Europa League final: Ranking Africa's greatest winners

The Morocco striker was a Europa League winner with Sevilla in 2020, as they defeated Internazionale 3-2 in the Cologne final.

En-Nesyri may not have found the net in the final itself, but he did find the net twice during his maiden campaign in continental competition.

Salomon Kalou may have left Chelsea the summer before their Europa League success, but his brother Bonaventure did win the tournament for the family some 11 years before the Blues’ triumph in the competition.

The elder Kalou was part of the Feyenoord team that dispatched Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a gripping final in Rotterdam in 2022, three years after the Ivorian wideman had won the Dutch title with The Pride of the South.

Mbia bounced back in style after a disastrous spell in English football with Queens Park Rangers, by escaping to Sevilla—initially on loan—in 2013.

He spent two fruitful seasons with the Spanish heavyweights, notably winning the Europa League title in back-to-back seasons in 2014 and 2015.

Moses only truly established himself at Chelsea in the 2016-17 season, when he became a key figure in Antonio Conte’s first team as the Blues won the Premier League title.

It became easy to forget just how peripheral Moses used to be at Stamford Bridge during the previous seasons as he finally made a niche for himself at the club, before eventually being sent out on loan after Conte's departure.

He actually won the Europa League back in 2013, less than a year after signing for the club, playing 10 games and scoring five for the West Londoners en route to the title.

He was part of the Chelsea squad that won the title in 2019 - although he wasn't part of the matchday squad - and was a defeated finalist with Internazionale.

The midfield powerhouse ultimately lost his way at Liverpool after sustaining a serious eye injury, but it was nonetheless testament to his quality that he went on to play for both Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

He won the Uefa Cup during a magnificent 2003-04 season with Valencia, in which they also lifted the Spanish title.

Partey may have fallen short in the 2016 Champions League final as Atletico Madrid were defeated by fierce city rivals Real, but he did still achieve European success with the Rojiblancos.

In 2018, the Ghana powerhouse was part of the Atleti side that trounced Olympique de Marseille 3-0 in the final in Lyon, coming off the bench in a thoroughly one-sided competition.

Now at Arsenal, will there be further continental success in his future?

West may have burned out too young, but he still enjoyed a successful start to his career, packed with honours and silverware aplenty.

He won the Olympic gold medal with Nigeria, and also featured for the Super Eagles at two World Cups.

He won the French title and two French Cups with Auxerre, but achieved arguably his greatest career success when he clinched the UEFA Cup with Internazionale in 1998.

While Inter won the final comfortably—trouncing Lazio 3-0—West was dismissed in the 82nd minute.

Kanoute was a two-time Uefa Cup winner with Sevilla, with whom he enjoyed the finest years of his career.

As well as being the first non-African-born player to win Caf’s African Footballer of the Year award, Kanoute is also the only one of the continent’s stars to have won the Europa League on two occasions, enjoying back-to-back triumphs in 2006 and 2007.

He also won two Spanish Cups during a trophy-laden spell with Sevilla.

One of only two African players to have won both of Europe’s top two continental club competitions when he was part of Chelsea’s Europa League-winning team in 2013.

Mikel had previously featured as the Blues beat Bayern Munich to win the Champions League the year beforehand, but was an unused substitute—along with Moses—as Benfica were defeated 2-1 in Amsterdam a year later.

The Nigeria international enjoyed over a decade of service for the Blues.

Kanu became the first African player to win both the Champions League and the Europa League when his Internazionale side thumped Lazio 3-0 in the 1998 final in Paris.

The Nigeria superstar had earlier won the continent’s grandest prize with Ajax, although he was an unused substitute for Inter as they put their Serie A rivals to the sword.

He would come off the bench in the final two years later, as Arsenal were defeated on penalties by Galatasaray.