African football is highly respected and represented at the top level of the game. From Parisian glory nights to Turkish title races, players from the continent are helping to shape Europe’s biggest competitions, and the debate over the best grows livelier every season. Below, we take a look at the African players making an impact on the game right now.

Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi is seen by many as the best African player, and it’s easy to see why. The Paris Saint-Germain right-back is the latest winner of the CAF African Footballer of the Year award, a just reward for a campaign that included Champions League glory. Few defenders combine searing pace, crossing quality and composure in the final third like Hakimi, and this has seen him feature in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year multiple times. For club and country, Hakimi has a huge impact, which is reflected in the latest football betting odds, with PSG and Morocco usually favourites to win.

Victor Osimhen isn’t only one of Africa’s most feared strikers, but one of world football’s. The Nigerian, who fired Napoli to the Serie A title in 2023, has since moved to Galatasaray, where he’s fired them to the league title too. His goalscoring record is as good and as consistent as anyone’s at the top level, which is why he’s often linked with moves to bigger clubs. As a striker, Osimhen has it all, but it’s the fact that he plays centrally that stands out, with number nines becoming a bit of a rarity in recent times.

There are few players who have helped shape the modern game quite like Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian, who left Liverpool in the summer after nine years, was prolific in the Premier League, winning Golden Boots and breaking records. He made the right forward position his own and showed how it was possible to score goals aplenty from the position, with his trademark being cutting inside on his left foot and getting a shot off. At 34 years old, he’s joined Turkish outfit Trabzonspor on a two-year deal and is already impressing by getting amongst the goals.

Nigerian star Ademola Lookman won the African Footballer of the Year award in 2024 after a sensational spell at Atalanta, highlighted by a memorable hat-trick in the Europa League final. This season, he’s made the switch to Atlético Madrid in a big-money move, joining a club that demands intensity and tactical discipline. Quick and direct, Lookman thrives on being able to make a difference in tight games, having already proven he can produce decisive moments against the world’s best. His ability to carry the ball, run at defenders and finish with either foot makes him a constant threat.

There are few stories in African football as compelling as that of Antoine Semenyo. Born in England to Ghanaian parents, he endured multiple rejections before working his way up the ladder and ending up in the Premier League. He signed for Manchester City from Bournemouth in January and finished the season with 17 top-flight goals to his name, a record for a Ghanaian. He also played every minute at the World Cup for the Black Stars, helping them reach the last 32. Right now, he’s starring in a City team that has won every game so far this season.