Brighton youngster Minteh brutally snubs Salah, Okocha, Kanu from Top 5 African players

Brighton & Hove Albion winger Yankubah Minteh has sparked debate after revealing his personal top five African footballers, with several iconic names surprisingly absent from his list.

The Gambian youngster placed Sadio Mané at the top of his ranking, while Chelsea legends Michael Essien and Didier Drogba also featured. However, the omission of Mohamed Salah, Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu caught the most attention.

Minteh reserved the top spot for fellow West African star Mané, who enjoyed a glittering career with Southampton, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

The Brighton youngster pointed to the Senegal international’s work ethic and quality as the major reasons behind his selection.

Mané's achievements include winning the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool, while he has also enjoyed considerable success on the international stage with Senegal.

For Minteh, however, it appears to be the qualities Mané displayed throughout his career that make him the African player he admires most.

Former Chelsea midfielder Essien was ranked second, giving the Ghanaian legend a place above his compatriot Samuel Eto’o.

Drogba came in third, with Minteh highlighting the Ivorian's remarkable trophy haul during his illustrious career at Stamford Bridge. The striker won multiple Premier League titles and the Champions League with Chelsea.

Eto’o was placed fourth, with Minteh praising the Cameroonian icon for his wider impact on African football. The former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker won three Champions League titles and remains one of the continent's most decorated players.

Tottenham and Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus completed Minteh's top five. Minteh cited Kudus' playing style and selflessness as reasons for including his compatriot in the ranking.

The most surprising omission, though, was Salah. The Liverpool superstar is widely regarded as one of Africa's greatest-ever players, having won the Premier League, Champions League and numerous individual awards.

When asked why the Egyptian was missing from his list, Minteh offered a remarkably blunt response, “I don't look up to him.”

Nigerian legends Okocha and Kanu were also absent from the ranking. Okocha is regarded as one of the most technically gifted African players in history, while Kanu won the Champions League, Premier League and Olympic gold during his decorated career.

Minteh's choices ultimately reflect personal admiration rather than a definitive ranking of African football's greatest players.

Still, his decision to leave out Salah, Okocha and Kanu is certain to generate plenty of debate among football fans across the continent.