1 April 2011
Over the past three months, MTNFootball.com has been asking you, the fans, to vote for your greatest African XI ever and now the results are in!
We have collated the votes, and together with our expert panel, have come up with fantastic African XI that has largely been chosen by you, the fans.
Over 60 000 votes were cast and we have now settled on the following as our MTNFootball.com African XI:
MTNFootball.com African XI:
Zaki (Morocco), Rigobert Song (Cameroon), Uche Okechukwu (Nigeria), Noureddine Naybet (Morocco), Samuel Kuffour (Ghana), Abedi Pele (Ghana), Ahmed Hassan (Egypt), Michael Essien (Ghana), Ace Ntsoelengoe (South Africa), George Weah (Liberia), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
Some notable names are not there, Eusabio, Jay Jay Okocha, Didier Drogba, to name just a few, but the truth is these players did not get enough fan support to crack the nod!
Be sure to tell us what you think of the final selection, who is lucky to be there and who is unlucky not to be included!
Here is the full rundown on your African XI:
GOALKEEPER: ZAKI (MOROCCO)
Ezzaki Badou is regarded as Morocco’s greatest-ever keeper, having been named African Footballer of the Year by France Football in 1986. He represented his country at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and at the 1986 World Cup. He also played for Spanish La Liga side Mallorca, and would later go on to manage the Moroccan national side between 2002 and 2005. He is currently manager of Kawkab Marrakech in his homeland.
RIGHTBACK: RIGOBERT SONG (CAMEROON)
Song enjoyed a successful 17-year career with Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions, winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002. He made 137 national team appearances in all, and also enjoyed a fantastic club career with the likes of Metz, Lens (both France), Liverpool, West Ham (both England) and Galatasaray. The is currently playing for Equatorial Guinea side, Panthers
CENTREBACK: UCHE OKECHUKWU (NIGERIA)
Okechukwu played 71 times for Nigeria, winning the Arica Cup of Nations in 1994 and the 1996 Summer Olympics. He also represented the nation in two FIFA World Cups, 1994 and 1998. He played in Turkey for 13 years, mostly with giants Fenerbahe.
CENTREBACK: NOUREDDINE NAYBET (MOROCCO)
Naybet played 115 times for Morocco and was a stalwart of the successful Spanish la Liga side Deportivo la Coruna, where he won the League title. He also played in Europe for French side Nantes, Portuguese outfit Sporting Lisbon and English Premiership Tottenham Hotspur.
LEFTBACK: SAMUEL KUFFOUR (GHANA)
Kuffour currently plays for Asante Kotoko in his homeland, ut is best remembered for a 10-year spell with German giants Bayern Munich, during which time he was one of the best defenders in Europe, winning the UEFA Champions League in 2001 and the German League on six occasions.
RIGHT MIDFIELD: ABEDI PELE (GHANA)
Abedi Ayew was given the nickname ‘Pel’ after comparisons were raised between him and the Brazilian great of the same name. He found fame in France’s Ligue 1 with Lille and Olympique Marseille (where he won the European Cup in 1993) and was named African Footballer of the Year in 1991, 1992 and 1993. He was named as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD: AHMED HASSAN (EGYPT)
Hassan is the record-holder for the most international caps for Egypt at 175, and has skippered the side to three consecutive Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010. He has spent much of his career playing in Turkey, before a short spell in Belgium, and then at Al Ahly, where he still plays.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD: MICHAEL ESSIEN (GHANA)
Essien is only 28 and still has a good few years ahead of him, but he is already regarded as one of Ghana’s greatest midfielders. He has enjoyed great success in the English Premiership with Chelsea, and in France with Lyon before that. He was named BBC African Player of the Year in 2006, Chelsea Player of the Year in 2007 and won the Best Player award at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
LEFT MIDFIELD: ACE NTSOELENGOE (SOUTH AFRICA)
Ntsoelengoe is arguably the greatest player to come out of South Africa, but was never given a chance to showcase his talents on the international stage due to his country’s sporting isolation because of Apartheid. He had a long career in the NASL and was inducted into the USA Hall of Fame. He has variously been compared to modern-day stars Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi.
STRIKER: GEORGE WEAH (LIBERIA)
Liberia’s George Weah is the only African ever to win the FIFA World Player of the Year crown which he claimed in 1995. He had a successful club career with European giants AC Milan and France’s Monaco, and is seen as an icon in his own country. He was also African Footballer of the Year on three occasions, 1989, 1994 and 1995.
STRIKER: SAMUEL ETO’O (CAMEROON)
The only player to win African Footballer of the Year on four separate occasions and a winner of the UEFA Champions League on three occasions with Barcelona (twice) and Inter Milan. He is one of the top strikers in the world, and a leading light for the Cameroon national side.
