No doubt all over the world, the round leather game is about the goals, the deft touches, and the mesmerizing skills of the players on the field of play.
When football enthusiasts, fanatics, and stakeholders come together to watch the beautiful game of football, what they’re on the lookout for is the thrills, the sleek touches, and the mesmerizing skills of football stars.
While some are on the lookout for new talent.
Ladies who love to watch beautiful games look out for players with great physiques, handsome or cute faces, and six-packs who they can easily appreciate because of the beauty of that particular player.
While CheapGoals certainly doesn’t have a propensity for judging players by their looks or condemning them, this is just to serve you the ugliest football stars in Africa.
- Ugliest Football Stars In Africa
- 1. Harrison Afful – Ghana/Charlotte FC
- 2. Gilles Binya – Cameroon/Retired
- 3. Benjani Nwaruwari – Zimbabwe/Retired
- 4. Fatau Dauda – Ghana/Retired
- 5. Manuel Cange – Angola/Retired
- 6. Taribo West – Nigeria/Retired
- 7. Dominic Adiyiah- Ghana/ Retired
- 8. Afriyie Acquah – Ghana/Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
- 9. Fabrice Akwa – Angola/Retired
- Hameur Bouazza – Algeria/Retired
- 10. Aristide Bance – Burkina Faso/Retired
- Krepin Diatta – Senegal/ Monaco
Ugliest Football Stars In Africa
The article was first Published on March 22, 2020, & updated Jan 25 2024
1. Harrison Afful – Ghana/Charlotte FC
Afful came through the Feyenoord youth team but went on a loan to Asante Kotoko in Ghana spending two seasons with the Ghanaian side in 2008, where he wins the league with them.
He also had a stint with ES Tunis after leaving Kotoko, appearing for the club over 170 times, winning the Ligue Professionnelle 1 four times, playing in three CAF Champions League finals, and later winning it in 2011.
In 2015, Afful sealed a move to the United States to sign for Columbus Crew, helping the club qualify for the MLS Cup in 2015, in his first season with the team.
He made his international debut with Ghana in 2008 at the AFCON helping the Black Stars to a third-place finish in that tournament.
Afful has appeared at four Afcon tournaments for Ghana but 2010 and 2015 perhaps might be one of the most painful tournaments he had played finishing as runners-up in both.
The Black Stars center-back may not be one of the sexiest footballers around just like Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham with their good-looking physiques, six-packs, and cool hairstyles. Afful definitely one of those defenders, strikers don’t want to mess with when it comes to defending his team.
2. Gilles Binya – Cameroon/Retired
The Cameroon defender spent most of his playing career in Turkey, he represented Gaziantepspor and Elazigspor.
Binya played over 87 matches for the Turkish-based side, he also had a stint with MC Oran in Algeria, Benfica in Portugal, and Neuchatel Xamax in Switzerland.
Binya had a relatively decent international career with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. In 2007, he was called up into the national team under the tutelage of then manager of the team Otto Pfister, and in 2008 he made his first Afcon debut where Cameroon finished as runners-up against the Pharaohs of Egypt.
The former Benfica defensive midfielder may not be one finest among the big stars in the world of football or one of the best in his preferred position.
However, when it comes to doing the job, he does it diligently, which perhaps makes opponents get weary of his intimidating look. This sometimes gives an impression that he could either be a rampaging Vikings, a thug, or a hardcore hip-hop rapper.
Hopefully, Gilles Binya will find time to fix those various problems with his teeth.
READ ALSO: Top Football Stars Who Don’t Wear A Tattoo
3. Benjani Nwaruwari – Zimbabwe/Retired
The former Portsmouth forward started his career with Jomo Cosmos in South Africa, before moving to Europe to continue his professional career, Benjani joined Grasshopper in 2001.
Thereafter he joined Auxerre a year later in France, he also had a stint with Portsmouth, Manchester City, and Sunderland among other teams he represented in England before coming back to the continent to play with Chippa United and Bidvest Wits.
The dreadlocks-wearing forward also captained the Zimbabwe national team at the 2006 AFCON, but couldn’t take his team to the final stage.
Benjani played a total of 31 matches for Zimbabwe before he hung his boot after Zimbabwe’s draw with Cape Verde in an international football match.
Benjani who is the third Zimbabwean to play in the English Premier League, may not be as cute as many will want him to be, but he’s definitely in one of those categories of strikers that a goalkeeper wouldn’t want to face on his good day.
4. Fatau Dauda – Ghana/Retired
Dauda began his football career in 2004 with Ashanti Gold S.C. in his hometown, and in 2016 he signed for NPFL side Enyimba FC.
Dauda may not be one of the fancy and gorgeous football stars you will want to have a date with, notwithstanding his exploits on the field of play puts a shut up to whatever deficiency he suffers facially so much that he was voted Ghana best goalkeeper of the year in 2008.
The Enyimba shot-stopper also at some point had a stint with Orlando Pirates in 2013, where he played as a backup to Senzo Meyiwa, who also played with Chippa United. Unfortunately, his stint there ended acrimoniously when the club failed to pay his fees.
