Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh has sparked debate after naming his top five African players in Premier League history, with Ghanaian stars Michael Essien and Mohammed Kudus making the list.
Speaking to BBC News Africa, the Gambian international ranked Sadio Mané as his number one, followed by Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, and Mohammed Kudus.
Minteh described Essien as a “monster on the pitch”, praising the former Chelsea midfielder’s strength, work rate and ability to dominate every area of the game.
For Kudus, Minteh highlighted the Ghanaian’s quality on the ball and team-first mentality, saying: “I love the way he plays. He is really good with the ball. He’s also a team player.”
The Brighton winger’s omission of Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah attracted attention, especially when asked about the Egyptian forward. Minteh responded: “No, I don’t look up to him.”
Explaining his admiration for Mané, who topped his list, Minteh said: “The way he worked hard, no matter what you do, if you put hard work there and put God first for everything, it always pays off, and that’s what Mané did.”
