Top earners of Africa: Olunga ranked amongst highest paid football players

Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga is among the highest paid African footballers plying their trade in foreign leagues.

African Fact says the former Gor Mahia and Tusker striker, who currently captains Kenya’s national team Harambee Stars, is ranked alongside the best cream of African players led by Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez, who plays for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and pockets Sh 142.7 million (865,000 pounds) weekly, while Senegal captain Sadio Mane, who features for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, comes in second, earning Sh107.3 million (650,000 pounds) weekly.

In the list, the 30-year-old Olunga, who plays for Al Duhail SC in the Qatari League, pockets Sh 6.2million (37,500 pounds) weekly. Egypt international Mohamed Salah of Liverpool is also ranked highly as he earns Sh 58 million (350,000 pounds) per week while Arsenal and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey pockets Sh 33 million (200,000 pounds) weekly.

Nigeria international Victor Osimhen has also been rated as he takes home 211,000 weekly while South African defender Lyle Foster, who plays for Premier League outfit Burnley pockets 32,000.

Olunga is currently enjoying great form for club and country with his scoring f decisive for Harambee Stars in their resent friendly matches where he helped them to win the Four Nations tournament on Malawi after scoring five goals from two matches.

He scores a brace as Kenya hammered Malawi 4-0 in their opener before he scored a hat-trick as Kenya cruised past Zimbabwe in the final on March 26 and hand Kenya their first trophy since 2017 when they had beaten Zanzibar on penalties in the final of the Council of East and Central Africa (CECAFA) Senior Challenge Cup.

On return to club duty, Olunga kept the fire burning, helping the Red Knights to their seventh victory of the campaign – a 3-1 win against table-toppers Al-Sadd - at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Friday, April 5th.

Last season, Olunga scored 22 league goals for Duhail from 22 appearances, while in the previous campaign; he notched 24 goals from 20 matches to emerge as the top scorer. Olunga moved to Duhail from Japanese outfit Kashiwa Reysol where he had scored 58 goals from 72 matches.

On September 1, 2017, Olunga was loaned to La Liga side Girona FC, for one year and he made his La Liga debut against Las Palmas scoring a hat-trick in the span of 22 minutes during a 6-0 win, becoming both the first Kenyan player and the first Girona player to score a hat-trick in La Liga.

Other players making the list is Ivorian Seko Fofana who pockets Sh 41.3 million (250,000 pounds) per week, Paris Saint Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi Sh 39.4 million (239,000 pounds) weekely and Gabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Sh 22.8 million (138,000 pounds weekly). Manchester United and Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana takes home Sh 19.8 million (120,000 pounds) per day.