The Richest footballers in Africa are no doubt the African footballers in world football, either playing for big clubs in Europe and making a name for themselves week in, week out or those who have made a name over time plying their illustrious trade across several continents.

Football is one of the most profitable sports in the world, which is why you are more likely to see 5 or more in ten sportsmen from football listed as the richest in the world.

Besides being the most-watched, followed and loved sports in the world, football does not require too many resources as one prepares to launch his career as a sportsperson. All it requires is talent, discipline, and passion for the sport and the sky is one starting point.

In this post, we list the richest footballers in Africa (2020), their net worth and how much they receive weekly as wages.

 15 Richest Footballers in Africa

Below are the richest African footballers, weekly salaries and their net worth, according to NaijaTask:

15. Wilfred Zaha – $6.5 Million

Dazet Wilfried Armel Zaha is an Ivorian who plays for Crystal Palace, in England. The forward broke into the ranks of the Crystal Palace’s first team after advancing from its academy in 2010. He has been a pivotal member of the Crystal Palace team ever since.

in 2010. In January 2013, he transferred to Manchester United for an initial fee of £10 million, Alex Ferguson’s last transfer before his retirement at the end of the season. Zaha remained on loan at Palace until the end of the season, helping them return to the Premier League. After an unsuccessful 2013–14 season with Manchester United (partly spent on loan at Cardiff City), Zaha returned to Palace in August 2014 on a season-long loan, before rejoining the club on a permanent basis in February 2015.

Wilfred Zaha presently gets £6.7 million annually and earns £130,000 as weekly wage at Crystal Palace and has an Estimated Net worth of $6.5 million.

14. Ahmed Musa – $7 Million

Winger and speedster, Ahmed Musa, Nigerian winger who plays for the Saudi Arabian team, Al-Nassr is the first Nigerian to score more than once in a FIFA World Cup match, after scoring twice against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Musa is also the first Nigerian to score in two FIFA World Cup competitions, after scoring twice against Iceland in the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Musa has played for clubs such as VVV-Venlo, CSKA Moscow, and Leicester City. He currently plays in Saudi Arabia after moving on a permanent deal in August 2018.

Ahmed Musa has an estimated net worth of $7 million.

13. Mehdi Benatia – $8 million

Medhi Amine El Mouttaqi Benatia, 32-year-old French-Morrocan center back who plies his trade in Qatari club, Al-Duhail SC in what seems to be an amazing footballing career.

Benatia began his career at Marseille, spending his time loaned out to Tours and Lorient before joining Clermont in 2008. Two years later he joined Udinese, spending three seasons there before transferring to Roma. After helping them finish as Serie A runners-up in his only campaign there, he was signed by Bayern Munich for €26 million, winning the Bundesliga in both of his seasons. In 2016 he moved to Juventus, initially on loan, and was later signed permanently by the club in 2017.

Medhi Benatia who reportedly made £15.3million at Juventus before moving to Al-Duhail SC where he currently plays has an estimated net worth of $8 million.

12. Sadio Mané – $8 Million

Senegalese forward, Sadio Mané presently plays for English football giant, Liverpool, in England. The forward has been more than instrumental to the club over the past two years but his take does not back this up.

Mané began his professional career with Ligue 2 club, Metz, at age 19, but he left after a one season to join Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg in 2012 for a fee of €4 million, winning a domestic double of the Austrian Football Bundesliga and the Austrian Cup in the 2013–14 season. Later that summer, Mané transferred to English club Southampton for a club-record fee of £11.8 million, where he set a new Premier League record for the fastest hat-trick, scored in 176 seconds in a 6–1 win over Aston Villa in 2015. He signed for fellow Premier League side Liverpool in 2016, for a reported fee of £34 million.

Sadio Mane currently earns £100,000 per week at Liverpool and earns £7.8million annually and has an estimated net worth of $8 million.

11. Gervinho – $9 Million

Gervais Yao Kouassi, better known as Gervinho, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays for Parma in the Italian Serie A.

Gervinho began his career at ASEC Abidjan and Toumodi, before moving to Belgium in 2004 to play for Beveren. Between 2007 and 2011, he played in the French Ligue 1, initially at Le Mans and then at Lille. In his final season in France, he helped his club win the league and the Coupe de France.

He was sold to Arsenal in 2011 for £10.8 million and moved to Roma in 2013 for €8 million. In January 2016, Gervinho moved to Hebei China Fortune. In August 2018, he joined Parma Calcio 1913

Gervinho currently earns €35,615 weekly at Parma and earns €1,852,000 annually and has an estimated net worth of $9 million.

