African stars including Chelsea great Didier Drogba, Taye Taiwo, Ahmed Elmohamady, Yannick Bolasie and Asisat Oshoala were shocked to hear the news of the death of former Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant.
On Sunday, Bryant was involved in a helicopter crash near Calabasas in California which killed all passengers on board.
The 41-year-old was widely referred to as one of the greatest basketball players of all time after winning five championships and he made the NBA All-Star team on 18 occasions.
The news of Bryant's death came as a surprise to the continent's stars who paid their respects to the two-time Olympic medallist whom they described as "a legend".