No African goalscorer has netted more goals than Samuel Eto’o in the history of Europe’s top 10 leagues, but a host of legendary strikers feature alongside the Cameroon legend in each of the continent’s top divisions.
UEFA’s country coefficients rank Spain, England, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Russia, Belgium, Netherlands, and Ukraine (in that order) as Europe’s top 10 footballing nations, prompting KickOff.com to investigate who the leading African goalscorers in the history of each of those country’s top divisions is.
Eto’o features as the all-time leading African goalscorer in LaLiga history after starring for Real Madrid, Mallorca, and FC Barcelona.
The Cameroon legend’s time in Spain saw him net 162 times in 280 appearances, which is the most by any African player across the continent’s top 10 divisions.
In England, former Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba reigns supreme after tucking home 104 Premier League goals across two spells with the Blues, while ex-Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the Bundesliga’s leading African marksman with 98 strikes to his name.
Former Senegal striker Mamadou Niang, whose 100 goals for Olympique Marseille, Strasbourg, and Troyes make him Ligue 1’s greatest African import, is one of only two other players who have more than a century of goals on the list, alongside former Eredivisie star Matthew Amoah.
Below are the 10 African strikers who conquered Europe:
LaLiga, Spain: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon / Real Madrid, Mallorca & FC Barcelona) – 162 goals in 280 appearances.
Premier League, England: Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast / Chelsea) – 104 goals in 254 appearances
Bundesliga, Germany: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon / Borussia Dortmund) – 98 goals in 144 appearances
Serie A, Italy: George Weah (Liberia / AC Milan) – 46 goals in 114 appearances
Ligue 1, France: Mamadou Niang (Senegal / Olympique Marseille, Troyes & Strasbourg) – 100 goals in 258 appearances
Liga NOS, Portugal: Albert Meyong (Cameroon / Vitoria Setubal, Belenenses & SC Braga) – 70 goals in 177 appearances
Premier League, RussiaSeydou Doumbia (Ivory Coast / CSKA Moscow) – 66 goals in 108 appearances
Jupiler Pro League, Belgium: Mbaye Leye (Senegal / Zulte Wagrem, Gent, Standard Liege, Lokeren, Eupen & Mouscron) – 94 goals in 286 appearances
Eredivisie, Netherlands: Matthew Amoah (Ghana / Vitesse, Heerenveen, Fortuna Sittard, Heracles & NAC Breda) – 117 goals in 310 appearances
Premier League, Ukraine: Lucky Idahor (Nigeria / Dynamo Kyiv, Vorskla Poltava, Karpaty Lviv, Tavriya Simferopol & Zorya Luhansk) – 43 goals in 181 appearances
Source: footballghana.com
