9 Greatest African Players in Liverpool History (Ranked)

Liverpool Football Club have, throughout their history, had 20 players that have represented African countries internationally play for them. The Reds, who are one of England’s most successful clubs, have seen a wide spectrum of ability within those 20 players.

Some, such as Sean Dundee, were famous for their struggles more than anything else, but plenty of that number have enjoyed fruitful spells at Anfield. With that being said, who are the greatest African players to have ever represented the Merseyside outfit?

Ranking Factors

• Honours won with the club
• General ability as a professional player
• Fan reception

What is also worth considering is that all entrants on this list have been deemed eligible based on either their birth in the continent of Africa, or if they have represented an African nation internationally through descent if they were born elsewhere.

9 Rigobert Song

1999-2000

Despite being just 22 years old upon moving to Anfield from Italian side Salernitana, Rigobert Song had already distinguished himself on the international stage, having played at two World Cups for his native Cameroon, for whom he would go on to become their most-capped player with 137 appearances.

Though a centre-back by trade, Song was often deployed at right-back for the Reds and made a good impression with fans, who soon began chanting “We’ve only got one Song” in his support. He missed three months of his maiden season at Anfield due to international commitments, winning the African Cup of Nations in 2000.

Song struggled to find a place in the team during the following campaign, playing just four games of the 2000-01 season before joining West Ham United in November 2000, but even in such a short time, Song was established as something of a fan favourite.

8 Naby Keita

2018-2023

When Liverpool announced in 2017 that they had reached a deal to sign Naby Keita from RB Leipzig the following season for just under £50 million, expectations were high. The Guinean midfielder had established himself as a hot prospect in Europe with consistent performances in the Bundesliga and Europe.

In his five years at Liverpool, wearing their fabled number 8 shirt, Keita was part of the Jurgen Klopp teams that won a Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup. On paper, his time at Anfield was solid if nothing else.

Keita, despite making over 100 appearances for Liverpool over five years, was consistently hampered by injury. There was a constant, lingering feeling that due to this, the midfielder was never able to reach his full potential, with Keita being forced to endure spells away from the team that meant he struggled to establish himself as part of Klopp’s first team.

7 Mohamed Sissoko

2005-2008

Signed as a 20-year-old from Valencia in 2005, Mohamed Sissoko, or Momo as he was better known, was an exciting young prospect at the time of his arrival on Merseyside. Sissoko needed little time to become part of the Liverpool first team and in his debut season, he played a key role in the side that won the 2006 FA Cup, starting the final alongside Xabi Alonso in the match against West Ham United that saw the Reds battle back from 3-1 down to force a penalty shootout.

Sissoko would go on to be known and adored by Liverpool fans for his unwavering commitment to the club. During his three years there, Sissoko had chances to move to teams in Russia, Italy and Spain, but consistently turned down any potential moves, such was his dedication to the Reds. In January 2008, Sissoko finally departed Anfield for Juventus, a team that had long held interest in him. Regardless of this, Sissoko had done enough to make himself a fond memory for fans.

6 Titi Camara

1999-2000

Titi Camara only spent around 18 months in Merseyside, joining Liverpool in the summer of 1999 and departing the following December. The striker, who had spent nine years prior to his time at Anfield in France, scored 10 goals in 37 games for the Reds, but stats alone are not why Camara became a cult hero for Liverpool fans, something that remains true to this day.

In terms of big moments, Camara’s finest hour in a Liverpool shirt came in February 2000, when the Guinean international scored at Highbury against Arsenal in what was the only goal of a tightly-contested match. What he is better remembered for, however, is his performance against West Ham United, the team he would ultimately move to from Liverpool, just months after his arrival.

The night before the day of the game, Camara’s father died. Despite this, the striker elected to play in the match. When he scored, Camara fell to his knees in front of the Anfield Road stand as he celebrated, tears flowing down his face. In a 2006 vote amongst Reds fans ranking “100 Players Who Shook the Kop,” Camara was the second-highest ranked African player on that list, only behind legendary goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar.

5 Djimi Traore

1999-2006

Djimi Traore’s Liverpool career is perhaps the epitome of “up and down.” Joining from Laval in 1999, Traore, who would play six games for the Malian national team in the mid-2000s, struggled for consistent minutes in his first few years at Anfield. Ultimately, he would head back to France in 2001 to join RC Lens on loan for the season.

