Again, Nigeria Dominate Africa, Has The Highest Number of Players Export To Europe

Nigeria Has The Highest Number of Players Export To Europe

By Niyi Busari

Nigeria over the years has been a hub for nurturing football talents in Africa.

The likes of Odion Ighalo, Moses Simon, Ola Aina, Mikel Obi, Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, among others remain the countries best talents who shake African and Europe.

International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) Football Observatory’s April 2020 report shows that Nigeria is Africa’s biggest exporter of football talents in the world with a total number of 399 players with 73.2% are active players playing in the Division One.

Brazil is at the top of the world table with 1,600 players, of which 74.6% are active players in top division leagues, ahead of France (1,027, 74.0%) and Argentina (972, 75.5%).

On the African continent, Nigeria is the biggest football talent exporting country with a total of 399 players plying their trade outside their country.

Ghana follows with a total of 311 players which makes 67.8% according to CIES’ reports.

Nigeria is ranked 41st globally and 4th in Africa whole Senegal comes third on the African continent with 230 footballers outside their country.

The CIES Football Observatory Atlas of Migration presents the main destinations for each origin.

This exclusive tool notably reveals that 20 of these players are plying their trade in Norway, 17 in Turkey and Sweden marked the top three countries Nigerian internationals.