The UEFA Champions League returned this year after what seemed liked an eternity without some impressive footballing feats from African players.
Full of priceless moments that will stay in the memory of avid watchers, some of Africa’s finest players propelled their reputations by excelling in the tournament. This list looks at eight great goals from players since the league’s establishment in 1992.
2004 was the year that José Mourinho became ‘The Special One’. Against all odds he led FC Porto to victory after toppling more illustrious opponents than Mr Miyagi – you’d think he’d watched The Karate Kid one too many times.
One of those unfortunate teams was Manchester United. South African striker Benni Mccarthy couldn’t help but unleash an unforgettable strike against the Red Devils.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI85TOWRHAg#t=48s
The 1994-1995 season was a great one for the Liberian. He finished with a number of accolades including being named FIFA World Player of the Year.
The striker is known for a number of spectacular efforts but few stand out more than this solo effort which probably deserved a better celebration.
Samuel Eto’o made his debut for Cameroon so young, that he probably looked like the son of one of his more seasoned teammates to less-informed fans.
His career was full of some epic moments but he saved something special for one fateful night in Catalonia a decade ago.
The man nicknamed ‘The Bison’ was known for his powerful tackles and imposing presence on the pitch but now and again he would hit you with a pirouette worthy of an oversized-ballet dancer.
That, or a strike that would make you scratch your head and watch the replay again and again to make sure it was him. Against the Spanish giants, Michael excelled with the latter.
Throughout the 2000s a rivalry ensued between Chelsea and Barcelona that reached boiling point when Drogba swore like a drunk rapper after some controversial decisions by the referee of the UEFA 2009 semi-finals.
But a moment that Didier would prefer to be remembered for was this remarkable effort three years previous.
Most players don’t alarm defenders and goalkeepers when they attempt a shot from 30 yards away.
Yaya Touré is not one of those guys. At the beginning of this particular season he was scoring long-range efforts just to show he could. This strike was one of the best.
Kevin Prince Boateng entered football with the kind of ego that is normally associated with a superstar player.
It wasn’t until he played a number of years in the Premier League and shone for Ghana that people realised that Kevin wasn’t all flash and no substance.
When he started scoring goals like this… he was allowed to wear shades inside.
There are some TV shows that are good for a season and then become terrible. Emmanuel is kind of like that.
For one year he was incredible, terrorising defenders, scoring crazy goals and doing tricks for fun. The next year… not so much. In 2009, he was a big part of the Arsenal attack and further endeared himself to the Arsenal fans with this acrobatic strike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh85cqat9fQ#t=2s
There you have it! Let’s look forward to plenty more goals.