Former Liverpool striker El Hadji Diouf has backtracked on his recent statement that he's the greatest African footballer of all time.

While clarifying his comments, the Senegal legend and two-time African Footballer of the Year acknowledged that former Chelsea strikers Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba are the two best players to come out of Africa and labelled Austin Okocha 'the most talented African footballer since I was born'.

Diouf, 39, saw firsthand the qualities of Okocha as they were both teammates at Bolton Wanderers for two years.

"When I said that I am the most talented I did not say that I was the best. I spoke French, the most talented doesn't mean the best," Diouf said in an interview with RSI via Press-Sport.

"The two best African players for the last decades are Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba but on the other hand the most talented one cannot say that it is El Hadji Diouf. It is impossible.

"The most talented African footballer since I was born is Jay-Jay Okocha. He's the most talented player I've ever seen, but he didn't win as many trophies as the others, he didn't win a Ballon d'or".

A three-time World Cupper, Okocha finished as runner-up in the 1998 African Player of the Year and won the Africa Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles in 1994, before winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games two years later.

Igho Kingsley

Photo Credit : fifa.com