Top five African players to score most Premier League goals

The competition has seen some of the best footballers from the continent to play in it.

The Premier League is home to some of the best footballers from across the globe. Clubs in the English top flight recruit top notch talents due to their financial might. Players from Europe and South America dominate the league but on a few occasions, individuals from continents like Asia and Africa also win everyone’s hearts.

They have earned a lot of plaudits, showcasing brilliant technical and physical capabilities. Thanks to their performances, these players were already heroes back home, and became well-renowned names in England and the world beyond. Some of the best African players of all-time have plied their trade in the Premier League and scored a lot of goals. Here are the top five highest Premier League goalscorers from Africa:

5. Riyad Mahrez - 67 goals

The winger is by far the greatest Algerian player to ever play in the Premier League. He is the highest goalscorer from the country and the fifth highest goalscorer in the league from Africa. The winger first came to England by signing for Leicester City in 2014 and then proceeded to sign for Manchester City in 2018.

Mahrez has won the Premier League thrice and has scored 67 goals during that time. He was a major factor in Leicester City's fairytale journey to lifting the title back in 2015/16 and is continuing to add more goals to his tally with Manchester City. 

4. Emmanuel Adebayor - 97 goals

Emmanuel Adebayor was a magnificent striker who played for several clubs in the Premier League. The striker came from Togo and is one of the nation's best players ever. He also represented the nation at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Adebayor got his first taste of English football when Arsenal signed him in January 2006.

After that point, Adebayor went on to play for clubs like Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace scoring a total of 97 goals. The striker also played for Real Madrid in between his English experience, owing to his immense talent.  

3. Sadio Mane - 100 goals

Mane first came to the Premier League in 2014 when Southampton signed him from RB Salzburg. The Cameroon international won a lot of hearts and managed 25 goals and 14 assists in 75 appearances for the Saints. Liverpool came in for the winger afterwards and Mane has been immense for the Reds since his move.

The 29-year-old has scored 100 goals in the Premier League across 237 appearances. He has helped Liverpool win the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League in recent times as well. Mane will certainly look to add more goals to his tally since he is still an active player who is playing an important role for the Reds.

2. Didier Drogba -104 goals

Many consider Didier Drogba as the most prolific African goalscorer to ever grace the Premier League. He was certainly the most impressive player from the continent during his time with Chelsea in England. Drogba became the first player from Africa to reach a century of goals in the league.

The forward from Ivory Coast played 254 games (all for Chelsea) in the league and scored 104 goals in the process. He won several trophies with the Blues, including four league titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy. He also won the golden boot in the league twice and is a four-time African player of the year. 

1. Mohamed Salah - 104 goals

Mohamed Salah has equalled Drobga’s record and will certainly surpass it in games to come. The Egyptian has reached 104 goals in the Premier League from merely 166 appearances. He has also provided 42 assists during that time and more attacking contributions are surely in the offing. He can be considered one of the best wingers in Premier league history.

Salah continues to play a vital role for Liverpool, for which he has scored all of the goals barring two strikes for Chelsea early in his career. The 29-year-old has two Premier League titles (one each with Chelsea and Liverpool) under his belt and a UEFA Champions League winner’s medal with the Reds. Salah also holds the record for scoring most goals in a single season when he managed 32 strikes during the 2017/18 season.

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