The UEFA Champions League has hosted many African Stars over the years, showcasing their clinical precision and technical brilliance. In this article, we pay homage to the highest-scoring UCL campaigns by African Players.
SERHOU GUIRASSY: 13 GOALS (2024/2025 SEASON)
The highest scoring African and Borussia Dortmund’s player in a single UCL campaign with 13 goals, Serhou Guirassy, is a force of nature. Dortmund poached him away from Bundesliga rivals VfB Stuttgart because of his insane goal-scoring ability, and the Guinean Striker has certainly not disappointed.
Guirassy was an instant hit in Dortmund, netting braces against Celtic, FC Barcelona, and Shakhtar Donetsk as well as lone goals against Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb, and Bologna in Dortmund’s group stage fixtures. He only failed to find the back of the net against Real Madrid and Sturm Graz during Dortmund’s UCL campaign.
Following Dortmund’s failure to secure an automatic spot in the knockout rounds, he netted their opening goal in their playoff fixture against Sporting CP to guarantee their spot in the Round of 16. The goal was his tenth in the UCL campaign, as he joined Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland, the only Dortmund players in history to score ten goals in a single Champions League campaign.
He completed his haul for the campaign by netting his first Champions League hat-trick for Dortmund in an unforgettable manner against Barcelona, shattering the record for most goals scored by an African player in a single UCL season. He is the only player to net five goals against Barcelona in a single UCL campaign. Thirteen goals and four assists in a maiden UCL campaign with The Black and Yellow, simply extraordinary!
SÉBASTIEN HALLER: 11 GOALS (2021/2022 SEASON)
Sébastien Haller’s memorable maiden UCL Campaign remains one for the record books; the Ivorian was simply unbelievable in front of goal. Ajax were named in Group C alongside Borussia Dortmund, Beşiktaş, and Sporting CP. Haller ruthlessly kick-started the UCL campaign, netting a haul against Sporting CP in their opening group stage fixtures, becoming just the second player in history to net four goals on their UCL debut. The Ivorian hitman extended his goal-scoring streak with a goal against Besiktas, two against Dortmund, and a second-leg brace against Besiktas. He scored the opener in Ajax’s victory against Sporting in their final group stage game.
It was goals galore for the towering Ivorian striker as they claimed victories in all their group stage fixtures to qualify as group winners, and Haller joined an elite company of players to have recorded double digits in goals in the UCL group stage. Additionally, he became the second player to register a goal in all group stage fixtures since Cristiano Ronaldo.
Sebastien Haller helped Ajax secure a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie, but was helpless as they slumped to a defeat in the second and were eliminated by Benfica. With his goal against Benfica, he became the first player to score across seven consecutive UEFA Champions League matches.
MOHAMED SALAH: 10 GOALS (2017/2018 SEASON)
The 2017/2018 season marked the debut of the frightening trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino with Salah serving as the deadliest member of the trio.
Salah had one of the greatest debut campaigns in English football history for Liverpool, rewriting numerous records in the process. The Egyptian winger netted a goal on his UCL debut for Liverpool before netting his second goal in a group stage opening draw against Sevilla. He followed it up with a brace in a 7-0 thrashing of NK Maribor in their third group stage fixture and netted in subsequent group stage fixtures against Maribor and Spartak Moscow. Simply inevitable in front of the goal, he found the back of the net in Liverpool’s 5-0 thrashing of Porto away from home in their Round of 16 knockout fixture.
Liverpool’s Egyptian King was at his brilliant best as The Reds thoroughly decimated Guardiola’s high-flying Manchester City side in their quarter-final fixture, netting across both legs to help Liverpool secure their spot in the semi-finals.
His brace against former club AS Roma in the first leg of their semi-final tie gave the Reds a huge advantage going into the second leg. Simultaneously, he became the first African player and the first Liverpool player to score 10 goals in a single UCL campaign; a record equalled by Sadio Mané at the end of the season. The campaign came to an end in a brutal fashion for him as he was injured by Sergio Ramos and had to be substituted in the first half.
SADIO MANÉ: 10 GOALS (2017/2018 SEASON)
An outstanding role model for the current crop of young Senegalese football stars, Sadio Mane was a complete winger. Left foot, right foot, aerial prowess, mesmerizing dribbling skills, pinpoint crosses; Mane could do it all!
Mane netted his maiden UCL goal for Liverpool in their thrilling draw away at Sevilla and followed it up with a brace in a 7-0 thumping of Spartak Moscow, netting in back-to-back appearances for The Reds. Liverpool’s diminutive magician grabbed his first hat-trick for the club in the UCL, netting a treble against Porto in the first leg of their Round of 16 fixture to secure their spot in the quarterfinals as he became the second player to score an away hat-trick for the Reds in European competition.
