Alternative Africa

Top Menu

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Reports
    • Africa-Observers
      • Read Reports
      • Submit a story
  • MORE
    • Health
    • News Now
    • World
    • Technology
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us

logo

Alternative Africa

  • Home
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Reports
    • Africa-Observers
      • Read Reports
      • Submit a story
  • MORE
    • Health
    • News Now
    • World
    • Technology
  • GIZ, Orange inaugurate third Digital Centre in Ethiopia

  • UNECA puts young African students on the path of Artificial intelligence technology

  • Antibiotics made from Cannabis could be available within five years-UK Neurologist

  • COVAX to pay compensation for harmful side effects of its covid vaccines

  • China donates 200,000 doses of China-made vaccine Sinopharm to Sierra Leone

News Now
Home›News Now›Relive Africa’s top 10 Premier League moments

Relive Africa’s top 10 Premier League moments

By alternativeafrica
November 13, 2017
722
0
Share:
Afoty archive: Ndlovu’s brilliant solo goal

Earlier this year, the English Premier League celebrated its 25th birthday.

For the BBC’s African Footballer of the Year season, BBC Africa Sport has selected the top 10 unforgettable African moments in Premier League history.

Unforgettable – not greatest – so if you want to let us know what we have missed out, you can have your say at the bottom of the page:

1992 – Peter Ndlovu (Zimbabwe)

Zimbabwe’s Peter Ndlovu was the first African to both play and score in the Premier League

On 19 August 1992, four days after the first round of Premier League games, Zimbabwe’s Peter Ndlovu made history. Coming on as a second-half substitute against Tottenham Hotspur, the Coventry City striker became the first African to play in the Premier League.

Nearly 300 Africans have followed him.

For the record, Coventry won 2-0 – and Africa’s first goal in the Premier League came on 2 September, when Ndlovu netted in a 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

1995 – Tony Yeboah (Ghana)

Ghana’s Tony Yeboah celebrates his goal against Wimbledon for Leeds in 1995

There have been some incredible Premier League goals scored the Premier League – Ghanaian Michael Essien’s blockbuster against Arsenal (2006), an incredible strike from Senegal’s Papiss Cisse against Chelsea (2012) and Ivorian Cheick Tiote’s piledriver to secure a 4-4 draw against Arsenal (2011).

Then there are Tony Yeboah’s goals.

His sensational volley against Liverpool in August 1995 will never be forgotten – Yeboah describes it as his favourite – but it was his blistering strike at Wimbledon the following month that was named goal of the season.

1996 – Ali Dia (Senegal)

The story of how Senegal’s Ali Dia managed to play for Southampton is a source of wonder

Just over two decades ago, Senegal’s Ali Dia somehow blagged his way into the Southampton first team.

The story goes that a man masquerading as George Weah, the only African to be crowned Fifa’s World Footballer of the Year, phoned around England’s leading clubs before striking gold with Saints boss Graeme Souness, who was led to believe ‘Weah’s cousin’ was a) rather useful b) had played with the Liberian at Paris St-Germain.

Amidst a striker shortage, Dia was thrust on as a substitute against Leeds United. The student lasted 53 minutes before being subbed, and leaving the Premier League for good.

Last year, the Bleacher Report tracked him down to London.

1999 – Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)

Nwankwo Kanu flights home his hat-trick goal from the byeline

Nigeria’s Nwankwo Kanu was not the first African to score a Premier League hat-trick, but he certainly scored one of the most memorable.

With 15 minutes left, Arsenal were 2-0 down at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea had not conceded a league goal all season.

By full-time Arsenal had won 3-2, Kanu flighting home a beauty in the final minute from the tightest of angles, to leave the commentator screaming: “Can you believe it? Simply extraordinary.”

2004 – Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast), Lauren (Cameroon), Kanu

Arsenal’s players celebrate their unbeaten league campaign

Not since Preston North End in the 1880s had an English team gone through an entire league season unbeaten – until Arsenal rewrote history.

To understandable acclaim, Arsene Wenger’s Gunners went through the 2003-2004 campaign with a record of 26 wins and 12 draws.