Dauda also had a brilliant time with the Ghanaian national team, he was part of the team squad for the Afcon in 2008, and at the 2013 AFCON edition, he was in between the stick for the Black Stars as the first choice.
5. Manuel Cange – Angola/Retired
Cange, popularly known as Loco is one player who will have fared well as a clown if he wasn’t a footballer. His appearance at every match venue is usually greeted with curiosity, especially by people who are just seeing him play for the first time.
Even at some point, a fan once teased that the Angolan looks like a movie star in a horror film, if the hairstyle on his forehead was anything to go by.
The Angolan who played as a right-back for Santos was noticeable for his unique hairstyle when he was playing for Angola at the 2006 World Cup.
6. Taribo West – Nigeria/Retired
Taribo is one of the best defenders that ever comes from the continent, he caught the eyes of the world playing for Inter Milan and the Nigerian national team with his colorful dreadlocks that come in white and green.
He was a rock-solid defender during his playing days, legend has it that his look sends shivers down the spine of world-class strikers and makes them lose focus.
The former defender who is now a pastor was so good that he stood toe to toe with some of the best forwards in the world like Alessandra Del Piero and Andrey Shevchenko in Serie A back then.
Taribo’s name would never go missing when listing the top all-time ugliest football stars in Africa. However, he will always be remembered for his exploits for the Nerazzurri and the Super Eagles, making over 42 appearances between 1994 and 2005.
READ ALSO: Top 10 Ugliest Footballers As At 2016- 2017
7. Dominic Adiyiah- Ghana/ Retired
Talking about the ugliest football stars, if clubs somehow consider beauty as the first criterion before securing a player’s services not sure the Ghanaian international would have been known as a footballer, but a diligent actor whose major role would be the unnatural herbalist in Ghollywood movies.
Dominic Adiyiah hasn’t tumbled off the lattice completely right now. He can’t be hard to notice with the size of his head.
Adiyiah was called up by the Black Satellites in 2008, making his debut on 30 March in a match against Niger, and furthermore participating in the WAFU U-20 Championship.
He was once touted as the next big star before fizzling out into oblivion.
8. Afriyie Acquah – Ghana/Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Acquah is another player whose facial look isn’t attractive, however, his composure and agility on the field of play overshadow his unattractive look.
The Ghanaian played for quite number of a clubs in Italy, however, he will be best remembered for his stint with Torino.
He had a relatively decent time with the Black Stars, he was called up to the Ghana squad to face Chile in 2012, also in 2014, he was part of the provisional list in Ghana’s quest for the FIFA World Cup.
9. Fabrice Akwa – Angola/Retired
Akwa will be remembered for his exploits for the Angolan national team with how he was instrumental for them in their quest to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.
The player with the face of a woman might not be handsome or a player that comes with a good physique but then his eye for goal is top-notch.
Akwa wasn’t known for playing with some of the biggest clubs in Europe, but then he had a stint with almost three Qatar club sides. He played for Al-Wakrah, Al-Gharrafa, and Qatar SC, and during his time in Qatar.
He won the Arab Champions League, and Qatar Crown Prince Cup, and was the league’s top scorer in 1999 with 11 goals to his name.
READ ALSO: Top Black Football Stars Whose Lifestyle Vices Ruined Their Career
Hameur Bouazza – Algeria/Retired
Bouazza spent most of his football career in England, he also had a stint in Turkey, Cyprus, Spain, Algeria, and Tunisia, played in two editions of AFCON in 2010 and in 2013 in South Africa, his total appearances for Algeria is 21 and 3 goals to his name.
The former Millwall winger has been repeatedly teased that his face scares the living daylight out of the opposing opponents more than his attacking prowess.
He would have fared well with his scoring prowess had it been he doesn’t have a scary face to make the list of ugliest football stars.
10. Aristide Bance – Burkina Faso/Retired
Bance will be remembered for his exploits at the AFCON final against Nigeria, which served as one of the best in his career.
His controversial Afro-spiky hairstyle was one unique thing about him that fans in the stadium usually noticed when he was on the field of play.
The Horoya of Guinea forward may not be as cute as much as the female football enthusiast would want him to be. However, his scoring prowess and ability in the air is something the fan will take solace in, if they can’t have their favorite star looking all fine.
Krepin Diatta – Senegal/ Monaco
Diatta was part of the Senegal youth team that participated in Africa’s U-20 Cup of Nations in 2017. He scored two goals in the tournament, both of which came in the group stage, his first a 70th-minute header against South Africa in a 7-goal thriller, and his second, a goal in the added time of the first half against Cameroon.
On 23 March 2019, Diatta made his national team debut in a 2–0 win against Madagascar in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, and ever since then has been a regular with the Terranga Lions.
Krepin Diatta is not so popular until he scored a wonderful screamer that put his side ahead during their opening game against Tanzania at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Days later, images and videos of the player started going around on social media platforms, many poured onto the internet to troll his ungenerous and ruffled looks.
Completely surprised and disappointed at the comments he has been receiving about his looks, especially from fellow Africans, the player hit back terming them as “racist”.
However, the table would have turned if Krepin had a beautiful face like that of Eric Decker or the stunning look of Cristiano Ronaldo, but nature has its ways of the opposite.
