The Premier League is seen as a Greenland where many African players want to show their skills and hope to have a successful spell. Here are some notable African players who succeeded in the Premier League and in Africa.
1. Mohammed Salah
Topping the chat would have to be no one else than the Egyptian prince himself, recording 137 goals in 218 league games for Liverpool, having three Golden Boots to his name, in 2018 he became the only Liverpool player to win the Puskas award.
2017/18 season saw a different turn as Salah became the first player in Premier League history to score 32 goals in a 38-game campaign.
Salah was the fastest player to reach 100-goals in the history of Liverpool joining Fowler, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen on the exclusive list
2. Didier Drogba
Known for his aerial prowess and blistering shot, Dodoer Drogba is one of the most feared forwards in the world for several years.
The Ivorian striker had 164 goals to his name in Chelsea shirt. Unquestionably one of the greatest African footballers of all time.
3. Yaya Toure
Starting his elite football career in Barcelona in 2007 where he won La Liga twice and the 2008-09 Champions League, Yaya Toure known for his surging midfield runs made him a big-money target for Manchester City, playing over 230 Premier League games for City, he paid back every penny they spent, with interest.
Stopping Toure wasn’t an easy task because of his ability to run with the ball and confidence to keep the ball and at his peak he rattled in no fewer than 20 league goals from the middle of the field.
4. Kolo Toure
A Premier League champion at both Manchester City and Arsenal where he was a key member of the Invincibles team. The older of the Touré brothers was one of the best and most technically-gifted central defenders of the 2000s, and his Premier League career spanned 14 years at the very top level.
5. Sadio Mane
Before leaving Liverpool Mane won six major trophies, the Premier League, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and UEFA Super Cup with the Reds.
6. Riyard Mahrez
The Algerian striker has a blistering spell at Leicester City’s and won the 2016 title, trickery and lethality around the area have been crucial in Manchester City winning just about everything since joining them.
7. Micheal Essien
Part of the Chelsea team that won two league titles and four FA Cups, Essien can be called a complete box-to-box midfielder, energetic, physically immense and technically outstanding.
Between the 2006/07 season and the 2008/09 season, he scored three goals total, and won Chelsea’s goal of the season twice.
8. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Aubameyang performance at Arsenal is enough to put him on the list. The Gabonese striker rattled 68 goals in over the course of 128 games the Gunners. His movements, quality in finding space and fine finishing made him one of the most dangerous forwards in the division for several years in a row. His best performances came in the 2018/19 season, when his 22-goal haul put him in a three-way African tie for the Golden Boot with two of the players still to come.