Three Africans were in the team – Kanu, Lauren and Kolo Toure. The latter played in all but one match of a truly staggering season.

2007 – Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)

Didier Drogba celebrates his stunning strike against Liverpool in 2006

Before Didier Drogba arrived at Chelsea in 2004, the club had been crowned English champions just once in their history.

They have added five more since – four of those with the Ivorian to the fore.

Having won the league title in his first two seasons, he became the first African to top the Premier League scoring charts in 2007 – a feat he repeated three years later.

He remains the only African to have scored a century of Premier League goals.

2009 – Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo)

Adebayor sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans – to the delight of City’s followers

Drogba’s closest African rival in terms of Premier League goals is Emmanuel Adebayor, who has 97. The aftermath of one is destined to be talked about for decades.

The Togolese left Arsenal for Manchester City in an acrimonious move in July 2009 and two months later, when City hosted Arsenal and Adebayor scored, the striker ran the length of the pitch to taunt his former fans.

He later apologised – saying emotions had got the better of him – but he also claimed Gunners fans had insulted him for the whole game.

2013 – Peter Odemwingie (Nigeria)

Odemwingie’s dash to QPR was described as ‘total lunacy’ by West Brom boss Steve Clarke

Transfer deadline day has produced many memorable moments, but few are talked about as much as Peter Odemwingie’s ill-fated drive from Birmingham to London in 2013, as he sought to leave West Brom for QPR.

The big problem was the Nigerian had jumped the gun – leaving West Brom without permission to secure a proposed move that ultimately collapsed.

“Total lunacy” was how his manager he described it at the time. Endless mirth for the fans, though.

2014 – Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)

Toure has been a colossus for Manchester City, but his agent says he likes cake with his cups

He has driven Manchester City to league and cup wins and proven a midfield machine capable of hitting 20 league goals in a season.

However, he may equally be remembered more for ‘Cake-gate’, when his agent implied the Ivorian was leaving after the club failed to mark his 31st birthday in suitable style.

Current City boss Pep Guardiola knows the way to Toure’s heart, though, and said he would get as “big a birthday cake as possible” for his big day this year.

2016 – Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)

Riyad Mahrez scored in the first three games of Leicester’s title-winning season

When Leicester City paid French side Le Havre £400,000 for Riyad Mahez in 2013, few people raised an eyebrow.

Even fewer expected the Algerian to drive the club towards the Premier League’s least likely success – a fairytale triumph in 2016.

The mercurial Mahrez became the first African to win the prestigious PFA Player of the Year award – some accolade given the torment some of his peers suffered at his hands during the season.

SHARE ON:
TagsAfricaBreakingNews
Previous Article

Train crash ‘kills 33’ in Democratic Republic ...

Next Article

African Footballer of the Year 2017: Pierre-Emerick ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

alternativeafrica

Related articles More from author

  • News NowWorld

    Why are Gypsy children often expelled from UK schools?

    December 30, 2017
    By alternativeafrica
  • BusinessNews Now

    Nigeria: FG tells states to pay backlog of salaries before accessing $2.69 billion Paris Club Refund

    September 11, 2018
    By alternativeafrica
  • News Now

    10-man Wydad beaten by Pachuca at Club World Cup

    December 9, 2017
    By alternativeafrica
  • News NowWorld

    Are Israel and Hezbollah headed for another war?

    September 8, 2017
    By alternativeafrica
  • AfricaNews NowTechnology

    Africa needs effective ICT policies & strategies to enhance competitiveness says ECA chief

    June 11, 2019
    By alternativeafrica
  • News Now

    Kenya election: Last-minute court bid to block poll

    October 24, 2017
    By alternativeafrica

Leave a reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

You might be interested

  • AfricaBusinessNews Now

    Canadian start-up raises $1.7m to install solar energy in rural Tanzania

  • HealthNews NowWorld

    Australia jails man six months for sneaking out of quarantine to visit lover

  • AfricaBusinessNews Now

    USAID, partners announce $30m financial support for agribusinesses in Africa

Timeline

  • February 26, 2021

    GIZ, Orange inaugurate third Digital Centre in Ethiopia

  • February 26, 2021

    UNECA puts young African students on the path of Artificial intelligence technology

