10 All-time African Scorers in the Premier League

Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, it has drawn the eyeballs of football fans across Africa. The following of the Premier League in the continent is massive with a wide coverage of Premier League games from watching centres, bars and private homes. It has also circulated with African players coming into the Premier League since the late 1990s and making a name for themselves on English shores. Here are the top ten of all-time Premier League scorers from the African continent.

• DIDIER DROGBA (104 Goals)

Winning the most Premier League titles by an African player with four, and as of the time this post is released, the highest scorer from the continent with 104 strikes, Didier Drogba is widely considered one of the greatest African players of all time. Signed for Chelsea in 2004, the Ivorian was one of the key men that brought success to Stamford Bridge during his nine seasons at West London. Winning 14 trophies including four league titles and the Champions League, Drogba was the focal point of Chelsea's attack, highly renowned for his back-to-goal, strength, aerial prowess and occupying defenders. He also won two Golden Boots with his best scoring season being the 2009/10 season, scoring 29 goals and had a knack for scoring in big games being the only player to score in four FA Cup Finals and scored the decisive penalty to win Chelsea their first Champions League title in 2012. He's Chelsea's all-time leading scorer for a foreign player with 164 goals, winning CAF African Footballer of the Year twice, and Ivory Coast's all-time scorer with 65 goals. 

• MOHAMED SALAH (103 Goals)

The man very likely to break Drogba's Premier League record, Mohamed Salah has already broken records in the Premier League to put himself in the conversation as one of the best to come from the continent. Having had an unsuccessful stint with Chelsea, he returned in 2017 signing for Liverpool and has become one of the biggest names in not just England but Europe as well. A Premier League champion in 2020, Salah's goal-scoring record for Liverpool is nothing short of phenomenal. He's scored the most goals in a 38-game Premier League season with 32 goals in his debut campaign for the Reds, winning the PFA Player of the Year and becoming the fourth Liverpool player to score a century of Premier League goals after Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard. Well known for his dribbling and speed, the Egyptian King has won two Golden Boots and is Liverpool's leading scorer in the Champions League with 28 goals. Scoring 45 goals for Egypt,  Salah has already made a bright start to this season and will be hoping to add more trophies for Liverpool in the next few years.

• SADIO MANÉ (99 Goals)

Another African playing for Liverpool, Sadio Mané has been a key cog for the Merseyside club under Jurgen Klopp, being part of Liverpool's famed front three alongside Salah and Roberto Firmino. The Senegalese have been playing in English football for eight seasons now, coming to the Premier League with Southampton in 2014 from Red Bell Salzburg. After two seasons with the Saints, Mané joined Liverpool in 2016 and kicked on since then. A wide-forward like Salah, Mane is well-known for his speed, tenacity and quick feet with a powerful strike to add as well. So far, he shared the Golden boot with Salah and Aubameyang in 2019, won the Premier League and Champions League plus scored a century of goals for Liverpool in all competitions. He's second among Senegal's all-time scorers with 26 goals, the current CAF Footballer of the Year and came fourth in the 2019 Ballon d'Or voting. 

• EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR (97 Goals)

Well known in England for spells at Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Crystal Palace, Emmanuel Adebayor has had a nomadic career, playing in France, Spain, Turkey and Paraguay. It was during his time in England where the former Togo captain spent his best years and gained name recognition. Signing for Arsenal in 2006, Adebayor became the main man up front for the Gunners after the departure of Thierry Henry in 2007, scoring 24 league goals in the 2007/08 season. Another scoring 10 in the season after, the Togolese went to Manchester City in 2009, scoring 15 goals across two seasons at the Etihad. After a brief loan spell at Real Madrid, he signed for Tottenham first as a loan deal in 2011, then signed permanently in 2012, spending four years at White Hart Lane, scoring 35 league goals. Adebayor led Togo to their first-ever World Cup appearance in 2006 and is their all-time leading scorer with 32 goals in 85 caps. He also won CAF Footballer of the Year in 2008.

