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Over the past decade, African football has witnessed a remarkable surge in talent and global recognition. The continent has produced some of the most exciting footballers of our time. Football has, for long, been an integral part of the cultural milieu of Africa.
From the dazzling attackers of Nigeria to the physically dominant Ivorian defenders, African players offer a diverse array of styles and abilities. Many African footballers have achieved success at the highest levels of European club football.
Today, there are plenty of globally recognized African players who have won over fans with their technical qualities, footballing intelligence and consistency. Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best African players of the last decade.
#5 Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal)
Kalidou Koulibaly is one of the best players to emerge from Africa in recent times. He has earned the status of one of the finest defenders of his generation by virtue of his exceptional defensive prowess and consistency at the highest level of the game.
Koulibaly has an imposing physical presence and is nearly indomitable in aerial duels. He is quite precise with his tackling as well and this has made him a defensive lynchpin at both club and international levels.
The Senegal international is also very good at reading the game and helping his team play out from the back and this adds an extra dimension to his game. In the last decade, Koulibaly has won one African Nations Cup and one Coppa Italia title.
He was also named the Serie A Best Defender in the 2018-19 season and has made the Serie A Team of the Year on four occasions.
#4 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's status as one of the best African footballers of the last decade is defined by his prolific goalscoring ability and dynamism in the final third.
His extremely fast pace, clinical finishing and ability to play as a centre-forward or down the wing made him a valuable asset to teams like Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.
Aubameyang was also one of the most consistent goalscorers in Europe in his prime. He was the Bundesliga's top scorer in the 2016-17 season and also won the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2018-19 campaign.
Aubameyang was also named Borussia Dortmund's Player of the Season in 2014-15 and Arsenal's Player of the Season in 2019-20. In the last 10 years, he has won one La Liga title, one DFB-Pokal and one FA Cup.
#3 Sadio Mane (Senegal)
Sadio Mane is undoubtedly one of the most exciting attackers of recent times. Mane rose to prominence during his two-year stint at Southampton between 2014 and 2016 but it is at Liverpool that he burgeoned into a phenomenon.
Under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp, Mane became an absolute menace down the wing thanks to his pace, dribbling skills and finishing skills. Alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, Mane formed one of the deadliest attacking trios of the modern era in Europe.
The two-time African Footballer of the Year has won one Austrian Bundesliga title, one Premier League title, one Bundesliga title, one Champions League title, one FA Cup, one EFL Cup, one FIFA Club World Cup and one African Cup of Nations.
#2 Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
Riyad Mahrez won over Premier League fans by being the creative force that propelled Leicester City to an unlikely Premier League title win in the 2015-16 season. His place among the best African footballers of the last decade is firmly established by virtue of his dazzling skill, creativity and match-winning abilities.
His outstanding dribbling, precise passing and penchant for delivering in crucial moments have been vital for both Leicester City's historic Premier League triumph and Manchester City's domestic dominance.
Mahrez's consistency and ability to shine on the biggest stages, including his pivotal role in helping Algeria secure the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, underline his significance in the world of African football.
In the last decade, Mahrez has won five Premier League titles, one Champions League title, two FA Cups, three League Cups, one Africa Cup of Nations and one Football League Championship.
Mahrez was also named the African Footballer of the Year in 2016 and the Player Players' and Fans' Player of the Year in the 2015-16 season.
#1 Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Mohamed Salah will go down in history as one of the greatest African footballers of all time. His claim to being the best African footballer of the last decade is backed up by his exceptional goalscoring skills and consistency at the top.
Salah has made goalscoring look easy since joining Liverpool and his ability to deliver the goods on a regular basis has made him one of the most popular footballers on the planet. In 309 appearances across all competitions so far in his career for Liverpool, Salah has scored 188 goals and provided 81 assists.
He has arguably been Liverpool's most important player in recent years and has played a vital role in their successes under Klopp.
In the last 10 years, Salah has won one Premier League title, one Swiss Super League title, one Champions League title, two League Cups, one FA Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup.
Salah has also been named the African Footballer of the Year and the PFA Players' Player of the Year twice.
