Here's the scene, the ball comes out to you from a throw-in, you're over on the left hand side of the pitch, not too many yards out from the edge of your opponents penalty area. This particular penalty area is that of Chelsea whom you are playing on their own turf, somewhere your club hasn't won since the days of standing terraces and a pint of beer cost a penny (probably), you are leading one nil and have an eon of injury time still to play......
You are also fighting tooth and nail with this club to push your way into the top four of the Premiership where Champions league football beckons with open arms and fists full of cash.
What would you do?
Play it back out to the guy who threw it to you and hope he might get a good cross into the box? Dribble it into the corner to eat up time? Both seem sensible or expected. That is unless you're Papiss Cissé, the Senegalese striker bought by Newcastle from SC Freiburg for a now bargain basement price of £10 million.
No, you stroke with immense power the outside of your right boot through the ball and send it looping in an arc as perfect and beautiful as a rainbow, right over the head of the already knowing and dejected Petr Cech into his top left hand corner. Thereby sealing a famous victory and gold plating the reputation that you are the most audacious African footballer that has graced the Premier league since Tony Yeboah.
This got me thinking, reminiscing about that wonderful Ghanian whirlwind that had commentator's tongues flapping like dogs ears in a wind tunnel. And causing supporters alike to throw their pies skyward in glorious disbelief of a goal scored from an impossible angle and distance, and with the power of a Titan.
In turn my mind started ticking with the thought of who was/is the best player from the continent of Africa ever to have walked out onto the pitches of the Premier league in it's 20 year history.
All in all it wasn't too hard a list to compile, the 1st place award was pretty easy and there have been plenty of players that were easy to ignore, i.e. El Hadj Diouf. There were players of immense talent who didn't make it onto the list despite arriving with reputations to get you salivating, ones who had had their better days before and elsewhere, George Weah being a shining example.
Despite having 20 seasons to choose from, 2 in the list of 5 play their football in the present time. This is no coincidence as both African football and the Premiership have grown in quality over the past 2 decades.
My top 5:
5: Bruce Grobbelaar
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I know what you're thinking, 'He never played in the Premiership' but yes he surely did. Still with Liverpool for the first two seasons and with Southampton from 1994-1996, where he was first choice for most of the 94-95 season despite being dogged by match fixing allegations.
Although his glory days occurred in the years before the inception of the Premiership he remained a colourful figure, always entertaining and occasionally still brilliant (a clean sheet against Arsenal in 94 was no mean feat).
I doubt that there isn't a football fan alive who doesn't break into a Cheshire cat like grin when the name Bruce Grobbelaar is mentioned.
4: Lucas Radabe
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The South African born defensive brute played for Leeds united between 1994-2005, completing 200 games and captaining them for the 98-99 season.
He played a huge part in the blip of modern success at Leeds united, was adored by the fans and respected by all in the footballing community for being a world class centre back.
3: Tony Yeboah
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Another Leeds legend, Yeboah hailed from Ghana and burst into the English top flight and all it's spectators memory banks in 1995. He was only there for 2 seasons, played 47 games but scored 24 goals- all of which are moulded into that wonder strike against Wimbledon. Never before had English football seen such a powerful beast in front of goal, willing and able to put the ball in the back of the net from pretty much anywhere he liked.
We adored his audacity and gawped and cheered whenever he sent another missile into the top corner.
2: YayaTouré
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Ivorian born Touré may have only been in the Premier league for a couple of years but his influence during Manchester City's assault on the Premier league title has been nothing short of essential. City were noticeably different in form during his absence when he played in the Africa cup of nations.
Able to operate either as a holding midfielder, breaking up play and moving his team forward, or as a devastating weapon lurking just off the strikers. His runs, although clumsy looking are powerful and almost always have an end product. He combines skill on the ball and intelligence off of it to cement himself into the heart of the Man city team and no doubt their supporters also.
1: Didier Drogba
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Another Ivorian (there are a glut of world class players from this small west African nation), Drogba stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Joining Chelsea in 2004 he found his first few seasons tough going. He was rightly derided for his on field antics, diving, moaning and general acts of petulance that would make a child blush. Still, he soon adapted to what the Premier league and Chelsea wanted from him, namely a world class striking threat and eventually a leader both on the pitch and in the dressing room.
Still going and terrorising defences across Europe (see semi-final 1st leg of this years' Champions league against Barcelona) he has made over 220 appearances and scored 100+ goals. A lot of those goals have his very own stamp on them, creating a bit of space in the box and hitting the ball into the net, always knowing exactly where the goal and keeper are.
Standing tall with the 2 other Chelsea stalwarts, Terry and Lampard, he has been pivotal in the recent success down the Kings road, without him Chelsea would not have grown into the modern club powerhouse they now are.