Their ability on the playing field gives them unprecedented access to free speech, something not always afforded their fellow citizens.

How well do these African sports stars hold the torch? You be the judge.

 “People may not know but my favourite genre of music is gospel. I listen to gospel songs every time and that is what inspires me.” 

— Asamoah Gyan

The player said this when dealing with an alleged sex scandal involving a woman in Ghana.

“The player has no right to tell me what he did. He said something to me which made me upset. He said an abusive word – I really didn’t like it. I lost my head a bit, but life goes on.”

— Asamoah Gyan

“You are my baby, I wanna see you smiling, see you laughing. You are my sherry, gogogaga, you are my baby.”

— Asamoah Gyan

Gyan’s talents are not restricted to the football pitch. He also cultivates a music career in Ghana, going by the name of BabyJet.

“I have nothing to prove, I am Samuel Eto’o.”

— Samuel Eto’o

“I want to give back to Africa what Africa gives to me – my chance to play football.”

— Samuel Eto’o

“I’d rather sell ground-nuts in my village than to play for a pathetic team like Chelsea.”

— Samuel Eto’o

“I will stand up and fight against abuse. The only path is to stand up and shout. Only we can make it stop. Because for certain, nobody is going to do it for us.”

— Samuel Eto’o

“I wanted to use children’s language because they are the future for all of us, and they are the present for us all, and I wanted to communicate in their language.”

— Samuel Eto’o

“I am ending my international career. Thank you to all Africa, and to all my fans for your unconditional support.”

— Samuel Eto’o

 “You must respect people, and you must respect money. My father said to me: ‘When you respect money, money will respect you’.”

— Yaya Toure

“I am the kind of person who is always willing to win and move forward. I will hang up my boots the day I no longer have the zeal to compete for titles and victories.”

— Yaya Toure

“The mentality with African and European people is different. In Africa, when you come from a difficult life, when it’s not so easy to eat, not so easy to survive, you respect money when you start to earn it, and you respect people more. When you respect people, they will respect you, and your life is better for that.”

— Yaya Toure

“English football is so physical and fast that when you see a space, you have to go into it with all your speed.”

— Yaya Toure

“I just had a normal African childhood. We played football a lot, but it was always in the street and always without shoes. Boots were very expensive, and when there are seven in your family, and you say you want to buy a pair, your father wants to kill you.”

— Yaya Toure

“I’m very satisfied to see that FIFA is taking … to stop behaviour which goes against the spirit of our sport. It’s really important to know what a big problem racism is in society in general.”

— Yaya Toure

“Football brings you lots of lovely things, but then you have to realise that it’s actually a job.”

— Yaya Toure

“I believe a lot in destiny and I think that if something didn’t happen, it was for a reason”

— Didier Drogba

“I feel at home when I go to London”

— Didier Drogba

“I have won many trophies in my time, but nothing will ever top helping win the battle for peace in my country”

— Didier Drogba

“Coaches can teach you two things: confidence and technique”

— Didier Drogba

“Having a stadium in France named after a footballer from the Ivory Coast, even if I’m proud of my France-Ivory Coast background, is great proof of integration”

— Didier Drogba

“In England, I’ve never really had a problem with racism … Football can generate excitement and bring people together”

— Didier Drogba

“In football, the good thing is things can change in a second.”

— Didier Drogba

“When I asked him (son Isaac) which country he would like to play for as an international, he told me neither Ivory Coast nor France but England.”

— Didier Drogba

Sources: The National, Sunderland Echo, CitiFMonline, BBC, HappyFM, BBC, Chelsea FC, The Telegraph, CNN WorldSport, Goal, Source: BBC Sport, BrainyQuote, RFI, France Football, SkySports, Telegraph, Sports Illustrated Magazine, BrainyQuote, Daily Mail, ChelseaTV, Guardian, Canal Plus, The Independent.