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Winning the Champions League is a massive achievement for any player irrespective of their stature. Even the best of players have sometimes struggled to get their hands on this prestigious trophy.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the best examples of this. The Swedish striker has played for many of the top European clubs yet failed to win the great European trophy.
The Champions League has won by some top African footballers
The recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) saw Senegal win the 2021 tournament. While the competition has gone under the radar at times, some top African players have been able to win it.
Some of them have also managed to win the Champions League in their football career. It is certainly a very impressive achievement considering everything. On that note, let's take a look at those top superstars to have won both these tournaments.
#5 John Obi Mikel (Nigeria & Chelsea)
One of Chelsea's best defensive midfielders in the Roman Abramovich era has to be John Obi Mikel. The Nigerian joined Chelsea in 2006 with Manchester United also interested in him back then.
His smart reading of the game combined with his defensive abilities made him an asset for the Blues. Mikel went on to win the Champions League with the London club in the 2011-12 season under Robert Di Matteo.
Mikel's impressive performances were not just limited to club level. His contributions helped Nigeria win the AFCON in 2013. He was also included in the 2013 AFCON Team of the tournament and was the runner-up for the 2013 African Footballer of the Year.
#4 Edouard Mendy (Senegal & Chelsea)
Another Chelsea player on this list is Edouard Mendy. The Senegalese goalkeeper has been an impactful signing for the Blues ever since he joined them in the summer of 2020 from Rennes.
Mendy is known to be an amazing shot-stopper using his fabulous reflexes and fine anticipation. He was able to win the Champions League with Chelsea in his very first season and was also named the tournament's Goalkeeper of the Season for the 2020-21 season.
The 29-year old was recently crowned the AFCON winner with Senegal. Mendy was also named the Best Goalkeeper in the tournament and was also included in the Team of the Tournament.
#3 Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
The Champions League is blessed to have seen some fine wingers in the recent past and Sadio Mane is one of them. The Senegalese forward joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2016.
Since then, Mane has been a menace for the teams in the Premier League. His form with the Reds has been incredible as he continues to be a vital player for Liverpool. The dynamic forward won the Champions League with them in the 2018-19 season.
He had an instrumental role in achieving that, scoring four goals and registering one assist in the tournament. Mane also went on to win the 2021 AFCON recently and was named the Player of the Tournament.
#2 Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast & Barcelona)
The magic of Yaya Toure in midfield was immense in his football career. The Ivorian joined Barcelona from Monaco in the summer of 2007.
With his strong physique, amazing passing and creative abilities, Toure was a fantastic box-to-box midfielder for the Catalan club. Under the management of Pep Guardiola, he went on to win the 2008-09 Champions League, winning the Treble in the process.
At the national level, Toure was instrumental in helping Ivory Coast win the AFCON in 2015. He was named in the Team of the Tournament and also went on to win the BBC African Footballer of the Year award that year.
#1 Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon & Barcelona/Inter Milan)
Regarded as one of the best African players ever, Samuel Eto'o played for a number of top European clubs. Some of the finest moments of his football career came at Barcelona.
The Cameroon forward is the only player on this list to have won the Champions League thrice. He won the tournament twice with Barcelona and once while playing for Inter Milan. Amazingly, Eto'o has won two European continental trebles with these two clubs, a feat very difficult to achieve.
The former Barcelona attacker has played in six AFCON tournaments in his career. With 18 goals to his name in AFCON, he is the all-time leading goal scorer in the history of the competition.
Eto'o has won the AFCON twice in his career, in 2000 and 2002. He remains the only player on this list to do so. It comes as no surprise why the Cameroonian is so highly rated given that he has won the Champions League thrice and the AFCON twice.
