Are these Africa's 25 best athletes of the 21st century?

Leonard Solms and Lindsay du Plessis
Jul 18, 2024, 01:50 PM

Look, we're not going to lie to you. Condensing an entire continent's premier athletes, from across sporting codes and dozens of countries, to a ranking list of 25 of the 'best' is impossibly tough.

Football fans have trouble choosing between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and they're just two people from the same sport. So how do you choose between Eliud Kipchoge, one of the best marathon runners the world has ever seen, and Samuel Eto'o with his Olympic gold medal and multiple UEFA Champions League titles? *throws hands in the air in exasperation*

All that being said, we did it anyway. We won't mind if you take to social media to tell us how wrong we are, or who we missed... But remember, we're only talking about athletes whose careers started or hit their peak from 2000 onwards.

1. Kenenisa Bekele, Long-distance Running

Key accomplishments: 3X Olympic Gold Medallist, 5X World Championship Gold Medallist, 11X World Cross Country Championship Gold Medallist, 2X Berlin Marathon Winner

Ethiopia's Bekele dominated the 5,000 and 10,000-metre track races throughout the 2000s and held the world record in both distances until 2020. He set his 5,000-metre world record in 2004 and the 10,000-metre record the following year. In recent years, he has transitioned to the marathon and been one of the best at that distance too, winning the Berlin Marathon in 2016 and 2019, making him arguably the most versatile long-distance runner ever. He was named in Ethiopia's marathon squad for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

2. Eliud Kipchoge, Long-distance Running

Key accomplishments: 11 world major marathon titles, 2 Olympic gold medals

Kipchoge is one of the most dominant distance runners of the 21st century, having won 11 major marathon titles and two Olympic golds in the marathon (2016 and 2020/1). His consistency at the top of his sport sets him apart from his peers. He started his career as a 5000m runner, winning a World Championship gold in 2003, and two Olympic medals before switching to marathons. He's the only man to win the Berlin Marathon five times, and has held the world record for marathons five times. As it stands, he holds the second-fastest time at 2:01:09 behind the late Kelvin Kiptum, who broke his record at last year's Chicago Marathon. Kipchoge has covered the distance of a marathon in 1:59:40, but that was not in an official race.

3. Samuel Eto'o, Soccer

Key accomplishments: 4X UEFA Champions League winner, 2000 Olympic Gold Medallist, 4X African Men's Player of the Year

Eto'o may be controversial for his post-playing legacy as president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, but his exploits on the pitch were beyond reproach. One of the most feared strikers in the world in his prime at Barcelona and Internazionale, he conquered Europe twice alongside Lionel Messi for Barça only to come back to haunt them in his first season with Inter and win the Champions League a fourth time, counting the one he won as a youngster at Real Madrid. He defied the stereotype of African athletes as being useful for their physique only. Eto'o's intelligence ensured he adapted his game in his 30s even as he lost some of his lightning pace and he left a respectable legacy at another top club, Chelsea, long past the peak of his powers.

4. Kirsty Coventry, Swimming

Key accomplishments: 2X Olympic Gold Medallist, 4X Olympic Silver Medallist, 1X Olympic Bronze Medallist

Now a politician in her home country of Zimbabwe, Coventry is Africa's most decorated Olympian, male or female, with seven medals across five Games. Coventry made her Olympic debut at the 2000 games while still in high school, and went on to compete until the 2016 Games in Rio. She won all but one of her country's Olympic medals to date, and is equal with the USA's Katie Ledecky for the most individual swimming medals by a woman (7). Athens 2004 was the highlight of her career as she won three medals, including gold in the 200m backstroke, and brought momentary joy to a country which was in a politically difficult position under then-president Robert Mugabe a year after the US imposed sanctions over alleged rigging of elections.

5. Tirunesh Dibaba, Long-distance Running

Key accomplishments: 3X Olympic Gold Medals, 5X Athletics World Championship Gold Medals, 5X World Cross Country Championship Gold Medals

Arguably the greatest female distance runner of all-time, the Ethiopian has dominated the 5,000m and 10,000m races for much of the millennium and also won gold at the 2017 Chicago Marathon. Dibaba had a rivalry with compatriot Meseret Defar in the 3,000 and 5,000 metre races, particularly in the mid-2000s. Ultimately, Dibaba proved to be the more versatile athlete, as evidenced by her success in the marathon.

