A total of seven Nigerian players make their money as professional soccer players in the English Premier League. Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel is a veteran amongst the selection, with the likes of Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi and Watford’s Odion Ighalo ensuring that Nigeria’s crop of EPL talent remains strong, as it traditionally has done.
J. Obi Mikel – Chelsea
K. Iheanacho – Manchester City
V. Anichebe – West Bromwich Albion
V. Moses – West Ham United
E. Emenike – West Ham United
O. Ighalo – Watford
A. Iwobi – Arsenal
The Senegalese have the highest number of professional footballers currently representing club sides in the English Premier League, with 10 players spread throughout the eight clubs. Senegalese players are valued as talented and hard working players, hence the number that call the EPL home. Perhaps the most successful at the moment is Southampton midfielder Sadio Mane, who has done well since joining the club from Red Bull Salzburg in 2014.
P. Souaré – Crystal Palace
D. N’Doye – Sunderland
P. Cissé – Newcastle United
C. Kouyaté – West Ham United
H. Saivet – Newcastle United
D. Sakho – West Ham United
I. Gueye – Aston Villa
M. Diouf – Stoke City
S. Mané – Southampton
O. Niasse – Everton
Cote D’Ivoire has a strong contingent of players currently playing for clubs in the Premier League, with a total of nine Ivorians representing teams throughout the league. The most notable player from the country is four-time African Player of the Year, Yaya Toure, who plays for Manchester City, while others include Wilfried Bony of Man City and Newcastle United’s Cheikh Tiote.
A. Koné – Everton
Y. Touré – Manchester City
W. Bony – Manchester City
L. Koné – Sunderland
K. Touré – Liverpool
E. Eboué – Sunderland
C. Tioté – Newcastle United
M. Gradel – AFC Bournemouth
S. Doumbia – Newcastle United
At the moment Algeria provides the English top flight with the talents of four players, including top performer this season, Riyad Mahrez, who has been scoring goal after goal for league leaders Leicester City. Another top Algerian player this season is Tottenham Hotspur’s Nabil Bentaleb.
A. Guédioura – Watford
N. Bentaleb – Tottenham Hotspur
R. Mahrez – Leicester City
There are seven Ghanaian players who play for a number of EPL sides, with the Ayew brothers, Andre and Jordan, representing Swansea City and Aston Villa respectively. League leaders Leicester City are the club for which Kwesi Appiah and Daniel Amartey play, while Kwesi Appiah is a Crystal Palace player.
A. Ayew – Swansea City
J. Ayew – Aston Villa
K. Appiah – Crystal Palace
J. Schlupp – Leicester City
D. Amartey – Leicester City
B. Mensah – Watford
A. Baba – Chelsea
The Democratic Republic of Congo is another of the well-represented African nations with regards to the English Premier League. While Manchester United’s Axel Tuanzebe is not a well known player, the Congolese also boast the likes of striker Dieumerci Mbokani of Norwich City and Crystal Palace midfielder Yannick Bolasie.
A. Tuanzebe – Manchester United
C. Mbemba – Newcastle United
Y. Mulumbu – Norwich City
D. Mbokani – Norwich City
Y. Bolasie – Crystal Palace
Cameroon is a country that has always had a number of top footballers playing for EPL clubs, with the likes of Samuel Eto’o and Celestine Babayaro having played in the English top flight. Not much has changed, and there are four Cameroonians who ply their trade in the EPL at the moment. West Ham United’s Alex Song is probably the most recognisable, having previously played for Arsenal in his career.
C. N’Jie – Tottenham Hotspur
S. Bassong – Norwich City
A. Song – West Ham United
A. Nyom – Watford
Crystal Palace striker Marouane Chamakh and Watford winger Nordin Amrabat are the two Moroccan players who are based in the English top flight. Amrabat was born in Holland, but is of Moroccan descent, and despite representing the Dutch at youth level, he decided to play his senior national team football for the Atlas Lions of Morocco.
M. Chamakh – Crystal Palace
N. Amrabat – Watford
