Top 10 Africans to Play in the Bundesliga
The Bundesliga may not have a history of African participation quite as celebrated as that of France or England, but many fine players from the continent have starred in the German top flight.
In this feature, we profile the 10 greatest African players to have featured in the Bundesliga.
For the purpose of this piece, we have only considered players who have represented African nations at international level, so European internationals of African origin, men such as Jerome Boateng and David Alaba, have not been included.
Similarly, this article does not identify the 10 stars who have impressed the most within the league itself, but rather, the greatest African players to have enjoyed even one match in Germany’s premier division.
10. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
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This list begins with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the only player featured who remains active in the Bundesliga.
Aubameyang learned his trade in France, where he settled at Saint-Etienne following loan spells with Dijon, Lille and AS Monaco. He shone at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard and scored 16 and 19 goals respectively in his last two seasons in France.
In the summer of 2013 he was signed by Borussia Dortmund on a five-year deal.
Initially, he made an explosive start to life in Germany, scoring a hat-trick against FC Augsburg on his Bundesliga debut.
The goals ran steadily until the middle of February, but after Valentines Day, things dried up for Aubameyang.
His subsequent drought has raised some doubt about his long-term prospects at Dortmund, while three goals so far this term haven’t halted the side’s desperate start to their Bundesliga campaign.
If Aubameyang can rediscover his form of a year ago, he can expect to push much higher up this list over the coming seasons.
9. Arthur Boka
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Arthur Boka left VfB Stuttgart this summer after eight years of service. He arrived in 2006 from Racing Club de Strasbourg and departed this summer, for Malaga, as one of Africa’s most established left-backs.
Having graduated from the fabled ASEC Academy in his homeland, the Ivorian walked the oft-trodden route to Beveren in Belgium, before heading to Alsace.
Like so many of the Ivory Coast’s Golden Generation, he remains unfulfilled at international level, but the “African Roberto Carlos” will doubtlessly look back fondly on his time with Stuttgart, with whom he won the Bundesliga title in 2007.
It was Stuttgart’s first title since 1992.
Unfortunately, Boka and his teammates were unable to repeat the trick and bring the crown back to Baden-Wurttemberg again.
8. Mohamed Zidan
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Admittedly, controversy and injury affected Mohamed Zidan’s career and, ultimately, his legacy.
On his day, the forward had the ability to play at one of Europe’s top clubs, but instead appears to be playing out his career in the footballing backwaters of the United Arab Emirates or in a rehabilitation programme in the US.
At club level, Zidan top-scored with Danish side Midtjylland and appeared unfazed by a move to the Bundesliga. He demonstrated his star quality at Werder Bremen and then Mainz.
He scored on each of his first six appearances for the latter club—a record that stands to this day.
He later moved to bigger sides, HSV Hamburg and Borussia Dortmund, with whom he won two Bundesliga crowns.
He also excelled for Egpyt—when disputes weren’t affecting his national-team participation—and won two continental crowns with the Pharaohs.
Sadly, however, despite the accolades, Zidan’s is a story of “what might have been.”
7. Hany Ramzy
4 of 10Egyptian defender Hany Ramzy is an exception to the famous footballing perception that Egyptian players do not travel well.
The likes of Ahmed Hossam Mido and Hossam Ghaly may have struggled after having made the move away from their homeland, but Ramzy shone in a different context.
He moved to Swiss side Neuchatel Xamax for $1 million in 1990 and, after four years of loyal service, was signed by Otto Rehhagel for Werder Bremen.
After becoming a fan favourite with the River Islanders, he moved to Kaiserslautern, demonstrating his class as a cultured sweeper and an effective defender.
For Egypt, he captained the Pharaohs to the 1998 Cup of Nations title.
6. Sunday Oliseh
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Injury may have ultimately curtailed his influence, but in his prime, Sunday Oliseh was a magnificent operator who boasted a broad array of qualities.
He won the Eredivisie at Ajax, and also featured in Belgium—with Liege and Genk—and in Italy, with Juventus and Reggiana.
It was in Germany, however, that he enjoyed his greatest success. He adapted to the Bundesliga with Koln, before moving to Borussia Dortmund, where he honed the skills that would make him one of the continent’s finest central midfielders.