6. Didier Drogba, Soccer

Key accomplishments: 4 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups, 1 UEFA Champions League, 2X Premier League golden boot winner, 2X African Men's Player of the Year

The ultimate man for the big occasion, Drogba's contribution to Chelsea FC was captured perfectly by Frank Lampard when he said: "The amount of important goals he has got for us in cup finals and big games throughout his career makes him an icon and historical figure at Chelsea, without a doubt." Drogba is one of Africa's most decorated footballers at club level, having played for the Blues from 2004 to 2012 and again in 2014/15. Drogba won four Premier League titles and scored in four FA Cup finals - all of which Chelsea won. His crowning night came when he netted in the UEFA Champions League in 2011/12 as Chelsea won the trophy for the first time. Drogba was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2022. Internationally, he played for Ivory Coast from 2002 to 2012, scoring 65 goals in 105 appearances, and was the African player of the Year in 2006 and 2009.

7. Faith Kipyegon, Middle & Long-distance Running

Key accomplishments: 2X Olympic Gold Medallist, 4X World finals Gold Medallist, 1500m & Mile World Record Holder

Kipyegon won back-to-back gold medals in the 1500m in Rio and Tokyo and holds the world record in that distance, while also being among the world's best at far longer races. She won gold in Budapest's 5000m world finals and has vowed to emulate her fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge in eventually becoming the best marathon runner in the world.

8. Jacques Kallis, Cricket

Key accomplishments: 13,289 Test runs, 11,579 ODI runs, 292 Test wickets, 273 ODI wickets, 2005 ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year

One of the best all-rounders ever to play the game, Kallis is the only player in history to score more than 10,000 runs and take more than 250 wickets in both Test and ODI cricket. The Proteas ended Australia's run of Test dominance in August 2009 - the first team ever to knock them off the top of the ICC World Rankings after their introduction in June 2003. Without Kallis, it is doubtful they would have achieved this feat. "I truly believe Kallis is the greatest cricketer ever," said Kevin Pietersen in 2010 - one of many rivals to rank Kallis at or near the top.

9. Asisat Oshoala, Soccer

Key accomplishments: 6X African Women's Footballer of the Year, 3X UEFA Women's Champions League, 4x Spanish Primera Division

Oshoala, who currently plays for Bay FC in the NWSL, has taken African women's football to new heights. The Nigeria striker has been the African women's Player of the Year a record six times, thanks in large part to her stellar five seasons with Barcelona. Her 92 league goals for Barça came at a rate of roughly one every 65 minutes. There, she won the Spanish Primera Division four times, and the UEFA Women's Champions League thrice. For Nigeria, she's been part of the Super Falcons side that won the African title three times, and is set to represent the Super Falcons again at the Paris Olympics.

10. Mohamed Salah, Soccer

Key accomplishments: 2X PFA Players' Player of the Year, 3X Premier League Golden Boot winner Premier League champion, UEFA Champions League winner

Liverpool star winger/forward Salah is the club's leading goalscorer in the Premier League, having joined the Reds from Roma in 2017. Since then, the two-time African Player of the Year has scored 211 goals in all competitions for the Reds, and helped them to Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League titles. He also won the Puskas Award in 2018, with his stunning strike in the previous December's Merseyside Derby against Everton dubbed the world's best goal of the year. Salah won the Premier League Golden Boot three times, marking him as one of the most clinical finishers of his generation in arguably the world's toughest league. Internationally, he's played for Egypt since 2011, finishing runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations twice.

11. Joel Embiid, Basketball

Key accomplishments: 2023 NBA MVP, 7X NBA All-Star

Though he now plays for Team USA, Embiid is one of Africa's finest basketball products of all-time, having been discovered as a teen in Cameroon, he progressed through the NBA and FIBA's Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in Johannesburg in 2011. His talent was always clear, but it was only in his late teens that the world began to see glimpses of the full extent of his potential at The Rock school in Florida, where he moved after struggling for game time at Montverde Academy. Embiid starred at the Kansas Jayhawks before being drafted third overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014. One of the most complete basketball players in the league, he was rewarded with the MVP prize in 2023 - the first player born and raised in Africa to win it since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994.

