The next football season will see Senegal international captain, Sadio Mane, filing out for perennial German Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich, after completing a £35 million move from Liverpool.

Mane signed a three-year deal with Bayern that will see him remain at the Bundesliga champions until 2025, after six successful years at Liverpool which he joined from Southampton.

According to world football transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, the deal will see Bayern pay €32m (£34m) guaranteed fee for Sadio Mané with the contract already signed and valid until June 2025.”

“Liverpool will also receive add-ons, for a maximum of potential €40m total fee package,” Romano wrote on Twitter on Friday.

Bayern will pay €32m guaranteed fee for Sadio Mané. Contract already set to be signed, valid until June 2025. Liverpool wanted to sign Nunez in order to approve Sadio’s departure. 🚨🤝 #LFC

Liverpool will also receive add-ons, for a maximum of potential €40m total fee package. pic.twitter.com/9uqzXJ3s17

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 17, 2022

Mane’s move to Bayern may be the biggest transfer involving an African player in this transfer market but he is certainly not the first ‘authentic’ African star to play for the Munich giants as there have been Africans who wore the Bayern shirt in the past and won trophies for the Bavarians who are unarguably the biggest and most successful club in Germany.

The Bavarians have been a dominant force in the German football landscape, winning leagues and cups consistently over the years and intermittently, and there have been some talented African players who contributed in some ways to the success of the team.

Africa News Watch takes a look at five African footballers who have played and won titles for Bayern Munich.

1. Samuel Kuffour

Former Ghanaian international defender, Samuel Ossei Kuffour stands out as the most successful African star to have played for the Munich giants.

In his time with the Bavarians, Kuffour was a very accomplished defender and played for over 11 years between 1994-2005, featuring 277 times with 10 goals to his name across all competitions.

Fondly called Sammy by fans, the Ghanaian export will never be forgotten for his tears and display of disappointment and agony when Munich famously lost the 1999 UEFA Champions League final in the dying minutes against Manchester United.

His sorrow, however, would turn to joy a couple of years later when he led the Bayern defense to win the 2001 UEFA Champions League trophy and ended his illustrious career with six Bundesliga titles and four DFB-Pokal trophies to his name.

2. Pablo Thiam

Many football fans did not know that Pablo Thiam, a mercurial defensive midfielder who played for two seasons between 2001 and 2003, was actually an African who played for Guinea.

Though Thiam did not have a really spectacular time at Munich inky managing 16 league appearances, he was part of the victorious Bayern squad that won the 2001 UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.

3. Mehdi Benatia

Mehdi Benetia was a highly gifted Moroccan centre-back who was a stalwart in the Bayern defense during his time at the club from 2014 to 2016.

Benatia was a key player during his time at the club and made a total of 46 appearances, scoring three goals from his defensive position during his two-year spell with Munich, winning two Bundesliga titles and a DFB-Pokal cup.

4. Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting

Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting, is a Cameroonian international striker currently on the books of the Bundesliga defending champions.

Eric joined the Bavarians in the summer of 2020 and has so far featured 45 times across all competitions, scoring 17 goals in this period.

He has so far won a Bundesliga title (2020-21) and FIFA Club World Cup trophy (2020) and the 2022 Bundesliga title.

5. Bouna Sarr

Another African player who has played for the Alianz Arena outfit is Senegalese international, Bouna Sarr, who joined Bayern Munich in 2020 on a four-deal from French side, Olympique Marseille.

However, the 30-year-old Sarr has had to play a bit-part role with the Bavarian side.

The right-back has so far made 25 total appearances across the two seasons he has spent at the club with a goal to his name and was part of the squad that won the 2020-21 Bundesliga title and 2020 FIFA Club World Cup.