10 African Songs Named After Footballers

Here are some African songs about footballers. It is a well-known fact that Africans are passionate about Football, as the sport has grown to become one of the most beloved sports on the continent, if not the most revered.  

Football fans in Africa have adopted various ways of showing their passion, from friendly in-house banters to acquisitions of favourite football club merchandise to even going as far as embedding football stars to skin. 

However, one of the most creative and enjoyable ways that the love of football by Africans has been shown in recent years has come through art as old as time itself: music.

In recent years, there has been a recurring trend of African songs named after footballers. Some of these songs have become smash hits and played immensely on radio stations, making them some of the top African songs in the process.  

These songs are witty, melodious, and catchy as they draw attention from a vast audience—for obvious reasons.  

Here are ten African songs named after footballers that we have thoughtfully listed. Please, enjoy.

1. Odumodublvck – Declan Rice

Fast-rising rapper, singer, and songwriter, Odumodublvck is the most recent member of this elite club of artists to have heavily referenced footballers in their songs. His most recent song, ‘Declan rice’ is titled after popular England and West Ham midfielder, Declan Rice. Since its release on March 24, 2023, the record has gone on to take flight, including peaking at Number one on the official Apple Music and Spotify charts in Nigeria, creating a frenzy in the music community as most people never saw it coming. 

Popular stars like Skepta, Wizkid, Omah Lay, Davido, and even Declan Rice himself have endorsed the song online. The song has been dubbed a door opener by many who believe it has changed the narratives for the overlooked talents that dwell in the country’s capital (Abuja) and is bringing back the love for rap in the country.

2. Longue Longue – Samuel Eto’o (Feat. Diddy Tchakounte, Majoie Ayi)

Cameroon singer, Longue Longue scored a massive hit way back in 2011 when he released his song ‘Samuel Eto’o, which was a nod to one of the most decorated African football stars and arguably the best Cameroonian football player ever, Samuel Eto’ O Fils.  The heavily soukous-influenced song featured Majoie Ayi and Diddy Tchakaounte. 

3. Mohbad – Ronaldo

‘Ronaldo’ by Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Oladimeji popularly known as Mohbad, was released in 2022 and is an Amapiano record named after legendary football player Cristiano Ronaldo. The record was produced and mixed by Niphkeys. Although the theme of the song isn’t focused on Ronaldo per se, the singer stylishly references him.

4. Afro B – Drogba(Joanna)

Afro B’s ‘Drogba’ was a summer banger back in 2018, and inspired several viral dance trends online. The song became an instant hit and it catapulted Afro-B to fame. The Afrobeat bop was named after Ivory coast legend, Didier Drogba and still remains the artiste’s most streamed song to date. 

5. Niniola – Maradonna

Niniola’s ‘Maradona’ is a song named after the late Argentine legend, Diego Maradona and was produced by Nigerian music producer, Sarz.  ‘Maradona’ is a feel-good song that talks about the Casanova ways of a love interest, indicating a player, hence the Maradona influence.

6. Mayorkun & DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small – Jay Jay

‘Jay Jay’ is a song by Nigerian singer, Mayorkun and it features South African musicians, Dj Maphorisa and Kabza De Small. The Amapiano record pays homage to Nigerian Footballer, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha.

7. Guchi –  Benzema

Popular french football star, Karim Benzema is Guchi’s muse on ‘Benzema’. The song lauds the scoring talent of the French player as the singer compares a lover’s skills to that of the former. 

8. Ycee –  Mo Salah

Ycee’s 808 beats influenced  ‘Mo Salah’ is another African song that is named after a football player. The hip-hop record was coined after Egyptian and Liverpool forward, Mohammed Salah. The singer compares his finesse to the Egyptian player and even features an audio commentary that hails the footballer.

9. Priesst – Osimhen

After teasing the song for weeks during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, known short as the 2023 AFCON or CAN 2023 held in Ivory Coast, Nigerian rapper, Priesst finally dropped ‘Osimhen’ a drill-infused hip-hop record referencing Napoli and Nigerian forward, Victor Osimhen.

10. Rhatti – Balotelli

Nigerian rapper, Armstrong Chukwuebuka Arize best known Rhatti teamed up with talented producer, Dominion for ‘Balotelli’ released on March 30, 2024. The song is an amapiano-infused hip-hop tune with amazing melodies and lyrics to reference Italian forward, Mario Balotelli.

These are the African songs about footballers you should know. The relationship between football and pop culture in Africa is a beautiful one and from the looks of things, it can only get better from here.