12. Siya Kolisi, Rugby union

Key accomplishments: 2X Rugby World Cup winning captain, 2021 British & Irish Lions Tour winning captain

South Africa loose forward Siya Kolisi made history when he became first Black Springboks Test captain in 2018, and has led the Boks to two World Cup titles since then. In 2019 and in 2023 he led them to back-to-back trophies, only the second international captain to do so. A physically imposing, fast, and tactical skipper, Kolisi has scored 10 Test tries, and was nominated for two Laureus Sports Awards in 2024. He will be remembered for his impressive technical ability and big performances when they were most needed, but more so his leadership of a team which was somewhat in the wilderness before he was handed the reins as captain.

13. Yaya Toure, Soccer

Key accomplishments: 4X African Men's Player of the Year, 3X Premier League Champion, 2X La Liga Champion, 2008/09 UEFA Champions League Winner

A defensive midfielder at Barcelona, Toure reinvented himself at Manchester City as a goalscorer capable of matching Frank Lampard in his prime, while maintaining his dominant physical presence in the middle of the park. He may have had a difficult relationship with Pep Guardiola, but he was part of two of the great tactician's most memorable teams as he won the treble with Barcelona in 2008/09 and helped Manchester City to a record 100-point Premier League season in 2017/18. The Ivorian's best season personally, however, came under Manuel Pellegrini in 2013/14 as he scored 20 Premier League goals and beat iconic rival midfielder Steven Gerrard of Liverpool to the title.

14. Wayde van Niekerk, Athletics

Key accomplishments: 400m World Record holder, 2016 Olympic Men's 400m Champion, 2X Men's 400m World Champion

Van Niekerk's 2016 Rio Olympics 400m triumph in 43.03 seconds not only remains a world record to date, but a time which nobody has come close to challenging. Had it not been for a knee injury in 2017, the South African may have gone down next to Usain Bolt in the history books as one of the most dominant sprinters of all-time. He may not ultimately have achieved the longevity of Bolt, but he was still as seemingly untouchable at his peak as the Jamaican was, and there is time still for van Niekerk to build on his legacy, including at the Paris 2024 200m.

15. Israel Adesanya, MMA

Key accomplishments: 2X Former UFC Middleweight Champion, 5 successful title defenses

Born in Lagos, although he moved to New Zealand aged 10 after a brief stint living in Ghana, Adesanya dominated the middleweight division of the UFC from 2019-2022, finally losing to Alex Pereira in November 2022 before beating him in a rematch five months later. Adesanya lost his belt again to Sean Strickland later that year, but has a chance to win it back against South Africa's Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 on August 17 in Perth. Adesanya will be 35 years old by the time that fight happens but whether or not he dethrones du Plessis (30), he will go down in history as one of the sport's greatest ever, fulfilling ESPN's prophecy of him as the "next big thing".

Continued below

16. Ernst van Dyk, Wheelchair racing & Handcycling

Key accomplishments: 10X Boston Marathon winner, 8X Paralympic medallist, Sportsperson with a Disability of the year for 2006 (Laureus World Sports Awards)

The King of the Boston Marathon wheelchair race with a world record 10 wins, van Dyk is one of the most dominant, talented and versatile athletes ever to come out of Africa. So unique is the South African's athletic ability that he even participated in the Barcelona paralympics as a swimmer as well as a wheelchair athlete, though he focused on the latter thereafter and became one of the greats.

17. Caster Semenya, Middle-distance Running

Key accomplishments: 2X Olympic 800m champion, 3X World 800m champion

When Caster Semenya shot to fame with an astonishing 1:55.45 run to claim the 800m world title aged 18 in 2009, few could have predicted the twists and turns that would follow. Beloved in South Africa, the Olympic champion middle distance runner has controversially been plagued by testosterone-related issues for most of the latter part of her career. For years, she was the darling of the 800m, winning gold in London 2012 and Rio 2016, as well as at the World Championships in 2009, 2011, and 2017. An IAAF ruling in 2018 forced her to switch to longer distances, the 3km and 5km races. Regardless of the ongoing disputes regarding the way she has been treated, her legacy as one of the sport's greats is cemented.

18. Mary Keitany, Long-distance Running

Key accomplishments: 7X World Major Marathon winner, 3X World Half Marathon Champion

One of the most decorated marathon runners of all time, Keitany has also excelled at other distances too. Her time of 2:17:01 at the 2017 London Marathon was a World Record for a women's only race at the time and she also previously held the half marathon world record for three years and achieved world bests in the 10 mile, 20 kilometre, and 25 kilometre road races. Similarly to fellow Kenyan Kipchoge, her versatility and consistency at the top of her sport makes her impossible to overlook.

