Top 5 Ghanaian footballers who have won the UEFA Champions League
No African nation has more UEFA Champions League winners than Ghana, with five Ghanaian players winning the highly esteemed trophy in football. This write up touches on the top 5 Ghanaian footballers who have won the UEFA Champions League.
Top 5 Ghanaian footballers who have won the UEFA Champions League
Abedi Ayew Pele (Marseille – 1992/93)
The Ghanaian talent was very helpful during Olympique Marseille’s UEFA Champions League final win over AC Milan in 1993.
He took the left-footed corner that resulted in the only goal of the match, which was scored by Basile Boli. He was given the Man of the Match accolade for his overall contribution during the game.
Samuel Kuffour (Bayern Munich – 2000/01)
Kuffour played the entire 90mins as Bayern Munich defeated Spanish side Valencia 5-4 on penalties in the 2000/01 Champions League final after the match had ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Ghanaian defender played in the 1998/99 final which they lost lost 2-1 to English side Manchester United.
Michael Essien (Chelsea – 2011/12)
The tough-defending midfielder was key to Chelsea’s win after the appointment of Jose Mourinho in 2004, helping the club to bag a number of Premier League and FA Cup titles.
Michael Essien added the trophy to his collection after defeating German side Bayern on penalties in the 2011/12 season.
Although he was an unused substitute in that final, his influence at the London club was huge, especially as he helped fill the space left by Claude Makelele, who left the Blues in 2008.
Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan – 2009/10)
Jose Mourinho constructed a powerful team to deliver Inter Milan’s first European Cup in 45 years, and Ghana’s Sulley Muntari was a crucial bearing as essential a component of that side as the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Diego Milito and Wesley Sneijder.
Muntari put in a quite decent shift, especially in games such as the semi-final second leg against Barcelona, helping provide the defensive wheel the successful Nerazzuri thrived on.
A 10-minute cameo in the final at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu might have had little impact on a game already wrapped up 2-0 by the time he came on, yet few could begrudge Muntari a well-earned reward.
Ibrahim Tanko (Dortmund 1996/97)
The last time Dortmund played in the final of the Champions League and won, former King Faisal player Ibrahim Tanko was in the team.
Tanko played was having very few minutes at the time of that triumph, but that was because of a bout of injuries that plagued him that year.
READ: 3 Things That Will Make You Rich, Fast And Safe Method
The striker made only three appearances in Dortmund’s journey, but Tanko received a winner’s medal for being part of the Dortmund team that saw a 3-1 win over Italy’s Juventus in the final.
