Most Represented Origins In English Premier League: Nigeria Second In Africa, 16th In The World

Published: November 27, 2018

In its latest post, CIES Football Observatory has ranked countries according to the number of domestic league minutes played by their representatives in the big-5 European Leagues made up of the English Premier League, La Liga, German Bundesliga, French Ligue 1 and Italian Serie A.

Players representing eighty-five different nationalities have taken part in big-5 matches so far this season.

In the Serie A, Super Eagles stars Ola Aina, William Troost-Ekong and Joel Obi, and ex-Golden Eaglets star Orji Okonkwo ply their trade and have played for their respective clubs this season.

Mainz' Anthony Ujah plays in the Bundesliga and winger Samuel Kalu of Bordeaux in the French Ligue 1, while Moses Simon (Levante), Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes) and Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal) have been in action for their clubs in La Liga.

Nigeria's Premier League contingent consists of : Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Victor Moses (Chelsea), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Leon Balogun (Brighton) and Isaac Success (Watford).

Nigeria ranked 16th in the percentage of minutes by origin, according to the country where players grew up, in the Premier League, behind the top African team Senegal who are 14th.

The Super Eagles stars have played 0.9 percent of the total minutes in the English topflight.

Nigeria did not make the top 20 in the Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : arsenal.com