The 2023/23 Champions League final could see a fresh name on the famous trophy as Manchester City face Inter Milan in Istanbul.
City are pushing to win their first Champions League title, with Inter reaching the final for the first time since winning the competition under Jose Mourinho in 2010.
Whoever comes out on top at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, there will be a string of players clinching their maiden European title, with both squads featuring stars from across the world.
Across both teams, City star Riyad Mahrez and Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana will be looking to join the list of African players to win the Champions League.
MORE: Man City vs Inter Champions League final prediction 2023: Who will win trophy in UCL title match?
African players to win the Champions League
In total, 26 African players have won the European Cup/Champions League, with 24 of those title winners coming in the post 1992/Champions League era.
Bruce Grobbelaar (Zimbabwe) and Rabah Madjer (Algeria) are the only African players to win the European Cup, prior to 1992, with Liverpool and Porto respectively.
Since the inaugural Champions League tournament in 1992, African champions have been a regular feature of Champions League winning squads, from Ghana's Abedi Pele with Marseille in 1993 to Edouard Mendy (Senegal) and Hakim Ziyech (Morocco) with Chelsea, in 2021.
African European Cup/Champions League winners
| Nation | Player | Season | Team | Final Result |
| Algeria | Rabah Madjer | 1987 | Porto | Porto 2 Bayern Munich 1 |
| Cameroon | Geremi | 2000 | Real Madrid | Real Madrid 3 Valencia 0 |
| Cameroon | Samuel Eto'o | 2006, 2009, 2010 | Barcelona, Barcelona, Inter Milan |
Barcelona 2 Arsenal 1; Barcelona 2 Manchester United 0 Inter Milan 2 Bayern Munich 0 |
| Cameroon | Joel Matip | 2019 | Liverpool | Liverpool 2 Tottenham 0 |
| Egypt | Mo Salah | 2019 | Liverpool | Liverpool 2 Tottenham 0 |
| Ghana | Abedi Pele | 1993 | Marseille | Marseille 1 AC Milan 0 |
| Ghana | Ibrahim Tanko | 1997 | Borussia Dortmund | Borussia Dortmund 3 Juventus 1 |
| Ghana | Samuel Kuffour | 2001 | Bayern Munich | Bayern Munich 1 Valencia 1 (Bayern won 5-4 on pens) |
| Ghana | Sulley Muntari | 2010 | Inter Milan | Inter Milan 2 Bayern Munich 0 |
| Ghana | Michael Essien | 2012 | Chelsea | Chelsea 1 Bayern Munich 1 (Chelsea won 4-3 on pens) |
| Guinea | Naby Keita | 2019 | Liverpool | Liverpool 2 Tottenham 0 |
| Ivory Coast | Salomon Kalou | 2012 | Chelsea | Chelsea 1 Bayern Munich 1 (Chelsea won 4-3 on pens) |
| Ivory Coast | Didier Drogba | 2012 | Chelsea | Chelsea 1 Bayern Munich 1 (Chelsea won 4-3 on pens) |
| Ivory Coast | Yaya Toure | 2009 | Barcelona | Barcelona 2 Manchester United 0 |
| Kenya | McDonald Mariga | 2010 | Inter Milan | Inter Milan 2 Bayern Munich 0 |
| Mali | Djimi Traore | 2005 | Liverpool | Liverpool 3 AC Milan (Liverpool won 3-2 on pens) |
| Mali | Seydou Keita | 2009, 2011 | Barcelona | Barcelona 2 Manchester United 0; Barcelona 3 Manchester United 1 |
| Morocco | Achraf Hakimi | 2018 | Real Madrid | Real Madrid 3 Liverpool 1 |
| Morocco | Hakim Ziyech | 2021 | Chelsea | Chelsea 1 Manchester City 0 |
| Nigeria | Jon Obi Mikel | 2012 | Chelsea | Chelsea 1 Bayern Munich 1 (Chelsea won 4-3 on pens) |
| Nigeria | Nwankwo Kanu | 1995 | Ajax | Ajax 1 AC Milan 0 |
| Nigeria | Finidi George | 1995 | Ajax | Ajax 1 AC Milan 0 |
| Senegal | Sadio Mane | 2019 | Liverpool | Liverpool 2 Tottenham 0 |
| Senegal | Edouard Mendy | 2021 | Chelsea | Chelsea 1 Manchester City 0 |
| South Africa | Benni McCarthy | 2004 | Porto | Porto 3 AS Monaco |
| Zimbabwe | Bruce Grobbelaar | 1987 | Liverpool | Liverpool 1 Roma 1 (Liverpool won 4-2 on pens) |
African players in Champions League finals
Grobbelar and Madjer both played key roles in their European Cup final wins, in 1984 and 1987, as Grobbelar's famous 'jelly legs' helped Liverpool to a penalty shootout win over Roma, and Madjer scored in Porto's 2-1 win over Bayern Munich.
Only two African players have won multiple Champions League titles, with Seydou Keita winning twice with Barcelona, in 2009 and 2011.
Cameroon superstar Samuel Eto'o won three titles, two in his own spell in Catalonia, and later with Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.
Eto'o also received the man of the match award, as Barcelona beat Arsenal in the 2006 final, as did Didier Drogba in Chelsea's shootout win over Bayern Munich in 2012.
African Champions League winners to score in finals
Madjer was the first African player to score in a European Cup final and go on to win the title in 1984.
Eto'o joined the list, as he scored a crucial equaliser, against Arsenal in Paris in 2006 and became the first African player to score in multiple finals, as he netted against Manchester United, in 2009.
Premier League based African stars then increased the list from 2010 onwards, with Drogba joined by Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Mo Salah.
African scorers in European Cup/Champions League finals
| Year | Player | Team | Final Result |
| 1987 | Rabah Madjer | Porto | Porto 2 Bayern Munich 1 |
| 2006 | Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona | Barcelona 2 Arsenal 1 |
| 2009 | Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona | Barcelona 2 Manchester United 0 |
| 2012 | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | Chelsea 1 Bayern Munich 1 (Chelsea won 4-3 on pens) |
| 2018 | Sadio Mane | Liverpool | Real Madrid 3 Liverpool 1 |
| 2019 | Mo Salah | Liverpool | Liverpool 2 Tottenham 0 |
By Feargal Brennan , SN
