A closer look at Africans in La Liga

Carlos Kameni

The 2015/16 Spanish Primera Division kicks off on the weekend of August 21-23, and AfricanFootball takes a closer look at the African players in Spain’s top flight.

In all, there are 30 players from this continent spread across the 20 clubs of La Liga. No less than seven teams (Athletic Bilbao, Deportivo La Coruna, Eibar, Las Palmas, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Sevilla) have no Africans in their first team squads.

Champions Barcelona have Cameroon’s Alex Song on their books, though he is reportedly not a part of their plans and will be either loaned or sold, with several Premier League sides said to be keen on his services.

Granada’s is Spain’s most ‘African-friendly’ team, with no less than six players from the continent on their player roster: Sulayman Marreh (Gambia), Clifford Aboagye, Jafar Yeboah Ibrahim (both Ghana), Isaac Success (Nigeria), Youssef El-Arabi (Morocco) and Yrondu Musava-King (Gabon).

Amongst the most well-known names are Cameroonian goalkeeper Carlos Kameni, Ivory Coast left-back Arthur Boka (both at Malaga) Angolan striker Manucho at Rayo, as well as Algerian stars Nabil Ghilas at Levante and Sofiane Feghouli at Valencia.

Africans in the 2015/16 Primera Liga

Correct as of the morning of August 11, first team squads only

Athletic Bilbao – None

Atletico Madrid – Thomas Partey (Ghana)

Barcelona – Alex Song (Cameroon – future still undecided)

Celta Vigo – Levy Madinda (Gabon)

Deportivo La Coruna – None

Eibar – None

Espanyol – Mamadou Sylla (Senegal), Thievy Bifouma (Congo)

Getafe – Medhi Lacen (Algeria), Bernard Mensah (Ghana)

Granada – Sulayman Marreh (Gambia), Clifford Aboagye, Jafar Yeboah Ibrahim (both Ghana), Isaac Success (Nigeria), Youssef El-Arabi (Morocco), Yrondu Musava-King (Gabon)

Las Palmas – None

Levante – Nabil El Zhar, Zouhair Feddal (both Morocco), Nabil Ghilas (Algeria), Simao Mate (Mozambique)

Malaga – Carlos Kameni (Cameroon), Nordin Amrabat, Adnane Tighadouini (both Morocco), Arthur Boka (Ivory Coast)

Rayo Vallecano – Oussenyou Cisse (Mali), Manucho (Angola), Lassane Bangoura (Guinea)

Real Betis – Foued Kadir (Algeria), Alfred N’Diaye (Senegal), Amro Tarek (Egypt)

Real Madrid – None

Real Sociedad – None

Sevilla – None

Sporting Gijon – Rachid Ait-Atame (Algeria)

Valencia – Sofiane Feghouli (Algeria)

Villareal – Eric Bailly (Ivory Coast)