Nigerian midfielder Alex Iwobi has matched Mohamed Salah’s Premier League appearance record among African players after featuring in Fulham’s 1-0 victory over Coventry City on Saturday.
Iwobi’s appearance took his Premier League tally to 328, drawing him level with Liverpool forward Salah as the joint-second most-capped African player in the competition’s history.
However, Salah has played more minutes in the league, accumulating 26,785 compared with Iwobi’s 22,898.
The Fulham midfielder could move into outright second place when the Cottagers travel to Aston Villa for their next league fixture, provided he features in the match.
Former Manchester City and Arsenal defender Kolo Touré holds the record for the most Premier League appearances by an African player, with 353.
Iwobi played 73 minutes in Fulham’s victory over Coventry, recording 60 touches, completing 51 passes and achieving a passing accuracy of 86.3 per cent.
The achievement puts the Super Eagles midfielder within reach of Touré’s record, with 25 appearances separating him from the former Ivory Coast international’s tally.
At 29, Iwobi has the opportunity to become the African player with the most Premier League appearances if he maintains his run of involvement for Fulham and surpasses Touré’s record.
His latest milestone places him alongside Salah, underlining the longevity of both players’ Premier League careers and bringing Iwobi closer to a record held by one of Africa’s most experienced defenders.