  • February 26, 2021

    Antibiotics made from Cannabis could be available within five years-UK Neurologist

  • February 26, 2021

    COVAX to pay compensation for harmful side effects of its covid vaccines

  • February 26, 2021

    China donates 200,000 doses of China-made vaccine Sinopharm to Sierra Leone

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Lagos govt confirms first case of deadly coronavirus infection in Nigeria

    By alternativeafrica
    February 28, 2020
  • Keynote Address of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at 2018 Oxford Africa Conference

    By PSJ Africa
    May 14, 2018
  • Morocco begins regional integration by connecting Casablanca Airport with High Speed Train

    By alternativeafrica
    January 4, 2020
  • Kenyan govt pressure Facebook for data on Kenyan users

    By alternativeafrica
    November 20, 2019
  • Nigeria: 32,000 capacity Lagos rice mill to start production in 2020

    By alternativeafrica
    December 23, 2019
  • Ado zagi
    on
    January 12, 2021

    Nigeria: EFCC Academy to begin award of degree

    Diploma leave areply from
  • Ethiopia joins Africa's Artificial Intelligence revolution | Alternative Africa
    on
    October 2, 2020

    Spending on Artificial Intelligence Systems in Africa, Middle East to top $374 million in 2020

    […] Many African countries ...
  • The 5 most popular Africans 2020
    on
    September 25, 2020

    Celebrating Congolese doctor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the man behind breakthrough of Ebola cure

    […] Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe ...
  • Millitants in Central Mali Set Jail Ablaze in Attack Killing Two | taktik(z) GDI (Government Defense ...
    on
    August 11, 2020

    Fifteen gendarmes killed in another attack on Mali camp

    […] attack fol­lowed a January ...
  • Millitants in Central Mali Set Jail Ablaze in Attack Killing Two
    on
    August 11, 2020

    Fifteen gendarmes killed in another attack on Mali camp

    […] attack followed a ...
AlternativeAfrica.com is an independent Pan African News Website dedicated primarily to influencing the negative narratives about Africa. We hope to do this by focusing and showcasing the many developmental strides sweeping across the continent.

Read more >>>

Contact Info

  • info@alternativeafrica.com
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • GIZ, Orange inaugurate third Digital Centre in Ethiopia

    By alternativeafrica
    February 26, 2021
  • UNECA puts young African students on the path of Artificial intelligence technology

    By alternativeafrica
    February 26, 2021
  • Antibiotics made from Cannabis could be available within five years-UK Neurologist

    By alternativeafrica
    February 26, 2021
  • COVAX to pay compensation for harmful side effects of its covid vaccines

    By alternativeafrica
    February 26, 2021
  • Lagos govt confirms first case of deadly coronavirus infection in Nigeria

    By alternativeafrica
    February 28, 2020
  • Keynote Address of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at 2018 Oxford Africa Conference

    By PSJ Africa
    May 14, 2018
  • Macron in Ivory Coast to launch anti-terrorism academy

    By alternativeafrica
    December 21, 2019
  • Kenyan govt pressure Facebook for data on Kenyan users

    By alternativeafrica
    November 20, 2019
  • Ado zagi
    on
    January 12, 2021

    Nigeria: EFCC Academy to begin award of degree

    Diploma leave areply from
  • Ethiopia joins Africa's Artificial Intelligence revolution | Alternative Africa
    on
    October 2, 2020

    Spending on Artificial Intelligence Systems in Africa, Middle East to top $374 million in 2020

    […] Many African countries ...
  • The 5 most popular Africans 2020
    on
    September 25, 2020

    Celebrating Congolese doctor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the man behind breakthrough of Ebola cure

    […] Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe ...
  • Millitants in Central Mali Set Jail Ablaze in Attack Killing Two | taktik(z) GDI (Government Defense ...
    on
    August 11, 2020

    Fifteen gendarmes killed in another attack on Mali camp

    […] attack fol­lowed a January ...

Photostream

    Follow us

    • Home
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
    © Copyright Alternative Africa 2019. All rights reserved.