The African players to score the winning goal in an FA Cup final
Antoine Semenyo settled the 2026 FA Cup final with a finish few saw coming. Ghana’s forward has joined a short and famous list, and Chelsea fans weighing up football predictions online this season will know one name on it better than any other. Didier Drogba made Wembley his own in Chelsea blue, and African players have decided the biggest day in English cup football again and again, going back more than 70 years.
Antoine Semenyo settled the 2026 FA Cup final with a finish few saw coming. Ghana’s forward has joined a short and famous list, and Chelsea fans weighing up These are the players who have done it, in order.
Bill Perry, Blackpool (1953)
Perry was born in Johannesburg and joined Blackpool from Johannesburg Rangers. He later won three England caps, but his place in history came in the ‘Matthews Final’ against Bolton.
Blackpool trailed 3-1 before Stan Mortensen completed a hat-trick to level at 3-3. In the 92nd minute, Stanley Matthews crossed from the right, the ball ran past Mortensen and Perry fired in the winner for a 4-3 victory.
Craig Johnston, Liverpool (1986)
Johnston was born in Johannesburg to Australian parents and grew up in Australia. Against Everton, Gary Lineker put the Blues ahead before Ian Rush equalised.
Johnston then met a Jan Molby cross in the 62nd minute to make it 2-1. Rush added a third, and Liverpool completed the Double in Kenny Dalglish’s first season as player-manager.
Didier Drogba, Chelsea (2007, 2010 and 2012)
No African has won more FA Cup finals than Drogba. The first came in 2007, the first final at the new Wembley. After 115 goalless minutes against Manchester United, he played a one-two with Frank Lampard and prodded the ball past Edwin van der Sar.
In 2010, his second-half free kick beat Portsmouth 1-0. Petr Cech had already saved a Kevin-Prince Boateng penalty, and the win gave Chelsea the first Double in the club’s history.
Two years later, Ramires opened the scoring against Liverpool and then Drogba made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute. Andy Carroll pulled one back, so Drogba’s goal proved the winner. He also scored in the 2009 final against Everton, making him the only player to score in four FA Cup finals.
Nwankwo Kanu, Portsmouth (2008)
Kanu was the match-winner for Harry Redknapp’s Portsmouth against Cardiff City. In the 37th minute, John Utaka crossed from the right and goalkeeper Peter Enckelman could only push the ball out to Kanu, who scooped it in.
It was the only goal of the game. Portsmouth won the FA Cup for the first time since 1939, and Redknapp collected the first major trophy of his managerial career.
Yaya Toure, Manchester City (2011)
Toure had already beaten Manchester United in the semi-final with the only goal of that game. He did the same to Stoke City in the final.
In the 74th minute, he pounced on a loose ball in the box and drove it past Thomas Sorensen with his left foot. City went on to win 1-0 and lift their first major trophy in 35 years.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal (2020)
The Covid-delayed final was played in an empty Wembley on 1 August 2020. Christian Pulisic gave Chelsea a fifth-minute lead before the Gabon striker took over.
Aubameyang then levelled from the penalty spot after Cesar Azpilicueta brought him down in the box. In the 67th minute, he collected Nicolas Pepe’s pass, went past Kurt Zouma and lifted the ball over Willy Caballero. The 2-1 win gave Arsenal a record 14th FA Cup.
Antoine Semenyo, Manchester City (2026)
Semenyo joined City from Bournemouth in January 2026 and won the FA Cup four months later for the Citizens. With 72 minutes gone against Chelsea, Erling Haaland drove a low cross in from the right.
Semenyo flicked it into the bottom corner with the back of his right foot. It was the only goal of the game, and he was named man of the match.
