Running a football-based YouTube channel and often casting my gaze towards the comments, as I do, you see a lot of accusations that you hate everyone’s club, a fair old amount of friendly abuse and the occasional death threat. What you’ll also find though, particularly since I do quite a lot of international videos, are incredibly passionate football fans from parts of the world whose football rarely gets much attention.
The stars of the English, Spanish and Italian top flights are global stars, known and indeed celebrated the world over. A national hero in say, Turkmenistan, who has won the last eight Golden Boots and is hailed as a god in the country – that’s just an example, the Yokary Liga actually has a pretty diverse set of top scorers – might not be quite so well-known internationally.
Today we take a look at some players who are major figures in either their home country or adopted home, but are pretty obscure to the majority of football fans worldwide.
Here are my 7 footballers who are famous in their home countries but are unknown worldwide:
7. Itumeleng Khune
One-club man Itumeleng Khune has spent his entire career playing for South Africa’s most successful club Kaizer Chiefs, as well as the South African national team. Markedly short by goalkeeper standards, Khune stands at just 5’11, but his reflexes and distribution are among the best in the business. He has previously been linked with Hannover in Germany, but Khune has said he feels European clubs are put off by his height. Capped 89 times by Bafana Bafana, Khune is probably best known globally for saving a David Villa penalty in the 2009 Confederations Cup and getting sent off at the 2010 World Cup, but in South Africa and Johannesburg in particular, he is a superstar.
6. Sergei Kornilenko
Belarus’ forward Sergei Kornilenko vies for the ball with Luxembourg’s defender Maxime Chanot (L) and Luxembourg’s midfielder Chris Philipps (2ndL) during the Euro 2016 qualifying football…
If you asked most people to name as many Belarussian footballers as they possibly can, I suspect fewer than 1% would be able to name you more than one. Naturally, that figure would be a lot higher if you only asked people in Belarus, and a little higher in Russia, where a lot of Belarussian internationals have plied their trade. Sergei Kornilenko is one such player, the veteran centre-forward still starring in the Russian Premier League now with Krylia Sovetov Samara at the age of 36. A powerful poacher and target man, Kornilenko is the second highest goal scorer in the history of the Belarus national team, and he is hailed as a king in both Belarus and Samara. Kornilenko did actually play six games on-loan at Blackpool in 2011, but outside of Russia and Belarus, I think it’d be fair to call him relatively unknown.
5. Percy Tau
The second South African in this seven, some of you will know that Percy Tau is contracted to Brighton in the Premier League, but the 25-year-old has never registered an appearance for the Seagulls. A versatile forward who can on either flank, up top, or in attacking midfield, the last of those three probably being his preferred role, Tau has bags of pace and flair. He made a big impression at Mamelodi Sundowns in the ABSA Premiership, preceding a £2.7 million move to Brighton last summer. He spent last season on-loan in the second tier of Belgian football, and a permanent move to Belgium has been mooted this summer. For Bafana Bafana, Tau is a star man, already the nation’s top scorer in their most recent squad with 9 goals from 22 caps.
4. Omar Abdulrahman
Omar Abdulrahman of Al-Ahli Saudi FC during the Qatar Airways Cup match between FC Barcelona and Al-Ahli Saudi FC on December 13, 2016 in Doha, Qatar.
Probably the best known player in this seven worldwide, Omar Abdulrahman has courted media attention in the past for his performances at the 2012 London Olympics and subsequent two week trial at Manchester City. Typically deployed as either an attacking midfielder or as a wide player, Abdulrahman has superb technique and vision. A huge celebrity for Dubai club Al-Ain, Abdulrahman joined Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia for an injury-plagued season on-loan last term. Abdulrahman failed to agree a longer deal with the Saudi outfit, and it seems likely he’ll be back at Al-Ain next season, remaining a star in the UAE and a virtual unknown outside of the Arab world.
3. Solomon Kvirkvelia
Georgia have had a handful of quality players over the years, from Murtaz Khurtsilava to Georgi Kinkladze, but the nation’s outstanding player right now is Solomon Kvirkvelia. A formidable 6’5” centre-back who seems to rise to about 8” at full extension, Kvirkvelia is unsurprisingly dominant in the air. He has lived in Russia since the age of 17, coming through the youth ranks at Zenit St Petersburg, before starring for Rubin Kazan and current club Lokomotiv Moscow. Aged 27, Kvirkvelia is a key man at club level and a huge star with Georgia, but one suspects he isn’t the best known outside of Russia and Georgia.
2. Dede
Dede #26 of Cruzeiro celebrates a scored goal against Botafogo during a match between Cruzeiro and Botafogo as part of Brasileirao Series A 2018 at Mineirao stadium on May 06, 2018 in Belo…
When I tell you a Brazilian named Dede makes this seven, some of you may be thinking, I know him, he spent 11 years at Borussia Dortmund! And he did, but I’m not talking about that one. The Dede we’re referring to has 11 times as many caps for Brazil as his namesake and Dortmund legend. Following four years with Vasco de Gama, centre-back Dede joined current club Cruzeiro in 2013, despite rumoured interest from Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea at the time. Now aged 31, Dede has been one of the most consistent and impressive centre-backs in Brazil for close to a decade, but a move to Europe seems unlikely now that the big man is the supposed ‘wrong’ side of 30. An intelligent and well-rounded central defender, Dede has a fine reputation in Brazil, and he deserves a place in this seven.
1. Sunil Chhetri
There can only be one man who tops this seven, and this one goes out to all of our Indian viewers and subscribers. Sunil Chhetri is a legend in footballing circles in India, captaining the Indian national team, with whom he is the all time record goal scorer and appearance holder. A tally of 71 goals from 111 caps puts Chhetri second only to Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of goals scored by active internationals, and joint 10th of all time. At club level, Chhetri is best associated with current club Bengaluru of the Indian Super League. A really industrious striker or left winger renowned for his leadership skills, Chhetri has previously been linked with the likes of Leeds United, DC United, LA Galaxy, QPR, Celtic and the Kansas City Wizards.
He once had an unsuccessful trial at Coventry City, but a crack at European football arrived in July 2012. Chhetri was signed by Sporting Clube de Portugal, but made just three appearances for Sporting’s reserve team before returning to India. Now in the autumn of his career aged 34, Chhetri remains a national hero in India but a virtual unknown outside of South Asia, and he’s the perfect candidate to top this seven.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
