Michael Essien African team of di decade
As 2019 don end, Former Chelsea and Ghana star Michael Essien don choose im best 11 African players from 2010 to 2019.
Ghana cap Michael Essien wey spend nine years playing for Chelsea, 58 times Di last 10 years see significant moments for African football, starting wit di World Cup wey happun for di first time for African soil as South Africa host am for 2010. Di decade also end wit di 2019 Africa Cup of Nations wey hold for June and July for di first time instead of di usual January to February calendar. Essien own decade see am win European Champions League title and one FA Cup wit Chelsea as well as runners-up medal for di 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. We ask Essien who be im top players from di last decade. Goalkeeper - Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria) Enyeama na one of di few African goalkeepers to enjoy successful career for Europe. Im win di Israeli League title with Maccabi Tel Aviv for 2013. Im go on to keep 11 consecutive clean sheets while with Lille and bin dey 115 minutes away from beating Ligue 1 all-time record of minutes-of-clean-sheets set by Gaetan Huard for 1993 wia e play 1,176 minutes without conceding one goal. Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama For national team level, Enyeama help Nigeria win di Africa Cup of Nations for 2013, as di Super Eagles end 19-year wait for di trophy. Vincent Enyeama arguably be Nigeria best player for di 2014 World Cup wen dem qualify to di knockout stage. Defence - Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast) Di former Manchester City captain bin be key member of di Ivory Coast side wey win di Africa Cup of Nations for 2015. For club level, he was one of di first signings by Manchester City owners Sheikh Mansour which serve as star attraction for other big name players to arrive. Kolo's acquisition signal shift in power for City because im come from direct rival, Arsenal. After a stint with Liverpool wey see am reach di final of di Europa League im end e club career for Celtic, wia e no only did he win the Scottish League titles but also bin be part of di team wey go unbeaten for di league just as im do with Arsenal for 2003-4. Defence - Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Cameroon) Di Cameroonian peak for Tottenham for di beginning of di decade and na one of di best left backs for Premier League under Harry Redknapp. Benoit Assou-Ekotto E impressive performances na di main reason why Gareth Bale, wey be left-back before, move to play advanced role. E form deadly partnership with Bale and dem become problem for right-backs for di Premier League. Unfortunately for Assou-Ekotto, knee surgery mean say im career go pay di price but e be pesin wey pass expectations and become di best African left-back for Premier League. Defence - Medhi Benatia (Morocco) Benatia bin be big influence for Italian Serie A side Udinese, but na for AS Roma wia di world take notice of am. Dem name am as di club player-of di-season for 2014 before e join Pep Guardiola Bayern Munich for di end of dat season. Benatia move to Juventus for 2016 wia e help dem win three Serie A titles. Defence - Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal) Koulibaly na di best defender for Italy for di last three seasons. Im help Senegal to reach dia first Africa Cup of Nations final for over 10 years dis year and many pipo regard am as one of di best centre-backs for modern day football. Napoli and Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly Di only reason e still dey Napoli na say di club owner turn down many offers from top European outfits so far. Midfield - Michael Essien (Ghana) Essien prowess begin to die down just for di turn of di decade with injuries taking dia toll but e bin still dey important for Ghana as dem qualify for di World Cup for 2014 and - e insists say im deserve place for e team of di decade! For club level im play key role and help spark di come-back against Napoli which help Chelsea win dia first Champions League for 2012. Midfield - Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast) Yaya don win di Confederation of African Football (Caf) African Player of the Year award four times in di last 10 years. Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure win di English Premier League with Manchester City three times E also score 79 goals for Manchester City, di most by any midfielder for di club during dat period. Toure win di Premier League three times, one FA Cup, two League Cups and before e move to England e bin don win di 2010 La Liga with Barcelona. E also captain Ivory Coast to dia Africa Cup of Nations crown for 2015. Midfield - Sadio Mane (Senegal) Di Liverpool star don be breath of fresh air for di last few years and many see am as one of di best players of dis generation. E don score 73 goals to help Jurgen Klopp men and bin dey instrumental in helping dem reach two European Champions League finals, winning di last edition. Sadio Mane of Liverpool and Senegal From im days for Salzburg through to Southampton and Liverpool - plus e performances for di national team - im don score more than 150 career goals with more than 60 assists. Forward - Mohamed Salah (Egypt) Di "Egyptian King" na di only African player to make di Fifa Best top 3 dis decade. Salah don exceed expectations for Liverpool wia e win di Premier League Golden Boot for di two seasons with di club so far. Im be di reigning Caf footballer of di year afta im retain di crown for 2019. Mohamed Salah don net more than 202 goals for club and kontri dis decade. Forward - Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) For di beginning of di decade Drogba reach im career high of 37 goals to help Chelsea win domestic Cup double and also win e second Premier League Golden Boot. Didier Drogba help Chelsea win di European Champions League for 2012 For di year 2012, Didier Drogba cement e legendary status for European football as im score di equaliser and di winning penalty as Chelsea lift di European Champions League for di first time ever. E trophy winning continue afta e leave Chelsea with three more for Turkey as e help Galatasaray win di league, FA Cup and Super Cup. As e end im career for north America e show say e still get dat scoring touch for body as e finish as top-scorer for Major League Soccer side Montreal Impact and den made it into The MLS All-Star team one year later. Forward - Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon) Arguably di greatest African Player of all time, Samuel Eto'o win e second treble for di start of di decade with Inter Milan under Jose Mourinho. Di following season e be Inter Milan top scorer with 37 goals as dem win Fifa Club World Cup and Coppa Italia. Those feats see am win di fourth of e Caf African Player of the Year awards for 2010. Im move to England for di end of e career, and even though e no shine at dat point e still manage one memorable hat-trick for Chelsea against Manchester United.