Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi has moved into second place among African players with the most appearances in Premier League history, overtaking Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
The Nigeria international achieved the landmark following his recent Premier League outings, taking his overall appearances to 329 and moving ahead of Salah, who has 328, according to figures shared by the Premier League on its official X handle.
Ivory Coast legend Kolo Touré remains Africa’s all-time appearance leader with 353 matches, having featured for Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool during his Premier League career.
Iwobi, 30, has built his impressive record across three English clubs, making 100 appearances for Arsenal, 123 for Everton and more than 100 for Fulham since joining the London-based club in 2023.
The midfielder made his Premier League debut for Arsenal in 2015 after progressing through the club’s academy. His consistency has since established him as one of Nigeria’s most experienced players in the competition.
He had earlier become Nigeria’s leading Premier League appearance holder after surpassing Shola Ameobi’s previous record of 298 matches.
The current leading African players by Premier League appearances are: Kolo Touré (Ivory Coast) – 353, Alex Iwobi (Nigeria) – 329, Mohamed Salah (Egypt) – 328, Jordan Ayew (Ghana) – 305, Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast) – 305 and Shola Ameobi (Nigeria) – 298.
Iwobi is now 24 appearances away from equalling Touré’s African record, with his continued involvement at Fulham offering him opportunities to close the gap.
His achievement further highlights the growing legacy of Nigerian footballers in the Premier League, where several players have made significant contributions over the years.
