UEFA Champions League: Abedi Pele, Micheal Essien and 3 Other Ghanaian UCL Winners

• There have been only five Ghanaian players to have won the biggest club competition in the world since its inception in 1955
• Ghana has the highest number of UEFA Champions League winners on the continent with Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast tied on three
• YEN.com.gh has taken a look at Ghanaian winners of the UEFA Champions League as names like Michael Essien, Abedi Pele feature

As the 2021 UEFA Champions League group stages fixture continue on Tuesday, YEN.com.gh has taken a look at Ghana's gold medalists in the history of the competition.

House-hold names like Michael Essien, Abedi Ayew Pele, all feature in the five-man list, as Ghana remain the African country with the most winners ever.

The full list is provided below.

1. Michael Essien - Chelsea (England)

"The Bison", after narrowly losing out to English rivals Manchester United on penalties, and getting his hopes of trying again broken by the 2009 semi-final by Barcelona, lifted the trophy in 2012.

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2. Sulley Muntari - Internazionale Milan (Italy)

Under the tutelage of manager, Jose Mourinho, Sulley Muntari and his Inter Milan team-mates like Etoo and Diego Milito, and Sneijder, were too much to handle for Bayern Munich in the 2010 final at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The fact that this Jose Mourinho Inter side won the treble, (Italian league, Italian cup, and the UCL) probably means no team in the world stood a chance against them, not even Pep Guardiola's Barcelona as was proved in their semi-final lost to Inter, in whcih Muntari played a key role.

3. Abedi Pele - Olympique Marseille (France)

Abedi Ayew, father of current Black Stars players, Dede Ayew and Jordan Ayew, was the first Ghanaian player to win the elite club football competition.

He contributed heavily to Olympique Marseille’s only UEFA Champions League triumph in 1993 season when the competition's name and format was changed from European Cup to UEFA Champions League.

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4. Samuel Osei Kuffour - Bayern Munich (Germany)

Osei Kuffuor is notably remembered for his agony after Bayern Munich dramatically lost out to Manchester United in the final of the 1999 UEFA Champions League at the Camp Nou.

He probably would not have made a fuss about that defeat if he knew that he would taste victory in two years time, as Bayern Munich edged Valencia in a shootout thanks to some remarkable defense of Kuffour and Oliva Khan combined.

5. Ibrahim Tanko - Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

Many young Ghanaian football fans memory of the last Dortmund UEFA Champions League might be of the 'black and yellow's 2:1 lose to Bayern Munich in 2013.

However before that recent defeat, Borrusia Dortmund beat Italian giants Juventus to win their only UEFA Champions League triumph in 1997.

Ghana's Ibrahim Tanko was a part of Dortmund's squad that year but could not make the match-day squad due to injuries.

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The striker made just three appearances in Dortmund’s quest, which earned him a winner’s medal.

17-year-old Dreams FC lad scoring stunner only in GPL

Issahaku Fatawu is bidding his time till he is 18 years old and can make his move to Primeira Liga side, Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.

While he waits though, the 17-year-old is raising his stock market with headlining performances week in week out for Dreams FC.

In an earlier publication, YEN.com.gh has looked at videos of three of Issahaku Fatawu's four goals in the GPL this season.