Top 20 African Players List

Michael Essien has long been a favourite of African football fans, with his tenacity, skill and never-say-die attitude serving as a neat summation of the strengths of players who hail from this continent.

However, the Ghanaian finds himself placed stone last in this week’s MTNfootball Top 20 rankings, a most unusual position for a player who has been so influential for club and country in recent years.

Yet Essien’s recent drop in the rankings is perhaps a reflection of our readers’ frustration with a player who has not turned out for his national team since last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

Micheal Essien

Admittedly, some cruel luck with injuries has been the major factor in this, but now that the midfielder is fit, surely it is time for him to return to the Black Stars?

However, he has ruled himself out of Ghana’s upcoming games, a crucial 2012 AFCON qualifier against Congo and a friendly international against England, both of which take place later this month.

And what of his club form? The ‘Bison’ has been a regular for Chelsea this season and has performed well on the whole, but to merely play ‘well’ is not enough for a player of his calibre.

Essien should dominate games, cover every blade of grass and (insert your chosen cliché here)… well, you get the idea. He’s too good a player to be just a regular and be consistent, yet that’s all he’s really been this season.

So come on, Mike, get some fire in your belly and remind us all why you are one of the finest players of your generation. You can start with Chelsea’s game against Manchester United tonight…

The Top 20 Standings at the time of writing:

1. Houssine Kharja
2. Marouane Chamakh
3. Mounir El Hamdaoui
4. Peter Odemwingie
5. Samuel Eto’o
6. Seydou Keita
7. Alexandre Song
8. Kevin-Prince Boateng
9. Gervinho
10. Kwadwo Asamoah
11. Asamoah Gyan
12. Papiss Demba Cisse
13. Didier Ya Konan
14. Moussa Sow
15. Yaya Toure
16. Salomon Kalou
17. Didier Drogba
18. John Obi Mikel
19. Steven Pienaar
20. Michael Essien