19. Sadio Mané, Soccer

Key accomplishments: 2019/20 Premier League Winner, 2018/19 UEFA Champions League Winner, Premier League Golden Boot 2018/19 (shared), 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Winner

Most famous for his exploits at Liverpool, Senegal's Mané has been one of the most feared forwards in European football for close to a decade. He was arguably the signing who ushered in a new era for the Reds under Jürgen Klopp, as his heroics in 2016/17 helped seal UEFA Champions League qualification and lay the foundation for other key signings, such as Salah and Alisson Becker, who would go on to win the Premier League and Champions League alongside Mané. In January - February 2022, Mané led Senegal to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations title. Months later, he joined Bayern Munich, before moving on to Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in 2023.

20. Perpetua Nkwocha, Soccer

Key accomplishments: 4X African Women's Footballer of the Year, 5X African Women's champion

A prolific goalscoring midfielder who conquered Africa five times with a dominant Nigeria side, former Super Falcons captain Nkwocha has made a name for herself in Sweden both as a player for Sunnanå SK and later as a coach for Clemensnäs IF. Nkwocha combined dazzling dribbling skills with ruthless efficiency in front of goal to etch her name into the history books as one of the greatest African women's footballers ever.

21. Chad le Clos, Swimming

Key accomplishments: 2012 Olympic 200m Butterfly Gold Medallist, 3X Olympic Silver Medallist, 222 Medals at Swimming World Cup circuits

Five hundredths of a second can change the course of a swimmer's life and that was the distance by which le Clos beat Michael Phelps to the gold medal in the 2012 200m Olympic butterfly race in London. However, the South African has been far from a one-hit wonder. The most decorated swimmer in FINA World Cup history, he is not only an icon in South Africa but a competitor who any die-hard swimming fan would acknowledge as a great.

22. Ramy Ashour, Squash

Key accomplishments: 3X World Men's Singles Champion, 3X World Team Champion

Egypt's Ashour was one of the world's best squash players in the late 2000s and early 2010s and a world champion three times in six years. Ashour beat one compatriot - Karim Darwish - in the 2008 final, before triumphing over another - Mohamed El Shorbagy - in 2012 and 2014. He was the youngest player to reach top spot in the world since the 1980s and according to squash coaching legend Malcolm Willstrop: "his movement is better than anyone in the game, and allied to his unique racket skills and vision, he lights up the sport."

23. Kamaru Usman, MMA

Key accomplishments: Former UFC Welterweight Champion, 5 successful title defenses

Born in Auchi in Edo State, Nigeria, Usman's run as UFC welterweight champion coincided almost precisely with Adesanya's as middleweight king. Both held their belts from 2019-2022, with five successful title defenses. In 2021, Usman was ESPN's Male Fighter of the Year after wins over Gilbert Burns by TKO, Jorge Masvidal by KO (punch) and Colby Covington by unanimous decision.

24. Osi Umenyiora, American Football

Key accomplishments: 2X Super Bowl winner, 2X Pro Bowl, 2005 All-Pro, 2010 NFL forced fumbles leader

Born in London to Nigerian parents, New York Giants legend Umenyiora spent much of his childhood in Nigeria and continues his post-NFL in Lagos as a talent developer. The defensive end was drafted from Troy in 2003 by the New York Giants and although he did not immediately find his stride in the NFL, he was an impenetrable presence by 2005, gaining All-Pro recognition. Umenyiora was named to Pro Bowls that year and again in 2007, and was the NFL's leader in forced fumbles in 2010. His most impressive performance came against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007, as he picked up six sacks, but his Giants legacy is equally defined by twice being part of a defense that got the better of Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. Umenyiora had a brief stint with the Atlanta Falcons before signing a one-day ceremonial contract to retire as a Giant in 2015.

25. Mwadi Mabika, Basketball

Key accomplishments: 2X WNBA All-Star, 2X WNBA Champion

DR Congo guard/forward Mabika had her best years in the WNBA in the early 2000s, winning championships in 2001 and 2002 with the Los Angeles Sparks. She was a WNBA All-Star in 2000 and again in 2002, a superb season for her as she earned All-First Team honours and averaged 16.8 points per game. The first African in the WNBA, she was spotted by Dikembe Mutombo - arguably the greatest men's African NBA player of all-time - and did a superb job in living up to his legacy.

