Top 5 African players to have played for Barcelona

Seydou Keita (Mali)

Seydou Keita

The Malian legend is not one of the first names that come to your mind when talking about Guardiola's all-conquering side of 2009. The midfielder joined Barcelona in 2008 following a season with Spanish side Sevilla.

The midfielder was a vital cog for Pep Guardiola as his Barcelona side dominated club football. He was quoted by the Spaniard as one of his most reliable players and made the most appearances for the Blaugrana in the 2010-11 season.

Keita played four seasons for the Blaugrana before leaving the club to join Chinese side Dalian Aerbin (now known as Dalian Yifang) in 2012. During his stay, the midfielder made a total of 188 appearances and scored 22 times for the Catalan giants.

Seydou Keita left Barcelona after having won 14 major trophies including the famous treble in 2009.

The Malian retired from the game in 2017 after a stint with Qatari side El-Jaish.

Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon)

Samuel Eto'o

Arguably one of the greatest African players of all-time, Samuel Eto'o enjoys legendary status at the Catalonian club after having spent five seasons with the club.

The Cameroonian joined Barcelona from Mallorca for a reported fee of €24 million in 2004. He won La Liga during his first two seasons with the club forming a potent partnership with Ronaldinho, winning the Pichichi and the Champions League in his second season.

The striker was at the centre when Barcelona won their first-ever treble under Pep Guardiola in 2009 but soon found himself transferred to Inter Milan in a deal that saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic coming to Barcelona.

Samuel Eto'o scored a staggering 130 goals in 199 appearances for the Blaugrana and won eight titles during his time in the Catalonian capital.

After moving to Inter Milan, Eto'o became the first player to win back-to-back Champions League titles and trebles with different teams the next season.

Eto'o retired from the game last season after a year-long stint with Qatari side Qatar SC.

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