Five of the greatest players never to win Afcon

Mohamed Salah’s relationship with Liverpool might be on the rocks, yet there can be no doubting his success at Anfield.

The Egyptian King has accumulated a treasure trove of silverware during his time with the Reds – but he has never won the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) with his country.

While the forward could change that over the next month at the 2025 finals in Morocco, some of African football’s greatest players also never got their hands on the trophy.

BBC Sport Africa profiles five big names who missed out the continent’s biggest prize.

Aged 33, is it now or never for Egypt’s captain?

The Pharaohs are the tournament’s most successful side, with seven titles overall.

But they have not triumphed since completing a hat-trick in 2010 – and that barren run encompasses Salah’s international career, having made his debut in 2011.

Remarkably, Egypt failed to qualify for the 2012, 2013 and 2015 Afcons, meaning his first taste came in 2017 when the North Africans lost to Cameroon in the final.

Salah, named African footballer of the year in 2017 and 2018, then endured disappointment on home soil at Afcon 2019, shocked in the last 16 by South Africa.

Egypt returned to the final at the 2021 edition – a clash in which Salah was beaten by his then Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane in a game which went to penalties.

Held back for the potentially crucial fifth spot kick, Salah never even got to take it as the faultless Senegalese triumphed 4-2.

Injured in the group stage of the 2023 Afcon, Salah, who now sits second on Egypt’s list of all-time goalscorers, was forced to watch on as DR Congo dumped his team out in the second round.

Drogba was always the man for the big occasion at Chelsea – scoring nine goals in 10 major finals for the Blues and ultimately lifting the trophy in eight of those matches.

However, the striker’s killer instinct deserted him when he twice captained Ivory Coast in Afcon finals, with penalties his Achilles heel.

In 2006, the Elephants faced a shootout against hosts Egypt, but Drogba saw his opening effort saved and the Pharaohs won 4-2.

The West Africans returned to the final in 2012 as overwhelming favourites against Zambia, but Drogba’s downfall again came from 12 yards.

He spurned a chance to put the Ivorians ahead with 10 minutes left, skying a penalty high over the bar.

Drogba did find the net in the eventual shootout, but his team were beaten again.

His other campaigns saw the Elephants finish fourth (2008) and exit in the quarter-finals (2010 and 2013), before his retirement from international football in August 2014.

Six months later, Ivory Coast beat Ghana in the 2015 final, ironically on penalties.

A serial winner who played a role in ending his country’s civil war, an Afcon title was the thing that eluded Drogba.

In terms of individual honours, the former Paris St-Germain, AC Milan and Chelsea striker stands above every other African footballer.

Weah remains the only man from the continent to win the Ballon d’Or, picking up the trophy in 1995 – the same year he was named African player of the year for a second time.

Yet he could not replicate his stellar club form with Liberia, whose only two Afcon appearances came with Weah in the squad.

The West Africans played just two group games on their tournament debut in 1996, after Nigeria withdrew, exiting on goal difference following a win over Gabon and a defeat by Zaire (now DR Congo).

Liberia returned to Afcon in 2002, in the twilight of the great man’s career.

Aged 35, he scored his only Afcon goal in the opening draw with Mali, but the Lone Stars again failed to make it out of their group.

Having captained his country at Africa’s biggest sporting event, Weah would go on to lead his nation on the global stage as Liberia’s President between 2018 and 2024.

The languid forward with a silky touch enjoyed a trophy-laden club career, scooping the Champions League with Ajax and the Uefa Cup with Inter Milan before a successful stint at Arsenal.

By then Kanu had carved his name into Nigerian football history as a key part of the squads which won the Under-17 World Cup in 1993 and a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics.

But the Afcon trophy proved elusive, and the closest he came was in 2000, when the Super Eagles lost the final to Cameroon on penalties.

Kanu, then 23, saw his spot kick saved, and Nigeria would never return to the continent’s showpiece match during his international career.

Semi-final defeats followed in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010 – with a quarter-final exit in 2008.

The two-time African footballer of the year retired with an Olympic gold but only silver and bronze from the Cup of Nations.

The last of Ghana’s four Afcon triumphs came way back in 1982, meaning several generations of top players have failed to lift the trophy with the Black Stars.

Among them is Essien, arguably his country’s most talented central midfielder.

Like Drogba, he won the lot with Chelsea between 2006 and 2012 but could not translate that into international success.

A teenaged Essien was part of the team beaten in the quarter-finals in 2002, Ghana failed to qualify in 2004, while injury ruled him out in 2006.

He was named in the team of tournament when Ghana hosted in 2008, but saw his side downed by Cameroon in the semis before bouncing back to seal third place.

Essien was injured midway through the 2010 tournament, forcing him to watch on as his team-mates returned to the final for the first time in 18 years, only to be beaten 1-0 by Egypt.

He played only a handful more games for his country – a Black Star whose light was dimmed by persistent injury.