He won the German crown at BVB and also lifted the UEFA Cup in 2002.
Oliseh was also a key member of the Nigerian golden generation of the mid-1990s; he won Cup of Nations gold in 1994, Olympic gold two years later and scored a magnificent match-winner against Spain at the 1998 World Cup, when the Super Eagles reached the last 16.
5. Rigobert Song
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“Tonton” Rigobert rarely stayed at any one club for too long—at least not until he moved to Galatasaray in 2004. Up to that point, his career was a hotchpotch of destinations, leagues and clubs, moving from one place to another with little in the way of distinguishable success.
His brief time the Bundesliga was indicative of this early phase of his career.
Song shacked up at Koln on loan in 2001 and only featured in a handful of matches.
It is his contribution elsewhere, particularly with the Cameroon national side, that makes him such a legend of the African game and ensures his place on this list.
He has appeared at a record eight Cup of Nations competitions, winning two of them, and has also represented the Indomitable Lions at a remarkable four World Cups.
An African legend, indisputably, although Koln fans might not agree!
4. Tony Yeboah
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During his time in the Bundesliga, with Eintracht Frankfurt, Tony Yeboah proved himself as one of the most devastating forwards in German football.
On two occasions he was the Bundesliga’s top scorer, replicating his achievements in his homeland before having taken the step to Europe.
Yeboah was certainly consistent, but he was a striker who was a scorer of great goals as well as a great scorer of goals.
He demonstrated this in England, where he stunned audiences during a particularly prolific spell with Leeds United.
The Black Star endeared himself to Leeds United fans for scoring a series of phenomenal goals. He received Match of the Day’s “Goal of the Month” award for two consecutive months—a record that has been matched only once, by Gareth Bale in 2013.
He was a pacy, powerful operator who also knew how to employ finesse when the situation called for it.
3. Sammy Kuffour
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Ghana centre-back Sammy Kuffour missed out on his nation’s magnificent campaign at the 2010 World Cup and, indeed, it’s intriguing to imagine what the Black Stars might have achieved had the powerful defender been born several years later.
Kuffour might not have achieved the kind of African success that some of the others on this list have, but few can rival his achievements in the Bundesliga.
Indeed, if I was organising this list based purely on the players’ contributions in Germany, it’s hard to look beyond the Ghanaian for the top spot.
He won six German titles with Bayern Munich and also scaled the continent in 2001 when the Bavarians won the Champions League on penalties. This victory at least began to compensate for the 1999 campaign when Bayern saw the crown slip away from them thanks to Manchester United’s late, unforgettable rally.
2. Jay-Jay Okocha
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With Nigeria, Jay-Jay Okocha’s marvellous talent was fulfilled. He was a seven-time Nigerian footballer of the year, won the Cup of Nations in 1994, the Olympic gold medal in 1996 and was part of the Nigeria team that advanced to the last 16 of the 1998 World Cup.
At club level, however, the purists’ favourite never truly achieved the heights that he ought to have done considering his talent.
His delicious vision, sparkling technique and excellent passing set him among the world’s finest, although his superiority with the ball at his feet didn’t translate to a packed trophy cabinet.
He featured right across the European continent, in England, France and Turkey, but also featured in the Bundesliga.
The highlight of his time at Eintracht Frankfurt was this Goal of the Season effort against Karlsruhe and future Germany legend Oliver Kahn. His time with the Eagles was eventually cut short following a dispute with Jupp Heynckes.
1. Abedi Pele
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No greater African player has featured in the German top flight.
Abedi Pele is one of the most celebrated African players in history, and few—if any—can match him for raw talent and ability.
With Ghana, he was a Cup of Nations champion in 1982 and featured in the final for the Black Stars 10 years later. On three occasions he was named African Player of the Year and was named Player of the Tournament for the ’82 Afcon.
He may never have featured in a World Cup, but the “Maradona of Africa” stands among the continent’s finest.
He achieved his greatest club successes in France, with Olympique Marseille, where he won the 1993 Champions League, but also spent some time in the Bundesliga.
He enjoyed a two-year stint with 1860 Munich and is regularly considered—alongside the likes of Rudi Voller and Davor Suker—as one of the most famous players in the club’s history.
