Sadio Mane and 9 African Stars Who Have Played With Cristiano Ronaldo

• Sadio Mane became the latest African player to join Cristiano Ronaldo after his Al-Nassr debut
• The Portuguese star enjoyed glorious years with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus
• Mane joins the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Michael Essien in playing alongside Ronaldo

That Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the more enduring figures in football stardom is not in doubt. Even as he winds down toward the end of his career, the Portuguese veteran has helped his new Saudi Arabian club reap success this early into the new season.

Ronaldo's penalty kick, after Sadio Mane was fouled, saw Al-Nassr into the final of the Arab Club Champions Cup where they face fellow Saudi club, Al-Hilal.

Ronaldo has played with some big names during his time at some major clubs, including Wayne Rooney, Karim Benzema, and Gonzalo Higuain, but only a few African players have had the pleasure.

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Senegal star, Mane, became the latest from the continent to become the veteran's teammate.

Sports Brief takes a look at the African footballers who have shared the pitch with Ronaldo as allies.

1. Emmanuel Adebayor

Say what you want about Adebayor but the Togolese striker was one of the most efficient forwards of his day. This saw him landing moves to top European sides like Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Real Madrid. He featured for Los Blancos for six months, helping them win the Copa del Rey in 2011 alongside Ronaldo, as captured by Tribuna.

2. Achraf Hakimi

After a loan spell in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, Hakimi came back just in time for Ronaldo's last season at Real Madrid, where they won the 2017/2018 Champions League together. They would part a short while later, with the Moroccan joining Inter Milan and the Portuguese veteran heading to Juventus.

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3. Michael Essien

Dubbed one of the best defensive midfielders Africa has ever produced, Essien pitted his wits against Ronaldo as opponents during their Premier League days at Chelsea and Manchester United. However, the Ghanaian would join Real Madrid in the 2012/2013 season to play with the Portuguese striker.

4. Quinton Fortune

The South African was the first player from the continent to play for Manchester United when he joined them in 1999. He became teammates with a young Ronaldo, who was roped in from Sporting Lisbon in 2003. They played together for three seasons.

5. Manucho

Manucho struggled to nail down a place in Sir Alex Ferguson's team when he joined the Red Devils in 2008, but the Angolan striker shared a locker room with Ronaldo for that one season before they went their separate ways.

6. Eric Djemba-Djemba

Often considered one of the worst signings of Ferguson's era, the Cameroonian featured at the Theatre of Dreams between 2003 and 2005 - the same time Ronaldo was at the club - as reported by the Daily Star.

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7. Mahamadou Diarra

The Malian midfielder was among the players Ronaldo met at Real Madrid when he sealed that blockbuster move in 2009. They ended up training together for two seasons.

8. Eric Bailly

The tough-tackling Ivorian played with the Portuguese veteran at Manchester United during the latter's second stint at the club.

9. Sadio Mane

Mane was handed his Al-Nassr debut on August 3, just a few days after completing the move from Bayern Munich. The AFCON winner has vowed to win everything alongside Ronaldo for the Saudi giants.

10. Seko Fofana

Fofana was among the heavy hitters who dumped Europe for the Saudi Arabian leagues. The Ivorian midfielder will partner with Ronaldo and Mane in the Middle East.

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The Saudi Pro League has been the new craze this summer, with over 15 top players dumping the top European leagues to move to the Middle East.

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Ronaldo sparked a chain reaction when he signed for Al-Nassr in January and since then, several other big-name players have joined him in moving.

Sports Brief takes a look at the top African players in the Saudi Pro League as players like Mane and Fofana begin a journey in the country's top flight.