These are Africa's richest players of the beautiful game. They also happen to be some of the best that Africa has produced over the years. Check out their amazing wealth as compiled by a host of footballing websites with authentic confirmation by Forbes magazine.
10) Christopher Samba – Net Worth: $8 Million
The Congolese defender’s wealth owes greatly to the contract he
signed at Anzhi Makhachkala where he was paid $160,000 per week. Before
then he made his name as the no nonsense captain of Blackburn Rovers.
Between two spells at Anzhi he spent six months at Queens Park Rangers,
where he again earned around $160,000 a week. He is currently at Dynamo
Moscow after being sold in a fire sale of players by Anzhi.
9) Seydou Keita – Net Worth: $10 Million
The Malian midfielder has recently returned to Spain with Valencia
after a year in the Chinese Super League. Keita earned a reported
$16million before tax in his year with Chinese Super League club Dalian
Aerbin FC. Before that move he had been an important member of the
Barcelona squad for four years having impressed at Sevilla and in the
French Ligue 1.
8) Frédéric Kanouté – Net Worth: $12 Million
The legendary Malian striker began his career in France with Lyon
before moving to England with West Ham in 2001. During his spell at
Sevilla he won African Player of the Year in 2007 as well as consecutive
UEFA Cups. He is currently at Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super
League. In 2007 he spent a reported $700,000 buying his local mosque in
Seville.
7) John Obi Mikel – Net Worth: $15 Million
After just 6 appearances for Norwegian club Lyn Oslo, Mikel became
infamous within the football world. In 2005 both Manchester United and
Chelsea announced the signing of 18 year-old Mikel in what would become a
protracted transfer saga. It was eventually settled in 2006 with
Chelsea paying Lyn Oslo just £4million, whilst Manchester United
received £12million without the player ever having played for them. The
Nigerian has achieved great success at Chelsea winning the Premier
League and Champions League amongst others, and reportedly earns
$5million a year.
6) Kolo Toure – Net Worth: $18 Million
Toure has played for three of England’s biggest clubs in the form of
Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool. He also has a lucrative
sponsorship deal with Adidas. He has become an integral player for the
Côte d’Ivoire national team and is one half of football’s highest paid
siblings.
5) Michael Essien – Net Worth: $25 Million
Essien was once Africa’s most expensive footballer of all-time after
his £24.4million move from Lyon to Chelsea. He has received multiple
nominations for World Player of the Year as well as African Player of
the Year in recognition of his status as one of Africa’s best players
ever. After 8 years at Chelsea, Essien signed for AC Milan in January
2014 to receive more first-team football.
4) Emmanuel Adebayor – Net Worth: $27 Million
Togo’s all-time top scorer has benefited from lucrative contracts at
some of England’s richest clubs. Whilst at Manchester City the striker
earned a reported $268,000 a week. While Adebayor has developed a
reputation for falling out with managers, the player is also known for
his enormous charity work. He has set up projects in his native Togo and
across Africa, as well as founding the SEA Foundation which implements
welfare projects across the continent.
3) Yaya Toure – Net Worth: $65 Million
Toure has received African Player of the Year three consecutive times
since 2011 and is recognised as one of the Côte d’Ivoire’s ‘Golden
Generation’. He was an important player in the Barcelona team that won
the Champions League in 2009 and is currently the engine room of
Manchester City’s team. He earns a reported $15million a year to
reinforce his status as one of the world’s best.
2) Didier Drogba – Net Worth: $70 Million
Didier Drogba’s enormous fortune is impressive, considering the
Ivorian didn’t earn a big move until his 2004 transfer to Chelsea at the
age of 26. Since then however the former Chelsea legend has signed a
number of lucrative contracts. At the height of his powers at Chelsea he
was paid $170,000 a week, a figure dwarfed however by the staggering
$325,000 he earned in his short spell at Shanghai Shenhua. He earned about $5.2million a year at Galatasaray, and now back to his favorite Chelsea, however with a number of
lucrative sponsorship deals his actual earnings a year are far more.
1) Samuel Eto’o – Net Worth: $90 Million
It’s no surprise that the man to have won a record four African
Player of the Year trophies tops the list for the continent’s richest
player. Eto’o was in fact once the highest paid player in the world
during his spell with Anzhi Makhachkala bringing in $25millon a year.
Goal.com put his net worth at $118 million (£70m), but given his
extravagant lifestyle and his donations to several charity organizations
we put the net worth at $90 million.
The Cameroonian striker has played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs
including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Everton and currently Sampdoria.
His goal-scoring prowess has seen him not only rewarded with mega wages
but huge sponsorship deals, however the player also gives a lot of
money to charity, much like Didier Drogba, and has set up the Samuel
Eto’o Foundation in his home country.
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| Africa's Wealthiest Footballer, Samuel Eto Fils |
