Iwobi Moves Up in Record Books for African EPL Players

Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi has made a significant mark in Premier League history. He has moved into second place for all-time appearances by African players.

A post from the Premier League's X handle on Sunday highlighted that the Nigeria international recently surpassed Mohamed Salah’s record. Iwobi now sits alone in second place, just behind Ivory Coast legend Kolo Touré.

Touré holds the record with 353 appearances from his time at Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool. Iwobi's tally now stands at 328, 329 appearances, while Salah is at 328.

Iwobi reached this milestone during Fulham’s recent Premier League matches. One notable game was a 1-0 win over Coventry City in late October 2026, where he made his 328th appearance. His following games confirmed that he had moved ahead of the Egyptian and Liverpool star.

The 30-year-old has built his impressive total across three clubs. He made 100 appearances for Arsenal, where he came through the academy and debuted in the Premier League in 2015. He also played 123 games for Everton and has more than 100 appearances for Fulham since joining in 2023.

Iwobi is the current Nigerian record holder in the competition, having previously surpassed Shola Ameobi’s mark of 298 appearances. He is still about 25 appearances away from matching Touré’s overall African record.

The current top of the African appearance rankings is as follows:

Kolo Touré (Ivory Coast), 353

Alex Iwobi (Nigeria), 328, 329

Mohamed Salah (Egypt), 328

Jordan Ayew (Ghana), 305

Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast), 305

Shola Ameobi (Nigeria), 298

Iwobi’s consistency has made him one of the most dependable African players in the Premier League over the last decade. He continues to play regularly for both Fulham and the Super Eagles. He has a good chance of closing in on Touré’s record in the coming seasons.