African players have a proud history in the Premier League, which encompasses its early 1990s infancy all the way up to the present day.
With the 2020/21 Premier League season now underway, we look at the five African players who boast the best value for money in the official Fantasy Premier League game.
Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah is the joint-most expensive African player in the 2020/21 Fantasy Premier League, alongside Arsenal’s Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Joel Matip (5.5)
While Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane are the obvious picks amongst African players in the roster, they both represent a huge investment, being priced 12.0 and 11.5 respectively at the start of the campaign. With wide men Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold being the most popular, yet most expensive defenders, Cameroonian centre-back Matip gets little attention.
People appear to have forgotten about the impact he has made since recovering from injury in 2019 and slotting in next to his more celebrated centre-back partner Virgil Van Dijk. His ability to bring the ball forward and sweep up potential chances for the opposition make him a differential option for Fantasy managers who want to max out on Liverpool players.
Tariq Lamptey (4.5)
Being of Ghanaian heritage, England U21 defender Lamptey could still switch allegiance to Ghana. With the Ghanaian FA making an approach for him back in July, that belief will not die until he is given his first senior England cap.
Lamptey was one of Brighton’s standout players on the opening weekend of 2020/21, and though he found himself on the losing side against Chelsea on the opening weekend, repeated performances of that calibre will see Brighton’s prices for live moneyline betting markets available at FOX Bet improve week on week.
Serge Aurier (5.5)
Tottenham’s Ivorian right-back has a lot more in the way of competition over his position, with Matt Doherty signing from Wolves with a view to giving his new club a greater range of attacking options from the defence. Though Doherty was arguably the second-best right-back (behind Trent Alexander-Arnold) last season, Aurier still provides more in the way of muscle, and the ability to physically ‘enforce’ against opponents with a greater emphasis on defence.
With Tottenham involved in European competition, and need to negotiate some tiring qualifiers in September, squad rotation will be necessary, giving Aurier a good chance of getting some game time. Both Aurier and Doherty have their strengths, with Planet Football stating in August: “Aurier registered one per match last season, 40% more often than Doherty (0.6). Aurier was the tidier passer of the two, averaging a 79.1% passing accuracy in comparison to 74.9% for Doherty, but he was marginally less involved in the play, averaging 38.8 passes per game compared to 41.0 from the Irishman (Doherty).”
Wilfried Zaha (7.0)
A lethal winger and forward on his day, but still yet to add his name to the list of African greats, Zaha has been courted by a wide variety of ‘bigger’ clubs than Crystal Palace for three years now.
Despite these links, he began 2020/21 still a Palace player, and remains the club’s biggest threat, with a good balance between finishing and assisting. His vision also enables him to find an optimal position on the pitch during counter-attacks, further adding to his value.
He has played his best football alongside Ghanaian forward Jordan Ayew in recent seasons, and Ayew himself is also one of the most experienced – yet cost-effective – picks currently active in the Fantasy PL.
Zaha and Aurier stand proudly amongst previous Ivorians who have made it in the world’s toughest league.
Wilfred Ndidi (5.0)
Leicester were sensational between September and March in the last Premier League campaign. Nigerian defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi was key to that form, sitting as the guarding anchor directly behind playmakers Youri Tielemans and James Maddison in a 4-1-4-1 that relies much on a strong ability to counter-attack.
Without Ndidi, it would not be possible for Leicester to fulfil this desire. His importance to the side cannot be understated, and he will be proving his credentials on two fronts this season, with Leicester in European competition for the second time in four years. This will enable him to gain an appreciation for a more diverse range of opposition sides, and can only impact upon his Fantasy PL performance positively.
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