After spending the 2003-04 campaign with the Liverpool reserves, Traore was close to departing for city rivals Everton. It was only at new manager Rafa Benitez’s request that he stayed, and it was after this that Traore finally saw an upturn in his form, with many noting that he generally seemed more reliable in his positional play under the Spaniard.

There were still some mistakes, such as his infamous own goal against Burnley in the third round of the 2004-05 FA Cup, but Traore’s finest moment in a Liverpool strip came just months after that. The left-back started against AC Milan in the Champions League final, conceding the free-kick from which Paolo Maldini would score in the opening minute.

Traore rallied, however, as did the rest of his team. Later in the game that famously saw Liverpool battle back from 3-0 down, Traore successfully cleared an Andriy Shevchenko shot from the line, an incident that cemented his place in Liverpool folklore.

4 Bruce Grobbelaar

1981-1994

Bruce Grobbelaar was, in many ways, the sweeper keeper before such a term existed. The Zimbabwean international spent 13 years with Liverpool and made over 600 appearances for them after signing from the Vancouver Whitecaps in 1981. The departure of Ray Clemence saw the shot-stopper fired into the first team and his extravagant style of goalkeeping, that incorporated rushes from his line, general flamboyance and eye-catching saves, soon made him a favourite amongst Liverpool fans.

Grobbelaar enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with the Reds, winning six league titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and a European Cup. In the early 90s, Liverpool’s signing of David James was a sign that the end of Grobbelaar’s time at the club was near. Eventually, the shot-stopper joined Southampton in 1994, having made a name for himself as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever goalkeepers in their history.

3 Joel Matip

2016-2024

The recently-retired Joel Matip joined Liverpool from Schalke in 2016, quickly establishing himself to fans as an incredibly capable defender that was able to put in consistently solid performances. Matip, who played international football for Cameroon, was similar to Naby Keita in that both were hampered by injuries during their time with the Reds,

Unlike Keita, however, Matip was still able to display his quality despite the disruption brought upon him by injuries. The central defender made over 200 appearances for Liverpool over eight years and was an integral part of the Jurgen Klopp team that saw the club return to a position of dominance.

It was unfortunate that, in his last season with Liverpool, Matip was ruled out for the second half of it by an ACL injury. Regardless of how his time ended, however, Matip is unquestionably one of the best-ever African internationals to represent the side.

2 Sadio Mane

2016-2022

Two years ago, it would have been hard to imagine a reality in which Sadio Mane, who had just moved to Bayern Munich, would spend just one season there, marred by inconsistency, before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023. Despite that being the case, Mane’s six years at Liverpool saw him establish himself as one of the best wingers in world football.

Mane’s attacking partnership with Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah was one of Europe’s best for a number of years, spearheading Liverpool to Premier League and Champions League triumphs while accumulating several domestic cup honours over those years.

The Senegalese superstar scored 120 goals and notched 42 assists in just under 275 games for Liverpool in total, with many professionals, past and present, having commented on just how tricky he was to deal with at his absolute peak.

1 Mohamed Salah

2017-

One of Liverpool’s best-ever talents, their best player to come from the continent of Africa and undoubtedly an Anfield legend. Mohamed Salah joined Liverpool in 2017, moving back to England after time in Italy with Fiorentina and Roma having had a previous stint in the country with Chelsea.

Salah blossomed into a star soon after arriving in Merseyside, with his lethal finishing, blistering pace, dazzling feet and overall consistency being causes for the Liverpool faithful to be enamoured by him. His character has been, and still is, one of leadership. In the famous front three composed of Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, Salah was the one that scored the most, such was his composure and profligacy in front of goal.

The Egyptian has, at the time of writing, played in 359 games for the Reds, scoring an eye-watering 217 goals while grabbing 94 assists alongside that. Still in his early 30s, it is feasible that Salah spends a few more years on Merseyside, but such is the way of modern football, it is equally just as plausible that he soon leaves. Regardless of his future, Salah has comfortably established himself as Liverpool’s best ever African player.

(All stats are from Transfermarkt and are correct as of 17/10/2024)