Chelsea have had players on their books from all four corners of the globe. Does a globe have corners? That’s for another day. Right now, though, we will take a look at the greatest African footballers to have ever played for the Blues.
When considering such matters, we could simply look at the players from Africa who have played for Chelsea the most times or scored the most goals. Alternatively, we could consider which African footballers have won the most silverware with the Blues. We could also look at less easily quantifiable matters, such as those whose signings have had the biggest impact.
However, in this article, when we rank (in no particular order) Chelsea’s best African players, we are simply looking at all African footballers to have ever appeared for the club and then considering those that have had the best overall careers in football. Or, in other words, have been the best players overall.
Didier Drogba
- Chelsea appearances – 381
- Goals – 164
- Major trophies won with club – 12
- International caps – 105
Much as this list is not in order of the very best, Ivorian legend Drogba can certainly make a strong claim to being the best of the best. He ticks all the boxes and is the leading scorer for his country, as well as being fourth on that list for Chelsea.
Drogba is a Chelsea icon, and his pace, power, presence, leadership and deadly finishing made him a nightmare to play against. He won so much with the Blues and was part of the spine of the great Jose Mourinho sides, along with Petr Cech, John Terry and Frank Lampard.
He never managed to win AFCON with Côte d’Ivoire, losing in the final twice, in 2006 and 2012; however, he made the Team of the Tournament three times and was top scorer in 2012. He also won the PL Golden Boot twice and was the division’s leading assist-maker in 2005/06, too, showing the all-round nature of his game.
Michael Essien
- Chelsea appearances – 256
- Goals – 25
- Major trophies won with club – eight
- International caps – 59
Accra-born Essien won two league titles in France with Lyon before moving to Stamford Bridge in 2005. He came a year after Drogba and for a fee a fraction higher at £24.4m, making him the club’s new record signing. Brought in as a long-term replacement for Claude Makelele, he did a superb job for the Blues, staying in west London for eight seasons during which he won almost every trophy going.
Like Drogba, Essien never managed to lift the Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana losing to Egypt in the final in 2010 and to Cameroon in the semis two years earlier, on home soil. Even so, the energetic midfielder was brilliant for both club and country, being named Player of the Year for both in 2007.
Essien was a true box-to-box midfielder who offered a little bit of everything. He provided more threat in attack than Makelele had, while offering the same leadership and brilliant reading of the game. Now a coach, Essien is a true Chelsea legend and another key component of the great teams of the 2000s and beyond.
Samuel Eto’o
- Chelsea appearances – 35
- Goals – 12
- Major trophies won with club – 0
- International caps – 118
Eto’o is not on this list for what he achieved at Chelsea – as said, nobody is. He only played for the Blues during the 2013/14 season and did not win any silverware with the club. However, he netted 56 times for his country in 118 games and helped Cameroon win AFCON in 2000 (when they also won Olympic gold) and 2002, as well as making the final in 2008.
Almost certainly his country’s finest ever player, Eto’o is among those in the argument to be classed as the best African footballer of all time too. Named the African Player of the Year on four occasions, including three times in a row between 2003 and 2005, he is the record goalscorer in AFCON history.
Eto’o was also magnificent with both Barcelona and Inter Milan. He is also the only player ever to have won the treble with more than one club. The Cameroon star won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League with Barca in 2008/09 and was then part of Mourinho’s famous treble-winning Inter team 12 months later!
John Obi Mikel
- Chelsea appearances – 372
- Goals – 6
- Major trophies won with club – nine
- International caps – 91
John Obi Mikel, Mikel John Obi, whatever way round you put it, was a top, top player. He was not at the level of Eto’o or Drogba but winning so many major trophies with the Blues, including the CL and Europa League, while making nearly 400 appearances for the club says a lot. As does his haul of almost 100 caps for Nigeria.
He is another star who didn’t quite manage to win AFCON, Nigeria losing in the final in 2013 when Mikel was named in the Team of the Tournament. He was a brilliant midfielder, and while he liked the guile of Essien or Makelele, he was tough, up for the fight and a reliable presence for both club and country.
Salomon Kalou
- Chelsea appearances – 254
- Goals – 60
- Major trophies won with club – seven
- International caps – 93
Ivorian Kalou won the UEFA Champions League with the Blues in 2011/12, as well as a Premier League and four FA Cups, adding the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations with his country. At the 2008 CAF awards, he was named Young Player of the Year, having won the Johan Cruyff Trophy as Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2005.
Happy birthday to our former forward, Salomon Kalou! 🇨🇮🎉 pic.twitter.com/SysU6LVSq9
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 5, 2024
He got his move to the Blues in 2006, moving from Feyenoord for around £9m. He spent six seasons there and delivered a solid return in terms of goals and assists. A total of 27 goals in 93 outings for his country show his level, and he appeared for the Elephants at the World Cup in 2010 and 2014, as well as playing in six editions of AFCON.