The ongoing African Cup of Nations has seen 24 African countries qualify for the match that will be held in Cote d’Ivoire. Amongst the 24 African countries present are 11 from West Africa, with Nigeria being one of them.
With so many Nigerian players contending in the competition, some are the wealthiest footballers currently in Africa.
While there are many rich Nigerian players competing in the games, this article looks at the top 10, their cars, and their net worth.
- Alex Iwobi (€65m)
Alex Iwobi born Alexander Chuka Iwobi is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a Winger and a Forward for Everton club and the Nigerian national team- Super Eagles. His professional football career began at age 17 when he played in a League Cup, as an unused substitute against West Bromwich Albion in September 2013. Since then, he has grown in his craft, playing for Nigeria in October 2015 as part of the national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 AFCON. Some achievements he has under his belt are a Young Player of the Year award by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) IN 2016; a Member of the CAF team in 2016, etc.
Some of his cars include:
- $156,450 2021 Mercedes G-Wagon (about N65 million)
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon is powered by a 4.0L Twin turbo V8 making 416 horsepower which it sends to all-four wheels via the 9-speed automatic transmission. This combination is enough to get the G-Class to 60 miles per hour in just 5.6 seconds, making the boxy SUV incredibly and surprisingly quick.
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class Convertible (₦25 million)
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class convertible is a luxury ride that comes with plenty of driver assistance features, and an impressive infotainment system. There are only a few cars that combine open-top luxury with as many high-tech features as the Mercedes S-Class. Experts note that It has an achingly posh interior that is superbly comfortable and, as an added bonus, looks absolutely gorgeous.
- BMW 7 series
The BMW 7 series is one of the top luxury lineups owned by BMW. The vehicle comes with a comfort-first driving feel and a spacious cabin with loads of features. You can get it with a turbocharged inline-six, a plug-in hybrid, or a twin-turbo V-8, but no matter which engine is under the hood, the 7-series delivers a glassy-smooth ride and a hushed interior perfect for long-distance treks.
- Range Rover
Another vehicle that Alex Iwobi owns is the Range Rover which is another popular luxury SUV found in the possession of the wealthy. The selling price of the latest model Range Rover starts at about N150 million upwards. It’s said that Alex Iwobi owns a Range Rover amongst his growing list of luxury car collections.
- Wilfred Ndidi ($35 Million)
Nigerian footballer, Wilfred Ndidi is known for his defensive skills and long-range strikes and currently plays for Leicester City and as a defensive midfielder for the Nigerian National team (Super Eagles). For the AFCON, he’ll also be playing as a midfielder alongside other players. The Delta-state native began his senior football career in 2015 by playing for Genk, a Belgian Pro-League team. Since then, he has grown in his craft and even signed a transfer deal of 17 million Euros with Leicester City. Wilfred Ndidi makes an annual salary of €4,500,000, and a weekly salary of €91,463 as a Midfielder for Leicester City.
He currently owns a BMW X3, which he has been pictured with in Lagos. He bought a Mercedes-Benz car for his wife, and various reports note he’s a proud owner of only one car.
- Frank Onyeka ($11 Million)
Frank Onyeka is another player who will be playing at AFCON as a midfielder. He began his football journey in 2016 after joining F.C. Midtjylland in Denmark. After making his debut and scoring in the Danish Cup, this distinguished him as an all-around player.
He first practised his craft at Ebedei, a Nigerian Club where he polished his skills as a midfielder. At 18 years old, the Nigerian footballer enrolled in the youth team until 2017, when he joined the first team of Midtjylland. Today, he plays for Brentford FC, UK.
At Brentford F.C., his salary per month is $128,000. He also makes $1,664,000 per year. In a week, he receives $32,000 as wages at Brentford F.C. The player is among three defensive midfielders who have large salaries at the premier league club. While the player has acquired a lot of wealth, he rarely posts his luxury lifestyle on social media, aside from the picture of a luxury Mercedes C-class sedan worth over $50,000 he once shared to his Instagram page.
- Kenneth Omeruo ($6-7 Million)
Another player who will be playing at the AFCON as a defender is Kenneth Josiaj Omeruo who plays for Leganes in the Segunda Division as a defender. The footballer has proven to be one of the elite defenders in La Liga League B. In 2012, Chelsea signed Omeruo from Liège and was immediately loaned to ADO Den Haag to start a spell of loan that saw him play on the road at Middlesbrough, Kasımpaşa, and Alanyaspor. After an unsuccessful career with Chelsea, Omeruo was finally sold to Leganes after a loan deal.
Omeruo played for the Nigerian Under-20 team that reached the quarter-finals at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia. On 9 January 2013, at the age of 19, he played for the senior team for the first time in a goalless draw against Cape Verde. He played at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations as Nigeria went on to win the competition for the third time. Currently, his salary with Leganesand is estimated to be up to €20,000 weekly.
The Super Eagles defender is a Mercedes fan as he owns over five Mercedes Ben cars including a 2019 white Mercedes AMG GLE Coupe, a white Mercedes Benz GLE 350D, an Ash-colored Mercedes Benz C220d, a white Mercedes Benz E300, and then a white 2014 Range Rover.