Continued below.

Just missed the list:

Ons Jabeur (Tunisia, tennis) Pascal Siakam (Cameroon, basketball), Luol Deng (South Sudan, basketball), Fourie du Preez (South Africa, rugby), Dale Steyn (South Africa, cricket), AB de Villiers (South Africa, cricket), Barbra Banda (Zambia, soccer), Francis Ngannou (Cameroon, MMA), John Obi Mikel (Nigeria, soccer), Victor Osimhen (Nigeria, soccer)

https://africa.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/40587128/are-africa-25-best-athletes-21st-century


PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE CAREFULLY BEFORE COMMENTING.

* Check whether a person is actually on the list before saying he is not on the list.

* Check whether a person is on the just missed out list before asking where the person is.

* Consider the period under consideration before asking for athletes from the 1990s (it's from 2000 till now).

Lol.

Clown ratings

congratulation to her

No Kanu Nwankwo, No Okocha, no Samuel Peter, no chioma Ajunwa (the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event)


Nonsense list.

Nice

Seriously?

Nice.

#RESPECT

From all of us @ : CONGRATULATIONS Asisat Oshoala!!

This is only the beginning of more success for you.
Keep making us proud out there.

You are BORN TO WIN.

Much Love gurl.
Respectful babe from a good home!

Keep Flying The Green Flag Higher.



It's not pride... It's class... says beautiful EniHolar,
where you @ dearie?

EniHolar:

I'm right beside you. Just observing things from a distance

Yesss ooo!
Good to hear from you darling.
See you around.
Hugs and

Our African Queen chilling out with the King of Soccer!!
Who dey breathe?!

TriCee:
Girl on fire

Na so we talk too ooo

No male Nigerian in the top 20.

Nice

Kenelisa Bekele deserves the number one spot, no doubt. 🫡🫡🫡 But the list is not complete without these two guys below:
👇👇👇
Haile Gebrselassie (Long-distance running, Ethiopia) - - should be number 1

Anthony Joshua (Boxing, Nigeria) - - should be in Top 10

onlinestaff247:
No male Nigerian in the top 20.

Israel Adesanya (15)

Okay good one

Where's Jay Jay and Anthony Joshua?

Osimehn missing,

Anthony Joshua missing

What about George Weah? First and only African to win the Ballon D' Or

Why is Maria Mutola, the Maputo Express not in that list? Why is Haile Gebrselassie, the greatest distance runner of all time not on that list?

This is a wack list!

Good list!


Insert George Opong Weah and Kanu Nwankwo somewhere in the top 20 and it becomes a great list.

dominique:
Israel Adesanya is recognized as a New Zealander

exactly 💯

naptu2:

The title is misleading then. If it was limited to the 21st century, it should have been indicated.

REDshouse:
Osimehn missing,

Anthony Joshua missing

AJ fights for Britain

Osimehn has a lot to prove.

Nice but Nigeria suppose get more reps that that, but due to our selfishness limits....

If not politics and corruption, we for do more. Congratulations. Thanks to that angel who paid osoala's dues before she could get enlisted when money was rated over her performance. Her destiny would have been dashed by now. Nigeria has many stars but corruption at the helms didn't allow them to get there.

Tobi amusan is coming , likewise goodness nwachukwu. They'd soon be added to the list

No david lekuta rudisha
Meanwhile, na draw match

Nice list

PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE CAREFULLY BEFORE COMMENTING.

* Check whether a person is actually on the list before saying he is not on the list.

* Check whether a person is on the just missed out list before asking where the person is.

* Consider the period under consideration before asking for athletes from the 1990s.

Where is Haile Gebreselassie of Ethopia.?

Israel Adesanya is recognized as a New Zealander

tj2018:
Where is Haile Gebreselassie of Ethopia.?

He's the Ethiopian I was expecting at no.1 not that one over there. The fact that he's not even anywhere in the top 20 males the list is a joke

Don’t regard WSPN as a worthy source. Just trash this silly list and go about your day. They literally don’t know shit except for American sports.

If they knew anything, the Egyptian goalie of the 2000s who won three Nations Cup would be on the list.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Essam_El_Hadary&diffonly=true

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