Ranking the top five Cameroonian players in Premier League history

Arsenal and Chelsea legends dominate this list of Cameroonian heavyweights in the Premier League

Cameroon is one of the biggest African nations when it comes to football, having qualified for eight World Cups. This is a record within the continent. The Indomitable Lions have only escaped the group stage once. However, this forged an extremely impressive run in the FIFA World Cup 1990 in Italy, as they were the first African nation to reach the quarterfinal after knocking Argentina out. 

Here are the top five Cameroonian players of all time to feature in the English top division:

5. Rigobert Song

No African has played at more World Cups than Song, who featured in four events and, equaling Zinedine Zidane’s ‘record, was sent off in two. As a powerful, commanding presence in the heart of Cameroon’s defence, he won two Nations Cups and delivered a particularly influential series of performances in the 2002 event.

He drops down this list because, despite his standing and his international success, he flopped at Liverpool and didn’t have a particularly successful club career, with two Turkish titles being the highlight.

4. Alex Song

Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong is a Cameroonian footballer who currently plays for Djiboutian side Arta/Solar7 as a central or defensive midfielder. The player is also able to play as a central defender, a trait that not all soccer players can achieve.

He was previously a utility player before becoming an integral part of the Arsenal team for several seasons. His aggressiveness and versatility to support in the attack made him a top player who later moved to Barcelona. Song represented the Cameroon national team in the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. He took part in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations but might not feature in the 2022 World Cup.

Trending World Football Articles:

• Top five most valuable squads in football
• Top 10 players with biggest rating upgrade in EA FC 24
• Ranking the favourites to win Best FIFA Men’s Player Award 2023
• Top five favourites to win Serie A 2023-24 based on odds
• Top 10 footballers who were banned for doping

3. Geremi

Geremi was a valuable asset to three magnificent sides; now how many players in the history of the world game—let alone in the African context—can say that? As well as winning two African titles and the Olympic gold medal with Cameroon, he went on to win two Champions League and the Spanish title with Real Madrid.

A versatile operator who brought technical class and magnificent set-piece delivery to the table, he also lifted the Premier League twice with Chelsea under Jose Mourinho. It’s a remarkable academic haul.

2. Lauren

Cameroon arguably didn’t see the best of Lauren, who retired from international duty before he truly hit the heights as one of Arsenal’s Invincibles. Nonetheless, he was part of the Golden Generation that won two Afcon titles and the Olympic gold at the turn of the century, and he won two Premier League crowns with Arsenal.

During his six-year spell with the Gunners, he also won three FA Cups and added a fourth when he featured in Portsmouth’s unforgettable success in the competition in 2009.

Lauren was a key part of Cameroon’s golden era in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This was when they were champions of Africa twice, and they also won Olympic Gold. Lauren’s quality was also significant at club level, where he was part of Arsenal’s “invincibles”, as well as winning another Premier League title with the Gunners.

Lauren won four FA Cups on English soil, three with Arsenal, before making the move to Portsmouth, where he won it for a fourth time in 2009.

1. Samuel Eto’o

Eto’o stands alone as Cameroon’s greatest player and arguably Africa’s top footballer of all time as well. He played for top clubs in Italy, England, and Spain before he retired from professional soccer. Samuel began his soccer career at the age of 16 at Real Madrid. However, the lack of game time made him move to other lower teams, where he gained experience and became a top player.

He became part of an elite group of players to win the Champions League with two clubs back-to-back when Mourinho’s Inter clinched the title in 2010—Eto’o’s third crown—while he’s also Cameroon’s and the Afcon’s top scorer.

A versatile poacher for goals on the pitch, Samuel Eto’o was one of the best players from Africa during his spell with Barcelona. He scored one hundred and eight goals for Barcelona during his five-year spell. Samuel won three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, three Champions Leagues, one Serie A, two Coppa Italias, and one FIFA World Club Cup.

Eto’o won two trebles during his career, during which he scored 350 goals for both club and national teams. The former Chelsea star man was named African Footballer of the Year four times and finished third for the Ballon d’Or in 2005.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and join our community on Telegram.