• YAKUBU (95 Goals)

Despite being remembered for an infamous miss against South Korea in the 2010 World Cup, Yakubu Ayegbeni was a prolific striker during his time in English football. First playing for Portsmouth in the old First Division (now the EFL Championship), his first season in the Premier League was a big success. Scoring 16 goals to keep Portsmouth in the Premier League in the 2003/04 season. After that he had spells at Middlesbrough, leading them to a UEFA Cup Final in 2006 and Everton, where he scored 20 goals in all competitions in his first season. The first since Peter Beardsley in 1992. His final Premier League season was with Blackburn Rovers in the 2011/12 season, scoring 17 goals including four in one match against Swansea. However, it was not enough as Blackburn suffered relegation that season. He's third among Nigeria's all-time leading scorers with 21 goals.

• RIYAD MAHREZ (70 Goals)

The diminutive Algerian has three Premier League titles to his name plus an African Cup of Nations title in 2019. First Algeria has won since 1990. Born and raised in France, Mahrez played for Ligue 2 side Le Harve before signing for Leicester City in 2013, helping the Foxes gain promotion to the Premier League a year later. Staying up in their first season, Leicester City shocked the football world. Winning the Premier League with Mahrez a key player, scoring 17 and assisting 10 in 37 appearances. Winning PFA Player of the Year, the African to win the accolade. After another two seasons, he was Manchester City's record signing when he arrived in 2018. Despite being a rotation figure at the Etihad, Mahrez has scored 28 league goals in 92 appearances, winning two more titles and four cup titles. Trickery, guile and an expert from dead-ball situations, Mahrez is captain of the Algerian national team, scoring 25 goals in 68 caps.

• PIERRE EMERICK-AUBAMEYANG (65 Goals)

Another player born and raised in France, Aubameyang has made a name for himself as one of the best finishers over the past few years from his time at Borussia Dortmund, where he scored 141 goals over four and a half seasons and was renowned for his speed and acceleration. He was Arsenal's most signing when he arrived in January 2018, and he hit the ground running. Scoring ten league goals in 13 appearances. He shared the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané in the 2018/19 season, scoring 22 league goals. He matched the same output of goals in the 2019/20 season, winning the FA Cup as well including scoring a goal in the final. He suffered a drop-off last season with only ten goals in 29 appearances. The Gabon international has scored 28 goals in 70 caps. Played in two African Cup of Nations tournaments.

• YAYA TOURE (62 Goals)

Part of the generation of Ivorian players that came through in the 2000s, Yaya Toure truly came into his own when he signed for Manchester City in 2010 from Barcelona. Powerful, with good technique and a killer strike, Toure at his best was an intimidating midfielder who could influence games at both ends of the field, having played as a defender at Barcelona and was pushed forward at times for City. He was an important player in City's rise in the early 2010s, scoring the winner against Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal in 2011 and in the final itself plus helping City win the league title in 2012. His best season was the 2013/14 season, scoring 20 goals from midfield plus nine assists as Manchester City won the title that season. Yaya Toure won CAF Footballer of the Year a record four times and played a hundred caps for his country, winning the African Cup of Nations in 2015.

• KANU (54 Goals)

Nwankwo Kanu was one of the greatest African players of his generation and burst into the scene at a young age from the U-17 World Cup in 1993 and clinching Olympic Gold in 1996. After successful spells at Ajax and Inter Milan, winning the Champions League and the UEFA Cup, Kanu moved to Arsenal in 1999 and became a fan favourite with a hat-trick against Chelsea that year and winning two Premier League titles. He later played for West Brom where he spent two seasons before playing for Portsmouth, winning the FA Cup in 2008, where he scored the winning goal in the final. Kanu won CAF Footballer of the Year twice and won 86 caps for Nigeria over 17 years, scoring 12 times.

• EFAN EKOKU (52 Goals)

Now a commentator for the Premier League, Efan Ekoku was one of the first Black Africans to play in the Premier League from its inception in 1992. Born in Britain to Nigerian parents, Ekoku would make his name at Norwich City where he became a fan favourite and was the first player ever to score four goals in one match against Everton at Goodison Park in 1993. He would join Wimbledon during the 1994/95 season and spent four and a half seasons at the London club. Although not remembered much in Nigeria, having won just six caps, Ekoku was one of the first's and was inducted into Norwich's Hall of Fame.