Nigeria Is Ranked First In Africa, Ninth In The World In List Of Expatriate Footballers

Football statisticians CIES Football Observatory have published a list of the countries with the most expatriate footballers in other leagues.

Nigeria is the ninth largest soccer exporter, with no fewer than 292 of its citizens plying their trade in foreign leagues.

In the continental ranking, Nigeria occupied the first position ahead of Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon and Ivory Coast.

Of the 292 Nigerian professional footballers abroad, 84 percent play in European Leagues.

Brazil (1,202) is ranked first in the world, followed by France (781) , Argentina (753), Serbia (460) and England (451).

Spain is in sixth place with 362, followed by Germany with 335. Croatia is in eighth place with 323, Nigeria behind (292) and Uruguay completes the top ten with 288.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel