Ace Football presents a detailed list of the best African players to have played for the Black and Yellows.
In recent years, Borussia Dortmund have established a reputation for developing some of the most extraordinary talents in European football. This is not, however, a recent trend in Bundesliga.
The Black and Yellows have always been affiliated with foreign players as part of their long-running battle to challenge Bayern Munich’s dominance in the German top-flight.
The excellent diversity in the African football’s market has attracted interest from Dortmund, who have benefitted greatly from signing African players in their history.
Let’s take a look at the best African players to have featured for Dortmund.
5- Victor Ikpeba
As part of Nigeria’s AFCON-winning squad of 1994, Ikpeba spent a highly successful spell at Monaco from 1993 to 1999.
Having won the African Footballer of the Year in 1997, Ikpeba had several suitors from abroad, with the Nigerian star eventually deciding to join Dortmund.
Ikpeba found a strong start at the club, establishing himself as a regular starter in the second half of his debut campaign. However, in his second season, he fell out of favour under Matthias Sammer.
In his 37 appearances for the Black and Yellows, Ikpeba scored four goals and provided an assist for the Bundesliga side. The Nigerian star went on a loan deal to Real Betis in 2001 before leaving the club permanently to join Libyan side Al Ittihad a year later.
4- Otto Addo
Addo was Hannover’s best player when they earned Bundesliga 2 promotion in 1998. His first season in the second tier was so impressive that Borussia Dortmund signed him a year later.
In his first season in Bundesliga, Addo impressed with his incredible versatility and speed. The attacking midfielder played 98 games for Dortmund, scoring 16 goals and providing 16 assists.
He was a part of the Black and Yellow’s Bundesliga-winning squad of 2002. However, his time at the club came to an abrupt end after a string of severe injuries.
The Ghana star suffered three cruciate ligament injuries but refused to retire after finishing his recovery. He eventually left the Westphalia side in 2005 to continue his career at Mainz.
3- Sunday Oliseh
Oliseh was part of Nigeria’s golden generation that won both the AFCON 1994 and the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics. After spending successful stints at Ajax and Juventus, the Super Eagle joined Dortmund in 2000.
His combination of excellent physicality and technical abilities in midfield contributed greatly to the Black and Yellow’s Bundesliga triumph in 2002.
The former Eredivisie champion made 72 appearances for the Bundesliga giants before moving on loan to Bochum in 2003. A year later, Dortmund sacked Oliseh after headbutting his Bochum teammate Vahid Hashemian. The Nigerian claimed the Iranian forward had used racist language toward him.
2- Mohamed Zidan
Zidan had already played for Werder Bremen, Mainz, and Hamburger before joining Dortmund in 2008. He was among Jurgen Klopp’s first signings at the club. The German manager had worked with Zidan in his previous job at Mainz.
The Egyptian star went on to make 73 appearances for the Black and Yellows, scoring 15 goals and providing ten assists. He won two consecutive Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012 while also claiming the DFB Pokal medal in 2012.
Zidan’s game time decreased dramatically during the first half of the 2011-12 season. The Egyptian forward eventually returned to Mainz in January 2012.
1- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the greatest African star to have played for Borussia Dortmund. The Gabonese striker’s performances at Saint-Etienne during their French Cup-winning campaign of 2012-13 persuaded Klopp to sign him in July 2013.
Having seen Robert Lewandowski leave the club on a free transfer, the Black and Yellows were eager to find their new number nine. Surprisingly, their first bid turned out to be a perfect choice.
Aubameyang went on to make 213 appearances for the club, scoring 141 goals and providing 36 assists. His goalscoring consistency and iconic partnership with Marco Reus established his reputation as one of the best strikers in Europe during his time at Dortmund.
He won Bundesliga’s Golden Boot after scoring 31 goals for the Black and Yellows in the 2016-17 campaign. He also won the DFB Pokal under Thomas Tuchel in 2017 before joining Arsenal six months later.
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