10. Kelechi Iheanacho – $10 million

Nigerian player of Igbo descent, Kelechi Promise Iheanacho currently plays for Leicester City as a forward in the English Premier League.

Iheanacho who played for Manchester City made appearances for the club, as well as the Super Eagles of Nigeria squad that won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the Nigeria U-20 team at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Iheanacho was called up to the Manchester City senior squad for the 2015–16 season and was later offloaded from the team owing to stiff competition.

Kelechi Iheanacho currently earns £60,000 weekly at Leicester City and earns £3,120,000 annually as salary and has an estimated net worth of $10 million.

9. Riyad Mahrez – $10 Million

Algerian Winger, Riyad Karim Mahrez who plays for Manchester City undoubtedly makes this list as one of the richest footballers in Africa.

Mahrez who was born in France began his career as a youth player for French club AAS Sarcelles. He turned professional in 2009 with Quimper, where he played for only one season before moving to Le Havre, spending a total of three years with them, initially playing for their reserve team and then becoming a first-team regular. In January 2014, Mahrez signed for English side Leicester City, helping them win the Championship and promotion to the Premier League at the end of his first season.

In the 2015–16 season he was the Algerian Footballer of the Year, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and was a member of the Premier League PFA Team of the Year as he helped Leicester City win the Premier League. He signed for Manchester City in 2018, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup in his first season.

Riyad Mahrez currently earns £120,000 per week at Manchester City and £6,240,000 annually and has an estimated net worth of $10 million.

8. Demba Ba – $14 Million

Senegalese striker, Demba Ba currently plays for Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir and the Senegal national team.

Ba made his first-team debut with French team Rouen in 2005 before moving to Mouscron and onto 1899 Hoffenheim in Germany in 2007. In 2011, he moved to Premier League side West Ham United. He played only 12 games for West Ham and despite being their league top goal scorer in the 2010–11 season, they were relegated to the Championship and Ba moved to Newcastle United. In January 2013, he completed a move to Chelsea for an undisclosed fee, before joining Beşiktaş for €6 million 18 months later. After one season in Turkey, he moved to Shanghai Shenhua of the Chinese Super League.

Demba Ba, as of 2016 reportedly earned $1.9 million at Shanghai Shenhua and $139,000 as weekly wage and has an estimated net worth of $14 million.

7. Odion Ighalo – $20 Million

Odion Jude Ighalo of Nigeria currently plays for Chinese club, Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.

The Super Eagles forward started his career at Prime and Julius Berger, in Nigeria before he moved to Norway’s Lyn in 2007. A year later he was signed by Udinese, spending most of his tenure loaned out, notably at Granada, before signing for Watford in 2014. He also competed professionally in China, with Changchun Yatai and Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.

Ighalo made his debut for Nigeria in 2015. He represented the nation at the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, finishing the latter tournament in third place and being crowned top scorer.

Odion Ighalo has an estimated net worth of $20 million and is one of the richest Nigerian footballers in his generation.

6. Obafemi Martins – $35 Million

Nigerian footballer and striker, Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins comfortably sits on this spot as the fifth richest footballer in Africa and currently plays for Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.

Obafemi Martins began his senior career in 2002 at Serie A club Inter Milan, before moving to Premier League club Newcastle United in 2006, and then to Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg in 2009. Having joined Russian Premier League side, Rubin Kazan, in July 2010, they loaned him to Birmingham City in January 2011.

Martins has won the Serie A title, the Italian Cup (twice), and the Italian Super Cup, all with Inter. With Birmingham, he scored the winning goal in the 2011 Football League Cup Final. He has played European football with Inter, Newcastle, and Wolfsburg, winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup with Newcastle.

Obafemi Martins currently plays for Shangai Shenhua and has an estimated net worth of $35 million. Martins is currently one of the richest footballers in Nigeria.

5. Sofiane Feghouli – $42 Million

Algerian midfielder, Sofiane Feghouli plays for Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray S.K and the Algerian national team.

Feghouli began his career with Grenoble after French team Paris Saint-Germain decided not to sign him after a trial. Feghouli joined Valencia in a four-year contract after a fairly successful life at Grenoble in 2010. He later joined West Ham in July 2016 on a three-year contract. In August 2017, Feghouli signed a five-year contract for Galatasaray for €4.250.000.

Feghouli earns €3.85 million ($4,270,574) net per season. And the contract does not foresee any development, downward or upward, making him the de facto highest earning footballer in Galatasary. Feghouli has an estimated net worth of $42 million.

