An amazing discovery by sports247.ng has revealed astonishing data that place former Super Eagles’ captain and Chelsea of England ace, John Mikel Obi as Nigeria’s all time highest earning footballer.
Mikel also ranks sixth overall in the African log, as current stars fail to upstage several icons from the continent’s array of older generation who continue laying claim to the top earners’ status.
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While outgoing African Footballer of The Year, Victor Osimhen from Nigeria is among the most celebrated stars of the moment and he still earns big at Galatasaray of Turkey, that has not reflected in terms of cash intake at par with those of the older generation.
Same goes for recent winners of Africa’s moat prized individual gong in football, as Algeria’s Riyard Mahrez, Egypt’s Mohammed Salah and Senegal’s Sadio Mane also fall short on the all time earners’ roll call and way behind ‘the golden oldies.’
Step out for recognition – Samuel Eto’O, Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor, Michael Essien and Mikel – as the earnings they made before hanging their boots have not been surpassed by many lads of the current generation.
Details of the survey available to sports247.ng reveal that Eto’O still tops the continent’s overall all time top earners’ log with a net worth of $95m.
Eto’o is closely followed by Drogba on $90m, while the current generation’s incursion is spearheaded by Liverpool of England winger, Mohammed Salah at $90m, based on a salary of £400,000 per week and $11m annually.
While Salah gives a strong stand for Africa’s current stars, the oldies won’t give up without a fight. So, in comes former four time African player of the year, Yaya Toure on $70m in 4th place; after which another surge is staged by the current aces, as Salah’s former Liverpool pal, Sadio Mane takes 5th spot with £250,000 a week and net worth of $52m.
From there, it’s a return to ‘the old school’ in another back-to-back sweep, as Mikel Obi takes 6th spot with $45m and ex-Arsenal striker Adebayor is seventh on $44m.
The oscillating odds then continue, as some recent icons come next; with Gabon’s former Arsenal ace, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 8th on $45m and Mahrez 9th with $40m; while The Gunners’ current midfield ace, Thomas Partey shares 10th spot with his older Ghanaian compatriot and former Chelsea of England enforcer, Michael Essien on $35m apiece.
Another Ghanaian comes next, as Asamoah Gyan flaunts $30m, which is at par with the current status of Victor Osimhen, whose £120,000 a week intake earns him a net worth of $30m, based of his mouth watering transfer from Lille Metropole of France to SSC Napoli of Italy in 2022.
That puts Osimhen ahead of the man whose jersey number nine he took over in the Super Eagles, as Odion Jude Ighalo is 14th on Africa’s top earners’ log with $28m; while 15th spot goes to their fellow-Nigerian dazzler, Victor Moses on a cash net worth of $27m.
