Samuel Eto’o raised an argument when he said he’s the best player to ever come out of Africa, and now a former Senegal international has waded into the debate
Ex-Liverpool star El Hadj Diouf has revealed that Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba are the best African players ever, but neither is as talented as Austin Jay-Jay Okocha.
Africa has been blessed with a lot of talented players but the likes of Eto’o, Drogba, and Okocha are rated a level higher above others.
But in an interview last week, Eto’o revealed he stands alone at the top, and no other African player comes close to him because his records speak for him.
The former Chelsea man won the Africa Cup of Nations two times with Cameroon, and at the same time, he was successful at club level.
Eto’o won two champions league with Barcelona and Inter respectively. He is the only player to win back to back trebles with two different clubs. He also won the CAF African player of the year four times- a record he shares with Yaya Toure.
While Eto’o regards himself as the best African player ever, Diouf believes he is not as talented as Okocha. The former Liverpool star who is also a two time African player of the year admits Eto’o and Drogba are the best but says Okocha is the most talented player he’s ever seen.
Okocha did not win much as his rivals, but he was known for his magic on the ball, something Diouf was able to witness during their time at Bolton.
“When I said that I am the most talented I did not say that I was the best. I spoke French. The most talented does not mean the best,” Diouf told RSI, via Press-Sport.
“The two best African players of this decade are Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba but on the other hand the most talented one cannot say that it is Diouf, It is impossible.
“The most talented African football since I was born is Okocha. He’s the most talented player I’ve ever seen, but he didn’t win a trophy, he didn’t win a gold ball.”
