Table of Contents
- Since the dawn of the 21st century, several African footballers have played in the English Premier League
- There is a tradition of African footballers stretching back at Old Trafford for over two decades
- Amad Diallo is one of the nine African players to play for Manchester United
Since the dawn of the 21st century, several African footballers have played in the English Premier League, but do you know how many Africans have had the chance to play for Manchester United?
Well, there is a tradition of African footballers stretching back at Old Trafford for over two decades. However, these players have not been so successful while representing the Red Devils. This means that the legacy of most of Manchester United’s African players cannot be compared to that of the likes of Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba and Mo Salah.
As of now, only nine African players have played for Manchester United.
1. Quinton Fortune – South Africa
Quinton Fortune. Photo/ Ladbrokes.
Quinton Fortune is one of the nine African players to play for Manchester United. In fact, he boasts of being the first African to play for the Red Devils. The South African international joined Manchester United in August 1999 from Atletico Madrid. He made his debut in the Red Devils’ 5-1 win over Newcastle United.
Fortune remained with the Red Devils for seven years, winning the Premier League in 2000, 2001 and 2003. He left in 2006 after making 126 appearances and scoring 11 goals.
2. Eric Djemba-Djemba – Cameroon
Eric Djemba-Djemba joined Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in 2003 from Lens. He made his first appearance for the Red Devils in the FA Community Shield win over Arsenal.
Eric Djemba-Djemba joined Manchester United in 2003. Photo/ Manchester Evening News.
Eric was a top midfielder, but he struggled to make appearances in a team that had the likes of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher and Kleberson in midfield. He ended up joining Aston Villa in 2005 and later left England to continue with his career in other countries.
3. Manucho – Angola
Manucho was highly-rated when he first arrived at Old Trafford. However, he struggled to find his way in Manchester United’s attack, which had Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez. He only made three appearances for the Red Devils, all as a substitute, and then was loaned to Hull City before being sold.
4. Mame Biram Diouf – Senegal
Before joining Manchester United in 2006, Mame Biram had impressed in Norway while playing for Molde. He had scored 45 goals in 86 games. Just like Manucho, it was hard for Mame Diouf to get playing time at Old Trafford. He waited six months to make his debut.
Mame Diouf. Photo/ Eurosport.
Diouf, one of the African footballers to play for Manchester United made nine appearances and scored one goal.
5. Wilfred Zaha – Ivory Coast
Wilfred Zaha was Sir Alex Ferguson’s last signing. To be honest, Zaha could have been a good player for Manchester United. However, he only made four appearances for the Red Devils before being released to his former club Crystal Palace.
6. Eric Bailly – Ivory Coast
Manchester United signed Eric Bailly from Villareal in 2016, one year after he had helped Ivory Coast win the AFCON title. Bailly was a key member of Jose Mourinho’s squad that won the Europa League for the first time in the club’s history. The only problem with Eric Bailly is that he is injury-prone. The Ivory Coast international is currently signed to Villareal.
Eric Bailly. Photo/ Goal.com.
7. Odion Ighalo – Nigeria
Odion Ighalo joined Manchester United on a six-month deal in 2020. He became the Red Devils’ first player in 95 years to score in each of his first four starts for the club. After 23 appearances and five goals, Ighalo left Manchester United in January 2021.
8. Amad Diallo – Ivory Coast
Amad Diallo signed his contract with Manchester United in October 2020. However, he had to wait until January 2021 before officially joining Manchester United. Amad has had his ups and downs at Old Trafford and is currently one of the best players in Ruben Amorim’s squad.
9. Hannibal Mejbri – Tunisia
Hannibal Mejbri joined Manchester United youth system in 2019 from AS Monaco. However, he has struggled to break into United’s first team after a couple of encouraging seasons at the academy. The 22-year-old currently plays for Premier League side Burnley.