Mane always turned up for Liverpool in the big occasions, and he netted against tournament favourites Manchester City in the first leg of their quarter-final fixture to give them a huge advantage going into the second leg.
He came up clutch for The Reds with two goals across both semi-final legs to defeat AS Roma and secure a spot in the final for the first time in 11 years. He netted in every knockout round for Liverpool!
Sadio Mane’s final goal of the campaign came in Liverpool’s agonizing defeat to Real Madrid in the final as he netted an equaliser to give the Reds some lifeline before they succumbed to defeat later in the match. The winger became the first Senegalese player to register a goal in the UCL final.
The Mane-Firmino-Salah trio recorded 10 goals each in the 2017/2018 UCL campaign as Liverpool became the first team in history to have three players score 10+ goals in a single Champions League season. The trio finished second to Cristiano Ronaldo atop the goalscoring charts.
SAMUEL ETO’O: 8 GOALS (2011/2012 SEASON)
Unarguably, Samuel Eto’o is Africa’s Mr. Champions League. The Cameroonian striker led Barca to their first UCL triumph in 14 years at the end of the 2005/2006 season, in just his second season at the club. Following Barca’s continental treble glory at the end of the 2008/2009 season, he was sold to Inter Milan. Eto’o led Inter Milan to a continental treble in his debut season in Italy, starring for the Italians as they became European Champions for the first time in 45 years. Inter commenced the 2010/2011 UCL campaign as Champions of Europe and were aiming to defend their title.
Having netted a goal in their opening group match, the Cameroonian striker took things up several notches and grabbed a sensational hat-trick in their second group stage fixture against Werder Bremen. A deadly assassin in front of goal, he banged three goals in their next two group stage fixtures against Tottenham. A goal down in the first leg of their Round of 16 fixture against Bayern Munich, Samuel Eto’o sensationally netted the opener and set up Wesley Sneijder as well as Goran Pandev to complete the turnaround. Devastatingly, he drew a blank and was powerless as Inter crashed out to Schalke 04 in the quarter-finals.
He finished the tournament as the joint second-highest scorer alongside Mario Gomez, ending a short but iconic stint in Serie A.
MOHAMED SALAH: 8 GOALS (2021/2022 SEASON)
Mo Salah went on an insane goalscoring streak at the start of the 2021/2022 UCL Campaign. He netted seven goals in five group stage matches for Liverpool, only failing to find the back of the net in their second-leg tie against Atletico Madrid at Anfield. He registered braces against Atleti and Porto.
Liverpool’s UCL group was originally billed as the group of death. However, the group turned to Liverpool’s playground as they defeated Italian heavyweights AC Milan and Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid as well as FC Porto across the two legs.
The Egyptian winger’s clinical performances in front of goal spearheaded the Reds’ winning streak as they claimed victory in all six group stage matches to top the group and advance to the next round. Having found the back of the net in the first leg of the Reds’ Round of 16 against Inter Milan, the goals dried up for the Egyptian winger. He failed to find the back of the net in the Reds’ memorable run to the UCL final, where they lost heartbreakingly to Real Madrid again.
RIYAD MAHREZ: 7 GOALS (2021/2022 SEASON)
Riyad Mahrez was at his clinical best in front of the goal in the 2021/2022 season, netting 24 goals across all competitions for Manchester City. The Algerian winger led City’s charge for a maiden UCL title from the frontline, netting in several group stage matches and only failing to find the back of the net in two group stage ties.
Man City’s magician netted the opener in their 5-0 thrashing of Sporting CP in the first leg of their Round of 16 knockout tie. He saved his most important goal for last, netting City’s opener at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium to extend their aggregate lead over Real Madrid. He was substituted, and his hard work was undone by the unlikeliest of comebacks by Los Blancos.
PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG: 7 GOALS (2016/2017 SEASON)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was synonymous with goals across Europe’s biggest leagues. From Germany to England to Spain to France, wherever he went, the goals followed.
He established himself as one of the finest strikers in the world during his time with Borussia Dortmund in the German top flight. Auba got off to an excellent goal-scoring start in the 2016/2017 season, banging goals for Dortmund across the Bundesliga and the Champions League. He netted in four group stage matches for Dortmund, netting hauntingly against Real Madrid in both group stage fixtures. His goal in a comeback draw in their final group match against Real Madrid helped Dortmund pip the Spanish giants as group winners.
His performance in the German side’s first-leg Round of 16 tie against Benfica left a lot to be desired. Unsurprisingly, Auba used the disappointments of his horrendous first-leg performance to inspire Dortmund’s comeback victory. His second-leg hat-trick led Dortmund to a resounding turnaround after losing the first leg to the Portuguese club. The Gabonese team captain drew a blank as Dortmund crashed out to AS Monaco in the quarter-finals.
