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African football has enjoyed great success and improvement in the quality of players and personnel over the last few years. This can be attributed to the adoption of modern football practices around the continent.
Africa has produced brilliant players in the past such as Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba, Jay-Jay Okocha, Yaya Toure, El-Hadji Diouf, Kolo Toure, Mohamed Aboutrika and many others. These days, players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez and Victor Osimhen rightly receive a lot of plaudits for their performances for club and country.
Not just forwards or midfielders, defenders from the continent are among the world's best too. Here is a list of the five best defenders from Africa in world football right now.
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#5 Michael Ngadeu
Captain of Cameroon's Indomitable Lions, Michael Ngadeu has been a consistent performer this season for club and country. The 31-year-old central defender plies his trade in the Belgian Jupiler League with KAA Gent.
A somewhat late bloomer, Ngadeu is known for his fearless tackling and front-foot defending. He has played 27 times for Gent in all competitions this season and has helped them to keep 11 clean sheets.
Ngadeu is adept at playing with both feet and has played a huge role in his club and country's impressive performances recently. The experienced defender has helped his country keep six clean sheets in their last eight matches in FIFA World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies.
Ngadeu is set to lead his country to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in January 2022, where Cameroon will host the tournament and hope to win it.
#4 Hamari Traore
Stade Rennais captain Hamari Traore has been another consistent performer this season for club and country. The right-back has impressed greatly for the French outfit this season with one goal and four assists in 21 appearances.
Traore was part of a Mali defense that kept six clean sheets in FIFA World Cup qualifying and reached the World Cup playoffs.
The 29-year-old defender has won 19 of 34 attempted tackles this season and made 30 interceptions. Traore has also won 51% of his aerial duels.
The defender is known for his pace of recovery and fearless tackling on the right flank. He remains heavily involved in the game and is a progressive carrier of the ball.
#3 Achraf Hakimi
Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi is currently one of the best right-backs in world football. The 23-year-old has already played and won silverware for top clubs in four of Europe's top five leagues.
The Real Madrid academy graduate has helped clubs earn €103 million in transfer fees in the past two seasons, which is an indicator of his quality.
Hakimi was signed by Inter Milan for €43 million in 2020 and helped them win the Scudetto before moving on to Paris Saint-Germain for €60 million last summer.
Hakimi has scored three goals and provided two assists in 22 appearances for an underperforming PSG side this season. He has won 27 of 45 attempted tackles this season and made 28 interceptions in all competitions.
The Moroccan international is a progressive ball carrier for Les Parisiens and his national team. He has helped Morocco reach the FIFA World Cup playoffs, helping them keep clean sheets in four of the five matches that he played in.
#2 Joel Matip
Liverpool defender Joel Matip has been one of the most consistent performers for the English Premier League giants this season. The 30-year-old Cameroonian was expected to lose his place in the Liverpool side following the summer acquisition of 22-year-old Frenchman Ibrahima Konate.
Matip has, however, cemented his place in the Liverpool backline alongside Virgil van Dijk, and is helping the Reds challenge for the Premier League title. Matip has helped Liverpool keep six clean sheets whenever he has been on the pitch.
He has won 15 of his 19 attempted tackles and made 19 blocks and 16 interceptions this season.
The former Cameroon international remains in international exile after deciding not to play for the national team and will miss the upcoming African Cup of Nations.
#1 Kalidou Koulibaly
SSC Napoli have maintained their position in the top three of Serie A, with the Partenopei only two points off the pace after 16 matches. A big factor in their impressive start to the season has been the return to form of influential defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
The Senegal international was one of the most sought-after defenders in world football a couple of seasons ago, but suffered a slight dip over the past two seasons.
Koulibaly looks to be back to his best, with two goals and two assists for Napoli in 20 appearances this season. The 30-year-old has also helped the Partenopei keep ten clean sheets in all competitions this season.
Koulibaly is undoubtedly the best African defender over the past few years, but the level of his performances this season looks to have gone up a notch.
