Top 10 foreign players in the NPL
Medrano - Most exciting foreign player in the Nigeria Premier League
Heartland 1 Pillars 1
Ghanaians and Cameroonians are jostling for supremacy as MTNFootball.com
runs the rule on the top 10 foreign players in the Nigeria Premier League.
10. Williams Mareio (Midfielder/Cameroon/Sunshine)
The 19-year-old defensive midfielder joined the 2012 CAF Champions League campaigners from Tiko United at the beginning of second round of the season.
The promising player has so far featured in a handful of games for the Akure-based team, who have found home in Ijebu-Ode.
9. Pierre Coly (Defender/Senegal/Dolphin)
The Senegalese defender has been a revelation since he teamed up with Dolphins at the beginning of the 2011/2012 season.
Coly plays as a full back and central defender, where he has formed a solid partnership with his compatriot Papa Sane in the heart of back four.
The 23-year-old Coly joined Dolphin from Casa Sports FC of Senegal.
8. Boris Konan (Striker/Cote d’Ivoire/Dolphin)
The Ivorian striker finally broke his scoring duck Wednesday when he scored one of his team’s goals in a 3-2 loss at Akwa United.
This is a sharp contrast to his time at Enugu Rangers, where he failed to score in over a dozen appearances.
He played for ASFAN of Niamey, Niger Republic, where he emerged the Goal King.
7. Joseph Jackson (Defender/Ghana/Heartland)
The Heartland defender who can play as centre back and right back is a Ghana youth international and has held his own with ‘The Naze millionaires’.
The 22-year-old Jackson has featured for the Ghana U23 team and played for Kpando Heart of Lions, where he was the captain.
He was part of the team who won the Federation Cup last season with Heartland after he went on AWOL for several months.
6. Mensah Nsouhoho (Goalkeeper/Togo/Enugu Rangers)
After a long wait, the 22-year-old shot stopper has finally taken over as No.1 of title-chasing Rangers from Godwin Ayalogu.
He featured for Ditto in his native Togo as well as Ashanti Goldfields in Ghana and has four international caps to his credit.
He has sharp reflexes and commands his goal area very well.
5. James Amankwei (Striker/Ghana/Dolphin)
This is the fourth season of the Ghanaian striker in the Nigerian league after he spent over three seasons at JUTH FC of Jos.
Amankwei is a strong player and after the demotion of JUTH to Nigeria National League, he joined Heartland at the start of this season, before he moved on Dolphin.
4. Owusu Addae (Striker/Ghana/Dolphin)
Born March 16, 1983, the Ghanaian striker has enjoyed a good run with Dolphin since he moved from Heartland.
He is strong, skilful and full of running.
He featured for Berekum Arsenal and Liberty Professionals in his home country.
3. Isaac Hele (Defender/Cameroon/Sunshine)
Sunshine Stars utility player has been an important part of the CAF Champions League squad since joining the Akure team from Kano Pillars at the beginning of the season.
Coach Gbenga Ogunbote has found him useful in midfield as well as at the right back position.
He played for Cotonsport of Garoua, Roumde also in Garoua as well as Esperance of Guider, all in Cameroon.
2. Ousmane Pape Sane (Defender/Senegal/Dolphin)
The 27-year-old Senegalese central defender has dazzled for champions Dolphin since he joined them about three seasons ago.
He joined the NPL champions from Police FC of Senegal.
He is one of the finest central defender in the Nigeria league. Were it not that he is a foreigner, he would by now have been called up to the Super Eagles because of his consistency and ice-cool composure. He is also very good aerially.
1. Tamen Medrano (Midfielder/Cameroon/Sunshine)
Born on March 29, 1986, the Cameroonian was a beach footballer before now emerging as the most exciting foreign player in the Nigeria Premier League.
In 2006, the ex-Tiko United powerful and skilful midfielder was part of PMUC sporting club, who are associated with horse betting company “Pari Mutuel Urbain Cameroonians”.
He starred for Cameroon at the 2006 FIFA Beach World Cup in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, as well as the Africa Beach Nations Cup in 2007.
