In honor of Africa Day, the reliable bookmaker 1xBet remembers five legendary athletes who wrote their names in history and invites you to take part in a festive competition.

Nwankwo Kanu – the African with the most titles

At the age of 19, he won the greatest club tournament in Europe. At 20, he achieved Olympic gold, being captain of the Nigerian national team. He played with the world’s best players at Ajax, Inter, and Arsenal. He is the African footballer with the most football trophies. It’s all about Nwankwo Kanu.

Being 197 centimeters tall, the Nigerian stood out for his excellent technique and good coordination. These helped him obtain many individual awards and win the hearts of fans.

During his career, Kanu achieved 22 trophies, including the Champions League (Ajax 1995), UEFA Cup (Inter 1998), Premier League (Arsenal 2002, 2004) and FA Cup (Arsenal 2002, 2003). He was also twice recognized as African Footballer of the Year (1996, 1999). Impressive.

David Rudisha – the Kenyan applauded by London

The 2012 Olympics became the greatest athletics tournament of our time, where the world’s biggest stars shone. In addition to Usain Bolt’s legendary races, an 80 thousand crowd saw Kenyan David Rudisha’s world record in the Olympic men’s 800-meter final. The athlete became a real celebrity when he ran the distance in 1:40:91.

Kenyan talent David Rudisha became a champion without media hype and wild celebrations. However, we will forever remember the sincere smile of the man who did the impossible.

Samuel Eto’o – the only player to win the treble twice in a row

In the underrated legends list, Samuel Eto’o would rank highest. He was not recognized as the world’s best striker: the Cameroonian always remained in the shadow of more popular players, but he did not give up and reset his records.

By 22, Samuel was already the top scorer in Mallorca’s history and then moved to Barcelona. Together with the Catalans, he won La Liga three times and obtained the Champions League cup twice, scoring in each of the finals. Then there was a voyage to Inter, where, in the 2009/2010 season, he won 5 trophies with the team – Serie A, Italian Cup and Super Cup, Champions League, and Club World Cup. The forward remained the only player to achieve two trebles in a row.

Sebastien Haller – survived cancer and became the CAN hero

When Haller moved to Borussia in 2022, he did not even suspect that something terrible could happen – he was diagnosed with cancer. The player regularly visited the hospital, had two operations and several stages of chemotherapy, and in the end, the doctors confirmed that he had recovered.

18 months after receiving the devastating diagnosis, Haller became the center of attack for the Ivorian national team that faced Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations final. Sixty thousand spectators watched the Elephants’ incredible victory, 2-1, and it was Haller who was the hero that evening, scoring the decisive goal. The player took a long time to recover after the match, constantly repeating that he had won the two most important life struggles.

George Weah – first African to win the Ballon d’Or

George quickly navigated difficult situations; he had incredible speed, and even Roberto Baggio admired his work with the ball. 1995 was the brightest year in George Weah’s football career. That season, he showed great performance for PSG and, together with David Ginola and Rai Souza Vieira de Oliveira, reached the Champions League semi-finals, where they lost to Milan. Then, the Liberian, with seven goals, became the tournament’s top scorer.

That same year, France Football awarded the Ballon d’Or to a Liberian footballer for the first time. Weah was voted ahead of Jurgen Klinsmann and Jari Litmanen and remains the only African to receive this prize.

These success stories once again prove that sport in Africa is growing rapidly and will one day become not only the cradle of sporting talent but also the epicenter of world-class events.

Reliable bookmaker 1xBet continues to support local sports to help athletes and federations. Together with its partners, the global brand has prepared a festive competition for Africa Day. To take part, you need to:

  • Subscribe to the company’s social media
  • Give correct answers to 2 questions in the comments under the competition posts
  • Provide your client ID.

Perhaps you will become the new legendary hero. Join the competition, remember to play responsibly, and support your favorites with 1xBet!