MLS: Top 5 African players in league history

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COMMERCE CITY, CO – AUGUST 03: Kei Kamara #23 of the Colorado Rapids gestures to fans following a goal during the first half against the Montreal Impact at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on August 3, 2019 in Commerce City, Colorado. (Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /

There have been some amazing foreign imports in the 25-year history of MLS, but who ranks in the top five African players of all time?

In total, there have been just short of 200 African players who have featured in Major League Soccer. Some of those African players have won MLS Cups, U.S. Open Cups, Canadian Championships and more, but who is the best of all time?

Find out below in our list of the top five Africans in MLS history.

VANCOUVER, CANADA – JULY 14: Bakary Soumare #4 of Chicago Fire in action during an MLS match against the Vancouver Whitecaps at B.C. Place on July 14, 2013 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Vancouver Whitecaps won 3-1. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /

5. Bakary Soumare

The first member of our top five Africans to have ever featured in MLS is the only Malian player on the list, Bakary Soumare. The Malian international was drafted with the number two overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft by the Chicago Fire.

He played for the club for three seasons, with his best year coming in 2008, when he was nominated to the MLS Best XI for his consistent performances over the course of the campaign. He was also a finalist for Defender of the Year, before being nominated to the All-Star team a year later.

After leaving Chicago at the end of 2019 for European shores, Soumare returned to the American top-flight three years later, signing for the Philadelphia Union but had to undergo knee surgery, meaning he only played four times for the club.

He then returned to Chicago Fire in May 2013 before also featuring for Montreal Impact and FC Dallas prior to his retirement in 2015. Soumare ended his MLS career with 125 regular-season appearances in central defence, whilst adding a goal and two assists at the other end of the field.

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