Overview:
He has won the Premier League twice (2019/20 & 2024/25) on top of many individual honors including the golden boot four times; 2017/18, 2018/19, 2021/22 and 2024/25.
Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season following his announcement on Tuesday March 24, 2026.
The Egyptian King will leave as one of the greats to have played on the English Premier League and his name will forever live amongst not only the Kopites but the entire league as well.
To many, Salah is arguably the greatest to ever play in the EPL and his stats back the argument.
With more seven matches to go, Salah has made 310 appearances for Liverpool scoring 189 goals and assisting 92 times – totaling 281 contributions, the most for a single club in history. That is five more than Manchester United great Wayne Rooney.
He has won the Premier League twice (2019/20 & 2024/25) on top of many individual honors including the golden boot four times; 2017/18, 2018/19, 2021/22 and 2024/25.
Other Premier League accolades include PFA Players’ Player of the Season (2017/18, 2021/22 & 2024/25), Football Writers Player of the Season (2017/18, 2021/22 & 2024/25), Premier League Player of the Season (2017/18 & 2024/25) and so many other personal accolades.
And besides winning the EPL, Salah boosts of the FA Cup, Uefa Champions League, Uefa Super Cup, English Football Club (Carabao) and the FIFA Club World Cup medals.
Salah could be Africa’s greatest export to the Premier League but who else joins the debate?
There are other many others from the continent that have helped turn the EPL into arguably the strongest league in world football and here are some other names that rank amongst the best from Africa.
Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)
EPL Club: Chelsea
Didier Drogba joined the Blues in 2004 and went on to become one of the greatest catches ever.
Drogba will always be one of the first names mentioned when it comes to the debate about Chelsea’s best players since the Premier League’s inception.
With 104 top-flight goals – only 31 players in history have hit the back of the net more often in England’s top division (since 1992) than Drogba.
He was instrumental in Chelsea’s four league titles in 2004/05, 2005/06, 2009/20 & 2014/15) and also won the FA Cup, Community Shield and Carabao Cup several times.
Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)
EPL Club: Manchester City
One of the most technically gifted players ever to grace the premier league despite his strong physique.
He joined Manchester City in 2010 from Barcelona
During his time with Manchester City, Yaya won the premier league three times (2011/12, 2013/14 & 2017/18) among other trophies in England.
Riyadh Mahrez (Algeria)
EPL Clubs: Leicester City & Man City
One of the Premier League’s most skillful wingers during his time in English football.
Riyad Mahrez was an important part of Manchester City’s side that secured their historic treble during the 2022-23 campaign. A throwback to attacking wide men from previous generations, Mahrez was always willing to run at the opposing full-back in order to create chances for himself and his teammates.
He also won the premier league with Leicester City in a shocking triumph in 2016 before he joined The Citizens.
The Algerian captain won five premier league medals during his stay in England.
Sadio Mane (Senegal)
EPL Clubs: Southampton & Liverpool
Mane enjoyed premier league stints at Southampton and Liverpool where he won the premier league before he left for Saudi Arabia.
The Senegal captain has a record for the fastest hattrick ever scored in two minutes and 56 seconds in May and to-date remains the second highest scoring African in the EPL with 111 goals – only Salah has scored more.
Michael Essien (Ghana)
EPL Club: Chelsea
One of the greatest central midfielders to grace the premier league and won the premier league twice in addition to four FA Cups, the league cup and the Champions League.
The impressive impact he made during his time at the highest level in London was more than enough for him to remain towards the top of this list.
Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast)
EPL Clubs: Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City
Currently part of the coaching staff at Manchester City, Kolo was part of the invincible side of Arsenal that won the title in 2003/04 season and repeated the feat with Celtic in Scotland.
As well as shining at Arsenal, Toure was also pretty solid at the back for both Manchester City and Liverpool before he exited the league in 2016.
The former Ivory Coast international ended his playing career one year later, following his spell with Celtic, before becoming a coach – working under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic and Leicester City.
Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
EPL Clubs: Arsenal, West Brom & Portsmouth
Elegance defined Kanu as he won two league titles with Arsenal before he, like Lauren, lifted the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008. Often seen playing with a big smile on his face, Kanu is one of the Premier League’s great cult heroes and, on his day, a joy to watch.
Lauren Etame Mayer (Cameroon)
EPL Clubs: Arsenal, Portsmouth
Taking the place of long-serving right-back Lee Dixon at Arsenal, Lauren went on to have a successful career in England. Part of the legendary ‘Invincibles’ side of 2003-04, the Cameroon international eventually forced his way into debates about the best players in his position in EPL history.
Lauren was even part of the Portsmouth team that went all the way during the 2007-08 FA Cup campaign, defeating Manchester United in the quarter-finals before beating West Brom in the semis, and Cardiff City in the final. He ended his career in 2010 following a short stint with Cordoba in Spain.
Jay Jay Augustine Okocha (Nigeria)
EPL Club: Bolton
He never won the EPL but Okocha ranks among the most skillful players ever to grace the world’s greatest league.
Arguably their most talented player ever, Bolton supporters never tired of watching Okocha strut his stuff at the Reebok Stadium. It came as a surprise that the Nigerian star moved to the English side on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, but he certainly didn’t disappoint during his time with the club.
Yakubu Ayegbeni (Nigeria)
Clubs: Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, Blackburn Rovers
Not many players have scored more premier league goals than the 95 managed by Yakubu despite consistently featuring for mid-table teams.
In fact, not more than 40 players have scored more goals than Yakubu Ayegbeni in the league’s history, which is pretty impressive when you consider he never played for one of England’s elite clubs.
Besides the above, so many names come up in Emmanuel Adebayor, Lucas Radebe – who captained Leeds United, Wilfried Zaha, Alex Iwobi and Steven Piennar among others.
In your opinion, who are in the top FIVE?