Top 10 Africans that were in or are in Barcelona or Juventus

1. Not only is Samuel Eto’o one of Africa's finest frontmen, but one of the world's greatest all-time strikers. The Indomitable Lion led the line for five years at Barcelona, where he has an impressive collection of titles. In 232 games played for the Catalan giants, he won two Champions Leagues, three La Ligas, one Copa del Rey and four other Spanish Cups. He also made decisive contributions at vital moments, and stands alone as the greatest African player to feature for Barca.

2. Yaya Toure was an integral part of a Barcelona squad that had begun to revolutionise how football was played throughout the world, winning the Champions League before leaving his teammates to enjoy greater success without him. The Ivorian was seen as a more defensive player by Guardiola than he has been at Manchester City, and played in the holding role or in the defence, which was where he won the UCL in 2009. The four-time African Player of the Year has been arguably the key inspiration behind City's recent rise to dominance, and he has finally won over Guardiola at the Etihad!

 

3. Seydou Keita is one of the most decorated African players in history, and he certainly achieved great success in Spain. He left Barcelona after four years, having won 14 trophies under Pep Guardiola and the Malian midfielder has been praised to the hilt by his former boss, who has long viewed the West African as a key component of his magnificent side.

4. Stephen Appiah: It can be tricky to look back at Appiah’s career and think ‘what if?’, as the midfielder—like one or two others on this list—had to contend with relentless injuries during some of his peak years and never truly realised his potential. He became the first in a long line of Ghanaians to sign for Udinese, before moving onto Parma and then Juventus. There were flashes of brilliance here and at Fenerbahce—where one wondergoal against Schalke in the Champions League lives long in the memory.

 

5. Sunday Oliseh: Another classic defensive midfielder, Oliseh graced some of Europe’s biggest clubs—Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus—although his stays never quite managed to align with these sides’ most glorious moments during the 1990s. As a manager, he’s yet to be as successful as he was during his playing career, with one brief and unhappy spell as Super Eagles coach threatening to sully his reputation.

6. Emmanuel Amuneke was a glittering wideman who enjoyed dismal fortune at Barcelona, where injuries completely shattered his career in Catalonia. The 1994 African Footballer of the Year scored twice in the Nations Cup final that year as Nigeria defeated Zambia, and also clinched silverware in Portugal, Egypt and in his homeland. Yet despite a clutch of honours won with Barca, it’s tempting to beg the question, what might Amuneke have become had injuries not taken their toll?

7. Mohamed Sissoko: The Mali powerhouse achieved great success early in his career—winning the Spanish title and the UEFA Cup with Valencia—but his progress was stymied at Liverpool after he suffered a career-threatening eye injury. He won the FA Cup with the Reds before moving onto Juve in 2008, and later claimed the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain, but never truly realised the heights that he was once destined for. He was last seen at Serie B side Ternana, where he was sacked after one appearance.

8. Kwadwo Asamoah has won an eye-opening four Serie A titles since moving to Juventus in 2012 and is an established component of a sublime Old Lady cycle. The 28-year-old is returning to top form after several years of injury concerns, and looks destined to add to his honours haul this season.

9. Alex Song transferred, at the height of his powers, to Catalonia to join Barcelona from Arsenal. The box-to-box midfielder was indispensable for Arsene Wenger's Gunners, but it never quite worked out for Song in La Liga, and he subsequently returned to England on loan at West Ham United. He currently plays for Rubin Kazan in Russia, and it's safe to say that his career hasn't lived up to the early promise of his pre-Barca years.

10. Medhi Benatia returned to Italy last summer when he moved to Juventus on loan from Bayern Munich. The 29-year-old established himself as one of the finest defenders in Europe during four years with Udinese and AS Roma, and while he was denied a potentially career-defining Nations Cup on home soil in 2015, he won two German titles under Pep Guardiola and represented Morocco in Gabon earlier this year.