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Barcelona is one of the most successful clubs in the world and have one of the biggest fanbases. The Spanish club have seen many greats of the game wearing the famous stripes of the Blaugrana including the likes of Johan Cruyff, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and many more.
The majority of its players have come from their homeland, but numerous foreign internationals have seen themselves holding a special place in the hearts of the Barcelona faithful.
The representation from Africa have been far less compared to Europe and South America and have seen just 14 players donning the famous jersey. Kevin Prince Boateng became the latest player to join the list after moving to Barcelona on loan from Sassuolo last season.
Here we take a look at five of the best players from the African continent to have represented Barcelona in their history. The list contains only players who have represented a nation from the African continent and have neglected the ones who have chosen to represent a different nation despite being born in Africa.
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Emmanuel Amunike (Nigeria)
The majority of Barcelona fans can be excused for not remembering this name. Emmanuel Amunike plied his trade at Nou Camp from 1996 to 1998. The Nigerian international made 26 appearances for the Catalan giants before moving to Albacete Balompié.
The winger was already a familiar name in the international circuits after having been part of the historic Nigerian team of the 1994 World Cup. Amunike was also named the African Footballer of the Year award in the same year.
The Nigerian's two-year spell with the Catalan giants was marred with injuries. The winger scored just once for the Spanish giants before a serious injury during the off-season of 1997 kept him out of the game till 2000.
Emmanuel Amunike was last seen working as the manager of the Tanzanian national team before parting ways with Taifa Stars last month.
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Alex Song (Cameroon)
The Cameroonian international's football career can be divided into two parts, his time before joining Barcelona and the time after it. Alex Song was one of the influential figures in Arsene Wenger's side during his seven-year stint with the Gunners before moving to Barcelona in 2012.
The midfielder made his debut just nine days after signing for the club against arch-rivals Real Madrid in the 2012 Spanish Super Cup but soon found himself more on the bench. The Cameroonian unsurprisingly failed to break into a midfield that contained Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets.
In four seasons as a Barcelona player Song made 65 appearances and scored once before spending the last two years of his Barcelona contract on loan to West Ham United. The midfielder won the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga during his stay at the Nou Camp before joining Russian side Rubin Kazan in 2016.
Alex Song is now seen plying his trade with Swiss Super League side Sion.
Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)
The Ivory Coast midfielder joined Barcelona in 2007 for a reported fee of €10 million following an impressive spell with AS Monaco. He spent three seasons with the Spanish giants before moving to the Premier League to join Manchester City in 2010.
After an impressive first season, Toure found himself out-of-favour with a young Pep Guardiola in his first season with the club, after the Spaniard opted for Sergio Busquets ahead of the Ivory Coast international. The sour relationship with Guardiola eventually led to Toure's departure from the Catalonian capital in 2010.
The midfielder enjoyed a trophy-laden three seasons with Barcelona and was part of the side that won the treble under Pep Guardiola in 2009. The midfielder left the club after making 118 appearances and scoring 6 times for the Catalonian giants.
Seydou Keita (Mali)
The Malian legend is not one of the first names that come to your mind when talking about Guardiola's all-conquering side of 2009. The midfielder joined Barcelona in 2008 following a season with Spanish side Sevilla.
The midfielder was a vital cog for Pep Guardiola as his Barcelona side dominated club football. He was quoted by the Spaniard as one of his most reliable players and made the most appearances for the Blaugrana in the 2010-11 season.
Keita played four seasons for the Blaugrana before leaving the club to join Chinese side Dalian Aerbin (now known as Dalian Yifang) in 2012. During his stay, the midfielder made a total of 188 appearances and scored 22 times for the Catalan giants.
Seydou Keita left Barcelona after having won 14 major trophies including the famous treble in 2009.
The Malian retired from the game in 2017 after a stint with Qatari side El-Jaish.
Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon)
Arguably one of the greatest African players of all-time, Samuel Eto'o enjoys legendary status at the Catalonian club after having spent five seasons with the club.
The Cameroonian joined Barcelona from Mallorca for a reported fee of €24 million in 2004. He won La Liga during his first two seasons with the club forming a potent partnership with Ronaldinho, winning the Pichichi and the Champions League in his second season.
The striker was at the centre when Barcelona won their first-ever treble under Pep Guardiola in 2009 but soon found himself transferred to Inter Milan in a deal that saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic coming to Barcelona.
Samuel Eto'o scored a staggering 130 goals in 199 appearances for the Blaugrana and won eight titles during his time in the Catalonian capital.
After moving to Inter Milan, Eto'o became the first player to win back-to-back Champions League titles and trebles with different teams the next season.
Eto'o retired from the game last season after a year-long stint with Qatari side Qatar SC.
