The English Premier League is already three matchdays old this season, and African players continue to be important for the various clubs in the hunt for the EPL title.
Footballers from all over the African continent, including nations such as Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal and Kenya, play key roles for their English top flight outfits.
This is a list of 16 African players to watch in the English Premier League during the 2016-17 season.
Sources: ESPNFC, TheMirror, Pulse, ThePunch, DailyMail, TheSun.
The 19-year-old Nigerian striker broke onto the English Premier League scene in his debut season last term, scoring 14 goals for the blue half of Manchester, and he will be hoping to build on that excellent form in 2016-17.
Fitting in well to Jose Mourinho’s new Manchester United side, the strong Ivorian defender has been tough to beat at the back for the Reds, winning a few Man-of-the-Match nods already. The new signing will certainly be an important player in the team’s Premier League challenge this season.
The star of Leicester City’s successful title winning campaign in 2015-16 has remained faithful to the club, and will be looking to show that his exploits in the previous season were no fluke. His supreme skill and pace allowed him to contribute 17 goals and 11 assists last term.
Senegalese attacker Sadio Mane signed for Liverpool from Southampton during the transfer window, and coach Jurgen Klopp will be keen to see some goals from the powerful striker who has a talent for scoring hat-tricks.
Leicester City broke their transfer record to secure the services of speedy winger Ahmed Musa, and when the Nigerian is fit he will no doubt be a handful for defenders. His confidence when facing defenders one on one is a sight to behold.
A new transfer into the English Premier League, Algerian Islam Slimani comes highly recommended, having scored 27 goals the Portuguese Primeira Liga campaign last season. Leicester City coach Claudio Ranieri will be hoping for more of the same from Slimani in England.
New Everton signing Bolasie is a Congolese winger with great potential, and after completing a $33 million move from Crystal Palace, the pressure will be on for him to deliver in 2016-17.
After a number of years where he struggled to find his feet at Chelsea and was sent out on loan to rival clubs, Moses seems to have settled in at the London club with new coach Antonio Conte trusting the Nigerian talent.
The imposing defender is key to Sunderland’s play at the back, thwarting opposition attacks with great mastery. He arrived at the Black Cats from French side Lorient in the January 2016 transfer window, and went on to play 15 games, while contributing in attack with two goals.
The acrobatic Nigerian striker remained with Watford despite interest from other clubs during the transfer window, and that loyalty comes from the comfort he feels on the pitch, where he was able to score 15 goals throughout the 2015-16 campaign in the English top flight.
The four-time African Player of the Year remains one of the best African players of all time, and the veteran midfielder is able to produce a top performance for the Citizens thanks to his EPL experience.
The West Ham record-signing is out injured until the end of the year, but the Ghanaian star, who scored 12 Premier League goals last season, will no doubt return to his best in the new year, when he will be determined to justify the trust showed in him by the Hammers.
The Kenyan midfielder was a standout performer for Southampton last season, and that form earned him a move to Tottenham in the transfer window. Tottenham ran out of energy at the death last season, and the combative Wanyama will add some much needed energy to their midfield this term.
The Nigerian 20-year-old is sidelined for a few weeks at the moment with an injury, but once back will no doubt add to Arsenal’s attacking prospects. He broke into the first team in the last part of the 2015-16 season, and has not looked back since.
The Chelsea veteran has been the subject of transfer speculation for the last few months, but after a strong showing at the Olympics for Nigeria, new coach Antonio Conte may decide that the midfielder can add depth and experience to his squad for the long EPL season.
The South African veteran midfielder was expected to return to his homeland or make a move to China, but he instead signed a one-year deal with Sunderland. The 34-year-old’s experience in the Premier League will give coach David Moyes a useful member of the squad, in training and on the pitch.