Football is not only a game of passion, but it’s also a very lucrative sports with lots of money involved, given its popularity and huge followership.
Many African footballers have been able to take advantage of that, with contracts and endorsement deals worth millions of dollars being signed.
As you’re reading this, you probably already have names popping up in your head as to who will appear on the list of the 2019 richest African players.
Let’s get straight into it and find out.
List Of The Richest African Footballers in 2019
5. MOHAMMED SALAH
Since joining Liverpool from Roma, Mohammed Salah has enjoyed a remarkable time at Anfield, where he broke the record for most goals in a single Premier League campaign by netting 32 times in just 36 appearances and leading them to the Champions League final.
The Egypt international now has his sights on making more money and winning a first piece of silverware with the Reds, with his side currently top of the Premier League and through to the knock-out round of the Champions League.
The two-time African Player of the Year is Liverpool’s highest earner at the moment, with a salary of £200,000 per week.
Net worth: $20m
4. ASAMOAH GYAN
Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has an estimated net worth of about $25 million. The striker’s assets include his McCarthy Hill house worth $3 million and his Rolls Royce worth about $400,000.
In 2017, the 33-year-old Kayserispor striker obtained a license to operate a private airline, ‘Baby Jet Airlines’ in Ghana.
He also owns the Baby Jet Promotions, which seeks to promote all kinds of sports in Ghana.
As an achievement, Gyan is the highest African goal scorer in the World Cup, with a total of 6 goals in 3 different World Cup tournaments.
Gyan’s net worth is approximately estimated to be $75 Million, as of 2019.
3. MIKEL OBI
Mikel Obi is a Nigerian born professional footballer who formerly plied his trade at Premier League club, Chelsea.
The Super Eagles captain’s net worth is over $50 million, with an annual salary of about $6 million which is a little below some of the richest African footballers like Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Toure.
In addition to his football earnings, the former Lyn Oslo midfielder also earns a lot from endorsements. He is a brand ambassador for some brands abroad and other top brands like Amstel Malta and Peak Milk in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Mikel is seeking a return to Europe for family reasons after cancelling his contract with Chinese Super League club Tianjin Teda, a year before the agreement between both parties was due to run out.
As of 2019, Mikel’s net worth is $50 million dollars, making him the 3rd richest footballer in Africa.
2. YAYA TOURE
Yaya Toure is arguably the best box-to-box midfielder ever to come from Africa, having won everything available in club football.
The 35-year-old was part of the historic 2009 Barcelona side that won six trophies in a calendar year and in 2012, he helped Manchester City win their first league title in 44 years.
Toure also helped Ivory Coast win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015 and he’s the only player to have won the African Footballer of the Year for four consecutive years; 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
The former Monaco midfielder has a sponsorship deal with Puma, with part of his income used to supply shoes to underprivileged West Africans and in 2015, he became Nissan’s global ambassador.
As of 2019, Toure’s net worth is roughly $70 Million dollars.
1. SAMUEL ETO’O
At the number one spot, we have the Cameroonian-born star, Samuel Eto’o – who currently plays as a striker for Qatar SC.
The four-time African Player of the year winner has played in England, Spain, Italy, Russia, Turkey and now Qatar – winning trophies with most of the clubs.
His most productive years were spent at Barcelona and Inter Milan where he won UEFA Champions League in two consecutive years.
Eto’o was once the highest-paid footballer in the world during his spell with Anzhi Makhachkala where he earned $25 Million a year after taxes.
Eto’s net worth is estimated to be $100m, as of 2019, making him the richest footballer in Africa.
Summary
Here’s a quick recap of the 5 richest football players in Africa:
1. Samuel Eto’o – $100m
2. Yaya Toure – $70m
3. Mikel Obi – $50m
4. Asamoah Gyan $25m
5. Mohammed Salah – $20 Million
How many of these African football players did you expect to appear on this list of the richest soccer players in Africa?
Leave a comment below.