- Bright Osayi-Samuel ($5 Million)
Another Nigerian player who will be playing as a defender at the AFCON is Bright Osayi-Samuel. He is a professional footballer born in Nigeria with a $5 million net worth at 25. He began his youth career at the Blackpool FC Academy in England which moulded him into the player he is today.
In the 2018-19 football season, he played at Club Queens Park Rangers where he received an annual salary of $264,368 The following year, his salary was raised to $394,022 and in the last season at the club, he was earning $419,442. While he has had a great career trajectory, Bright rarely posts his cars and luxury lifestyle on social media. However, just like other wealthy footballers, he can afford luxury cars of his choice.
- Olorunleke Ojo ($5 Million)
Olorunleke Ojo is another goalkeeper who will be playing at the AFCON. He has become one of the most popular and richest Football Nigerian Players. The goalkeeper was born on August 17, 1995, in Kabba, Kogi State, Nigeria. As of June 1, 2023, Cyprian has a net worth of approximately $5 Million.
Olorunleke Ojo started his football career at a tender age when he was first signed into his first club, the defunct Voice of Nigeria FC. In 2015, he was signed to Giwa F.C. During that period he was also enlisted into the U20 World Cup list for 2015 to play for the Nigerian national team. In 2016 he was signed into the Kano Pillars F.C. Later that year he was sold to Sunshine Stars F.C. While playing with Sunshine Stars he made it known that he was open to a move to any club. Despite his success over the years, Olorunleke Ojo does not share information about his luxury cars and items on social media.
- Oluwasemilogo Ajayi ($3-5 Million)
Oluwasemilogo Ajayi is another Nigerian footballer who will be playing as a defender for the AFCON. The Nigerian footballer born on November 9th, 1993, in London to Ibi and Kemi Ajayi plays for West Bromwich Albion as a centre-back and midfielder.
The footballer started his football career at Charlton Athletic Academy and later joined Dartford on a loan in November 2012. He scored his first goal in a match against Tamworth. He returned to Charlton Athletic in December to play for the reserve team. Ajayi’s performance with Charlton Athletic’s first team caught the attention of Arsenal, and in September 2013, after impressing the team in trials, he joined the club on a two-year deal.
Between his time at Arsenal to date, Ajayi has had impressive career progress, earning the midfielder an annual salary of 858,000 pounds at West Bromwich Albion. However, the footballer has only shared a picture of him posing next to a car, and another one having fun with his friends in a Yacht. But, there are no public records of the cars he owns.
- Chidiebere Duru($5 Million)
Chidiebube Gideon Duru is another Nigerian player who will be playing as a defender at AFCON. He was born on July 31, 1999, in Imo State, Nigeria. He had a stint at a grassroots youth club known as Rock Foundation F.C. before moving to Benin Vipers another grassroots youth club.
On 24 January 2014, he was signed to Dynamite Force F.C (amateur 2) in which he played the Nationwide League and was promoted to amateur 1 the following season. He was later loaned to F.C. Ebedei (amateur 1), played for a season, and was promoted to the Pro League scoring a total of 3 goals.
He returned to Dynamite Force F.C. On 13 March 2016, Duru was signed on a three-year contract to Premier League club Lobi Stars Football Club. Currently, Duru’s net worth is valued at $5 million. However, there are no traces of cars the footballer owns in the public domain.
- Adebayo Adeleye (€400,000)
Adebayo Adeleye is identified as the player whose goalkeeping strengths are equivalent to that of the former Nigerian goalkeeper, Vincent Enyama. For the AFCON, he’ll also be playing as the lead goalkeeper alongside two other goalkeepers.
Adebayo Adeleye was born in Warri, Delta State of Nigeria, on May 17, 2000. His career path has been filled with favour as he did not feature in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) before finding himself in Israel. He started his career at B-United Football Academy in Alimosho, Lagos State. In 2018, he joined Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem straight from the football academy. He joined the Israeli club academy before promotion came a year later. In 2019, he got his chance for a senior debut for the club when he was between the sticks against Hapoel Rishon Lezion. Ever since then, his career has continued to skyrocket.
Currently, Adebayo Adeleye is one of the goalkeepers with the highest value in the Israel Premier League. He has a current market value of around €400,000. However, there is little to no information about his cars in the public domain. But, with his net worth, he can afford various luxury cars ranging from the Mercedes G-Wagon to Range Rover, Mercedes S-class, and more.
- Zaidu Sanusi ($100,000 -$500,000)
Sanusi is among the Nigerian players who will be playing as defenders at AFCON. He is a talented defender who has made history at FC Porto, Portugal. Zaidu Sanusi was born on the 13th of June 1998 in Jega, Kebbi State. He began his football career with Gil Vicente in 2016, where he was eventually loaned to Mirandela in that same year. He was later permanently signed by the club by Mirandela following his impressive performance at the club. As a defender, he registered three goals for the club and was at the club from 2016 to 2019.
Sanusi has had an impressive career growth and his transfer to FC Porto cost his former Portuguese club 4 million Euros (₦1.95billion). Sanusi is rumoured to be earning slightly over €3000 (₦1.46million) in a week and his current estimated net worth is said to be in the range of $100,000 to $500,000 (approx. ₦41.2million – ₦205.7million). However, the player leads a quiet life and there is no knowledge of the luxury cars he owns. But, with his net worth, he can afford luxury cars like the Range Rover SUV, Mercedes S-Class, and many other luxury vehicles.
