6 Africans to have scored in the UEFA Champions League final

By Peter Ochieng

Over years, African players have graced and graced the European Cup/Champions League finals, ending in glory or disappointment for their clubs in equal measure.

Several Africans have won the Champions League without necessarily getting on the score-sheet in the final. Only five have scored in the final to cement glory for their clubs.

One scored in the final but his team ended up losing. Let us roll.

1. Rabah Madjer

The former Algeria international scored a superb backheel goal to help Portuguese Primeira Liga side FC Porto, defeat Bayern Munich to win their first-ever Champions League title in 1987. He was the first African to score in the final, and his goal did a lot in putting Africa on the map in the competition.

He scored an equalizer, before assisting Porto’s second goal, enough to earn him man of the match performance. Madjer spent six years at Porto between 1985 and 1991 and was named the best Algerian player of all time for his exploits with the Portuguese side. He is also considered a Porto legend.

2. Samuel Eto’o

The current president of the Cameroonian Football Federation is considered, by far, the best player the African continent has ever produced. His exploits at Barcelona were not only extraordinary but legendary.

The former forward scored in both the 2005 and 2009 Champions League finals for Barcelona, with his goals helping the Catalans defeat Arsenal and Manchester United respectively. After moving on from Barcelona, he joined Inter Millan and won another Champions League crown in 2010.

Argentine Diego Milito scored both goals as Inter defeated Bayern Munich. Eto’o is in the league of few players to have won the Champions League with two different clubs.

3. Didier Drogba

In 2012, Bayern Munich came close to beating Chelsea in the Champions League final at the Allianz Arena, before Ivorian Didier Drogba equalized through his trademark powerful header.

He scored again during spot kicks to ensure the Blues landed their first Champions League crown. The retired former striker is a fan favorite at Stamford Bridge for a lot of things, but the equalizer against Bayern holds a special place in the hearts of most Chelsea fans.

4. Sadio Mané

During his time at Liverpool, Sadio Mané was both a creator and scorer of goals. Unfortunately, he remains the only African to score in a final and not win. He scored an equalizing goal for the Reds in the 2018 final against Real Madrid.

However, Madrid went on to win the title at the expense of Mane and his co. Besides Eto’o, Mane is the other African to appear in champions league finals thrice – 2018, 2019 and 2022.

Needless to say that his Liverpool side lost to Real Madrid in both 2018 and 2022, but his consolation came the 2019 Champions League title triumph.

5. Mohamed Salah

The Egyptian King is the most recent African to guide his team to a UEFA Champions League title. He scored one of the goals as his Liverpool side defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the 2019 Champions league final.

6. Divorck Okoth Origi

The son of former Kenyan international, Mike Okoth scored the second goal as his Liverpool side beat Spurs in the 2019 final. Origi actually featured for Belgium – the country of his mother, at the international level.