FIFA Club World Cup 2025: African stars to play at least 50 times for City | OneFootball

City will face African opposition in the shape of Moroccan side Wydad AC at this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.

We’ll go up against the Casablanca-based club in Philadelphia on 18 June as we get our campaign in the first-ever edition of the expanded tournament under way.

Matches against Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates and Italian giants Juventus will complete Group G after this opener, with the top two to progress to the knockout stages.

So, we’ll be looking to get off to the best possible start when we play the 2021/22 CAF Champions League winners.

WATCH: WATCH: See who City drew in Group G of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025

Brahim Diaz is the only Moroccan international to have played for City – featuring 15 times between January 2018 and January 2019.

But we have had plenty of African stars through the years that have made a huge impact, whether at the Etihad Stadium or Maine Road.

Of course, we also currently have Egyptian star Omar Marmoush finding his feet in Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Below we list the five African players that have made more than 50 appearances for our men’s team.

That means the likes of Wilfried Bony, Emmanuel Adebayor and Marc Vivien Foe all narrowly miss out.

Please note, this list is just of players who declared for an African nation.

So while other players may have been born in an African country, if they elected to represent another nation in international football then they will not be included.

Yaya Toure – 316 appearances

A City great, a Premier League legend and one of the best African players of all-time.

Yaya’s impact during a pivotal time in our club’s history cannot be overstated.

A phenomenally powerful driving force in midfield, Yaya’s guile in small spaces and decisive impact whether in the final third or deeper made him a pillar of the title-winning teams of Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini.

He played 316 times for City, winning eight major honours and scoring 82 times.

Toure also represented his native Ivory Coast 101 times between 2004 and 2015, winning the 2015 AFCON.

He is also the joint-record holder for the most wins of CAF’s African Footballer of the Year award, claiming the honour four times while at City.

Riyad Mahrez – 236 appearances

Mahrez had already cemented his status as a Premier League hero before joining City when he starred in Leicester’s unforgettable title triumph.

The Algerian moved to the Etihad in 2018 and enjoyed five incredibly consistent seasons during perhaps the greatest era in the Club’s history.

WATCH: The Riyad Mahrez Story

With 78 goals in his 236 appearances, the winger was a vital source of goals for Guardiola as we lifted an astonishing 11 major trophies.

Armed with an immaculate first touch, Mahrez was capable of cutting in and finding the far corner and crossing for the likes of Sergio Aguero and Erling Haaland.

Mahrez won the 2019 AFCON with Algeria and was named CAF’s African Footballer of the Year in 2016.

Kolo Toure – 102 appearances

Kolo arrived at the Etihad the year before his younger brother.

He was soon made club captain as we sought a top four finish and Champions League football for the very first time.

While it didn’t quite happen in 2009/10, Toure was still a key part of the squad in the following year as we reached Europe and won the FA Cup.

He was then used as a squad player during the next two campaigns, but his experience will have been pivotal in the run-in to that historic maiden Premier League title.

Having played 121 times for Ivory Coast, Toure is the second-most capped player in the country’s history.

Ali Benarbia – 78 appearances

Given Benarbia’s impact and cult hero status at City, it’s hard to believe he only played 78 times for the club.

The Algerian creative midfielder perfectly encapsulated Kevin Keegan’s entertainers, playing 42 times and winning the Club’s Player of the Year award as we romped to promotion in 2001/02.

WATCH: Kevin Keegan at 70 | The Keegan Years

He played a further 36 games the following campaign before a short but sweet love affair came to an end.

With spells at Monaco, Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain, Benarbia is perhaps best known in France - outside of east Manchester of course!

Incredibly, Benarbia only represented his nation on seven occasions, having not made his debut until September 2000.

Kelechi Iheanacho – 64 appearances

Arriving in Manchester as a teenager, Nigerian international Iheanacho made his first impact in our first team in 2015/16.

He gained a lot of plaudits in that first season, scoring 14 goals in 35 matches before his 20th birthday.

Another 29 games and seven goals followed in Pep Guardiola’s first term before he left for Leicester City.

He’s gone on to be a regular for Nigeria, playing 57 times since his debut in 2015.

How to follow the FIFA Club World Cup 2025

DAZN will broadcast every minute from the event, with all 63 matches, live-streamed, free to view on DAZN globally, and in multiple languages.

If you are already a DAZN subscriber or Freemium member, then the competition is part of your current membership.

To sign up for a free DAZN account now you only need an email address to register, with no hidden costs or fees.

You can then watch all the action on the DAZN App via smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, streaming devices, game consoles and web browsers.

Join now to be ready to watch DAZN’s coverage for free.

Every City match will be covered in full across mancity.com and our official app, with our usual offering of a Matchday Centre and Matchday Live followed by a match report, written and video reaction and highlights from the US.