He has never looked back since his debut for Sunshine Stars on May 15, 2011. He is a box-to-box midfielder and has found the back of the net twice in the NPL.
10. Williams Mareio (Midfielder/Cameroon/Sunshine)
The 19-year-old defensive midfielder joined the 2012 CAF Champions League campaigners from Tiko United at the beginning of second round of the season.
The promising player has so far featured in a handful of games for the Akure-based team, who have found home in Ijebu-Ode.
9. Pierre Coly (Defender/Senegal/Dolphin)
The Senegalese defender has been a revelation since he teamed up with Dolphins at the beginning of the 2011/2012 season.
Coly plays as a full back and central defender, where he has formed a solid partnership with his compatriot Papa Sane in the heart of back four.
The 23-year-old Coly joined Dolphin from Casa Sports FC of Senegal.
8. Boris Konan (Striker/Cote d’Ivoire/Dolphin)
The Ivorian striker finally broke his scoring duck Wednesday when he scored one of his team’s goals in a 3-2 loss at Akwa United.
This is a sharp contrast to his time at Enugu Rangers, where he failed to score in over a dozen appearances.
He played for ASFAN of Niamey, Niger Republic, where he emerged the Goal King.
7. Joseph Jackson (Defender/Ghana/Heartland)
The Heartland defender who can play as centre back and right back is a Ghana youth international and has held his own with ‘The Naze millionaires’.
The 22-year-old Jackson has featured for the Ghana U23 team and played for Kpando Heart of Lions, where he was the captain.
He was part of the team who won the Federation Cup last season with Heartland after he went on AWOL for several months.
6. Mensah Nsouhoho (Goalkeeper/Togo/Enugu Rangers)
After a long wait, the 22-year-old shot stopper has finally taken over as No.1 of title-chasing Rangers from Godwin Ayalogu.
He featured for Ditto in his native Togo as well as Ashanti Goldfields in Ghana and has four international caps to his credit.
He has sharp reflexes and commands his goal area very well.
5. James Amankwei (Striker/Ghana/Dolphin)
This is the fourth season of the Ghanaian striker in the Nigerian league after he spent over three seasons at JUTH FC of Jos.
Amankwei is a strong player and after the demotion of JUTH to Nigeria National League, he joined Heartland at the start of this season, before he moved on Dolphin.
4. Owusu Addae (Striker/Ghana/Dolphin)
Born March 16, 1983, the Ghanaian striker has enjoyed a good run with Dolphin since he moved from Heartland.
He is strong, skilful and full of running.
He featured for Berekum Arsenal and Liberty Professionals in his home country.
3. Isaac Hele (Defender/Cameroon/Sunshine)
Sunshine Stars utility player has been an important part of the CAF Champions League squad since joining the Akure team from Kano Pillars at the beginning of the season.
Coach Gbenga Ogunbote has found him useful in midfield as well as at the right back position.
He played for Cotonsport of Garoua, Roumde also in Garoua as well as Esperance of Guider, all in Cameroon.
2. Ousmane Pape Sane (Defender/Senegal/Dolphin)
The 27-year-old Senegalese central defender has dazzled for champions Dolphin since he joined them about three seasons ago.
He joined the NPL champions from Police FC of Senegal.
He is one of the finest central defender in the Nigeria league. Were it not that he is a foreigner, he would by now have been called up to the Super Eagles because of his consistency and ice-cool composure. He is also very good aerially.
1. Tamen Medrano (Midfielder/Cameroon/Sunshine)
Born on March 29, 1986, the Cameroonian was a beach footballer before now emerging as the most exciting foreign player in the Nigeria Premier League.
In 2006, the ex-Tiko United powerful and skilful midfielder was part of PMUC sporting club, who are associated with horse betting company “Pari Mutuel Urbain Cameroonians”.
He starred for Cameroon at the 2006 FIFA Beach World Cup in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, as well as the Africa Beach Nations Cup in 2007.
He has never looked back since his debut for Sunshine Stars on May 15, 2011. He is a box-to-box midfielder and has found the back of the net twice in the NPL.
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