4. Emmanuel Adebayor – $45 million

Togolese striker, Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is undoubtedly one of the finest strikers ever to come out of Africa. Adebayor last played as a striker for Turkish club Kayserispor.

Emmanuel Adebayor has had a successful career and has played in some of the biggest clubs across Europe. Adebayor played for Arsenal, Manchester City before he was loaned to Real Madrid. Despite wanting to settle for a pay cut to remain permanently at Real Madrid, the Spanish club refused to sign the Togolese, which saw him move to Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, İstanbul Başakşehir and Kayserispor. He signed a one-year contract with Kayserispor and left in December 2019. 

Emmanuel Adebayor is one of the richest players in Africa with an estimated net worth of $45 million.

3. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – $50 Million

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a Gabonese and a key member of the Gabon national team who plays for Arsenal in England. The French-born player is considered one of the best strikers in the world.

Aubameyang began his senior career at Serie A club Milan, eventually being promoted to the first team in 2008 after impressing as a member of the club’s youth setup. However, he never featured for Milan, and instead, began a series of loan spells in France. His loan move to Ligue 1 team Saint-Étienne was made the transfer permanent in 2011. During his time at the club, Aubameyang helped the club win the 2012-13 Coupe de la Ligue and was honoured in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year.

Aubameyang joined Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund in 2013, where he finished as the league’s top goalscorer in the 2016–17 season and won the DFB-Pokal title. He also became the club’s sixth all-time top goalscorer. In 2018, Aubameyang signed for the English team Arsenal in a deal worth £56 million (€64 million), making him the most expensive Gabonese player of all time. In his first full season in England, he won the Premier League Golden Boot, which was shared.

Aubameyang estimated net worth before moving to Arsenal was £10.5m ($13.7 million). He currently earns £180,000 as weekly wage at Arsenal and £9,360,000 annually and has an estimated net worth of $50 million.

2. John Mikel-Obi – $60 Million

Nigerian midfielder, John Michael Nchekwube Obinna, variously known as John Obi Mikel, John Mikel Obi or Mikel John Obi, plays as a midfielder for Turkish club Trabzonspor.

Mikel began his career with local club Plateau United, in Nigeria before joining Norwegian club Lyn at the age of 17 in 2004. In 2006, he made a controversial transfer to English club Chelsea after Manchester United claimed they had already signed him. He stayed with Chelsea for 11 years, before moving to China with Tianjin TEDA in 2017. After two years in China, he returned to England on a short-term deal with Middlesbrough, before joining Trabzonspor on a free transfer in July 2019.

Mikel earned £7.28 million ($9,479,542 million) in Tianjin TEDA in China in 2017 while he currently earns $1.6 million annually. John Mikel-Obi has an estimated net worth of $60 million.

1. Mohammed Salah – $90 Million

Egypt’s main footballer, Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly is the richest footballer in Africa. Salah currently plays for Liverpool in England as a forward, alongside Sadio Mane.

Salah started his senior career with the Egyptian club El Mokawloon, departing shortly thereafter to join the Swiss side, Basel, for an undisclosed fee. In Switzerland, his performances attracted Premier League side Chelsea, who signed him for in 2014. However, he was used sparingly in his debut season and was allowed to leave on loan to Serie A clubs Fiorentina and Roma, with the latter eventually signing him permanently for €15 million. Following his role in helping Roma to a second-place finish and a club record points-tally in 2017, Salah returned to the Premier League to sign for Liverpool for a then club-record fee of £36.9 million.

Salah signed for Liverpool with an initial £120,000 per week salary but following his rip-roaring success at Anfield, he was quickly handed fresh terms. In 2018, Salah penned a new long-term deal that will keep him at the club until 2023.

Mohamed Salah currently earns £200,000 per week plus bonuses and extra incentives based on individual and team performances, making him the highest-earning footballer in Liverpool and the richest footballer in Africa with an estimated net worth of $90 million.

Richest Footballers in Africa

Below is a list of the 15 richest footballers in Africa and their net worth:

• Wilfred Zaha – $6.5 Million
• Ahmed Musa – $7 Million
• Mehdi Benatia – $8 million
• Sadio Mané – $8 Million
• Gervinho – $9 Million
• Kelechi Iheanacho – $10 million
• Riyad Mahrez – $10 Million
• Demba Ba – $14 Million
• Odion Ighalo – $20 Million
• Obafemi Martins – $35 Million
• Sofiane Feghouli – $42 Million
• Emmanuel Adebayor – $45 million
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – $50 Million
• John Mikel-Obi – $60 Million
• Mohammed Salah – $90 Million

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