto defeat Bayern Munich 2-1 in Vienna. Bayern was leading when Madjer equalised with that wonderful goal. Pele is reported to have said, "It would have been the greatest goal I have ever seen, if he had not looked back at it." 

I have hated Madjer since 1990 when he helped Algeria defeat Nigeria twice at the Nations Cup in Algeria. He scored twice in the first game of the tournament as Algeria defeated Nigeria 5-1 and he was inspirational as Algeria again defeated Nigeria (1-0) in the final of the competition.

I've started liking him again in 2017 after he held one of the most amazing press conferences I've ever seen. He is the coach of Algeria and he verbally destroyed a journalist in one of the angriest and strangest press conferences I've ever seen.

Rabah Madjer's backheeled goal in the 1987 European Cup final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk6ZtOEmP4w


3) Abedi "Pele" Ayew (Olympique Marseilles & Ghana) 1993.

https://scontent.flos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33423435_2073918966198733_2379745399079436288_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=f59d8f094727257ee1d4a23ddd53efea&oe=5B781864

This is another player that I love to hate.


4) Finidi George (AFC Ajax & Nigeria) 1995.

https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33509565_2073919212865375_7736572650968842240_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=3e1f6ee09eab60e1ad9220c0bf45f6bc&oe=5B8C9F6F
Many Nigerians became Ajax fans at that time.


5) Nwankwo Kanu (AFC Ajax & Nigeria) 1995.
https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33359944_2073919362865360_1646418207604473856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=f57b3f4874080ef2208c53164bceae41&oe=5B7A226F



6) Ibrahim Tanko (Borussia Dortmund & Ghana) 1997.
https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33363601_2073919812865315_5449916003695722496_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=1f394bd33ff26290f3046aa4a25b2a74&oe=5B878C7E

https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33471926_2073920199531943_7577511504983883776_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=e43c086af2c7f584d60dff547691511a&oe=5BBD7111


7) Geremi Njitap (Real Madrid & Cameroon) 2000 & 2002.

https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33475109_2073919882865308_1863765912381816832_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=68dfadf6f82d7cc39df5d0f76be05eac&oe=5B790493

https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33467128_2073919962865300_517981267875069952_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=6ae466e131c01c4414690cd74f7a268a&oe=5B8DE011



8 ) Samuel Osei Kuffour (Bayern Munich & Ghana) 2001.

https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33467138_2073920366198593_4299322783680167936_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=f9d004b4468a77614af0cf96058c43b8&oe=5B7DDB23


9) Benni McCarthy (FC Porto & South Africa) 2004.
https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33357373_2073920616198568_2941773935986868224_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=5525050b371bf2393d7b3ac6b5c406ae&oe=5B8FF068


10) Djimi Traore (Liverpool & Mali) 2005.
https://scontent.flos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33475208_2073920729531890_4262207733597470720_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=3bed4c6ec92065d2aef0969629684580&oe=5B898140


11) Samuel Eto'o Fils (Barcelona & Cameroon) 2006 & 2009. (Inter Milan) 2010.

https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33366809_2073920822865214_4406675096106696704_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=bf4bb1919de368beb4229022302138b9&oe=5B8F040C

https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33377691_2073920896198540_5278746997010989056_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=271b4338a95c080d72bdb4722f4ea6e7&oe=5B7BA3AA


12) Seydou Keita (Barcelona & Mali) 2009 & 2011.
https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33569190_2073921022865194_932947659256233984_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=9d9f3437953bce672fff2d2228832d2f&oe=5B921B5C


13) Yaya Toure (Barcelona & Ivory Coast) 2009.
https://scontent.flos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33553611_2073921109531852_7889542206183178240_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=cc967f9f43e9023b571ae596ca5e63b9&oe=5B89A58D


14) Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan & Ghana) 2010.
https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33499314_2073921199531843_6582239613950099456_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=88805c271ad2f563ec2f21aedf8da8e7&oe=5B8C3697


15) Mcdonald Mariga (Inter Milan & Kenya) 2010.
https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33601940_2073921269531836_40349010132729856_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=ead058b2505b7bd4ef610abed5ff49b1&oe=5BC18C15


16) Didier Drogba (Chelsea & Ivory Coast) 2012.
https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33383157_2073921496198480_135462074514931712_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=d9b18ba4fd24375a72ad11fb9e4cf639&oe=5B90DBE1


17) Salomon Kalou (Chelsea & Ivory Coast) 2012.
https://scontent.flos5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33358614_2073921569531806_6197813931851907072_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=4769f4e3e3493d79af7ae278d62a064b&oe=5B84993B


18) Mikel John Obi (Chelsea & Nigeria) 2012
https://scontent.flos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33363795_2073921699531793_6952149406099439616_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=d339ceb114e4f8ba04095944dbc940bb&oe=5BBD3E5F


19) Michael Essien (Chelsea & Ghana) 2012.
https://scontent.flos1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/33422540_2073921646198465_6655587673861783552_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=4eb62a56bee852447a29e1d604b9d490&oe=5BC337BF

Mikel Obi, Finnidi George, Kanu Nwankwo......


IGBO is all I See!



Warning! Don't Click This!!!! Unless You Stay outside Nigeria!

Mohammed Selah will make it 20.

King Drogba...

Hmmmm

Too poor. How many europeans have won the CAF champions league?

Hmmmm

Interesting

I see you king Kanu, my all time favorite.

G

Ok

Salah will be the twentieth

Seems Ghana is leading on this

Solanke would make it the 20th

Mane will make it twenty one

A True legend Didier Drogba 11

Unfortunately Mo Salah won't make no 20 this season

Buhari will soon sign Our forirgn players back to farm

Happy for Mikel

[quote author= post=67871513]Mohammed Selah will make it 20.[/quote]Achraf will

We are from great country is just that we were unfortunate to have good leaders. But mark my words the day is coming when the children of the rich will serve the poor.

How is Matip a youngster??

Ahmed musa

We have seen them, so who is next to make the list?

jerrybakermillz:
Hmmmm

da fvck did u just type

So afonja player or abonkki player never touch or kiss this cup before

OP say joel matip is a youngster and that guy is old enough to be his father

Hoping to See Mane and Salah winning the trophy tomorrow

Ambitionsway:
Hoping to See Mane and Salah winning the trophy tomorrow

Hope of the century



Meanwhile Liverpool players and....

Okocha nko?