All-Time African Players in MLS by Season

This is a comprehensive list of every African player that has made at least one appearance in Major League Soccer since the league's inception in 1996, sorted by season. The players listed in BOLD have made at least one Senior Level appearance for their national team. The end of the post lists all of the African MLS players that attended American Colleges and Universities and the All-Time player count for the different African nations represented.

1996
Derek Backman (South Africa) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Shaun Bartlett (South Africa) - Colorado Rapids
Samuel Ekeme (Cameroon) - Kansas City Wizards
Michael Emenalo (Nigeria) - San Jose Clash
Richard Farrer (South Africa) - Dallas Burn
Ben Iroha (Nigeria) - San Jose Clash
Louis Ken-Kwofie (Ghana) - NY/NJ Metrostars
Ivan McKinley (South Africa) - New England Revolution
Obi Monome (Nigeria) - Columbus Crew
Manny Motajo (Nigeria) - Los Angeles Galaxy
Uche Okafor (Nigeria) - Kansas City Wiz
Francis Okaroh (Nigeria) - New England Revolution
Vitalis Takawira (Zimbabwe) - Kansas City Wiz

1997
Derek Backman (South Africa) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Shawn Bartlett (South Africa) - NY/NJ Metrostars
Chiquinho Conde (Mozambique) - New England Revolution; Tampa Bay Mutiny
Michael Emenalo (Nigeria) - San Jose Clash
Richard Farrer (South Africa) - Dallas Burn
Ben Iroha (Nigeria) - DC United
Ivan McKinley (South Africa) - New England Revolution
Uche Okafor (Nigeria) - Kansas City Wizards
Francis Okaroh (Nigeria) - New England Revolution
Patrick Olalere (Nigeria) - New England Revolution
Musa Shannon (Liberia) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Vitalis Takawira (Zimbabwe) - Kansas City Wizards

1998
Richard Farrer (South Africa) - Dallas Burn
Jair (Cape Verde) - New England Revolution
Ivan McKinley (South Africa) - New England Revolution
Manny Motajo (Nigeria) - New England Revolution
Uche Okafor (Nigeria) - Kansas City Wizards
Francis Okaroh (Nigeria) - Chicago Fire
Brian Sebapole (South Africa) - San Jose Clash
Musa Shannon (Liberia) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Vitalis Takawira (Zimbabwe) - Kansas City Wizards

1999
Joe Addo (Ghana) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Jair (Cape Verde) - San Jose Clash
Paulo dos Santos (Cape Verde) - New England Revolution
Richard Farrer (South Africa) - Dallas Burn
Fernando Fernandes (Angola) - Metrostars
Ivan McKinley (South Africa) - New England Revolution
Manny Motajo (Nigeria) - New England Revolution
Uche Okafor (Nigeria) - Kansas City Wizards
Francis Okaroh (Nigeria) - Chicago Fire
Musa Shannon (Liberia) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Vitalis Takawira (Zimbabwe) - Kansas City Wizards

2000
Joe Addo (Ghana) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Junior Agogo (Ghana) - Chicago Fire
Tenywa Bonseu (Uganda) - Chicago Fire
Peter Byaruhanga (Uganda) - Kansas City Wizards
Manuel Bucuane (Mozambique) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Abdul Thompson Conteh (Sierra Leone) - San Jose Earthquakes
Mamadou Diallo (Senegal) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Richard Farrer (South Africa) - Dallas Burn
Ivan McKinley (South Africa) - New England Revolution
Uche Okafor (Nigeria) - Kansas City Wizards
Francis Okaroh (Nigeria) - Miami Fusion

2001
Joe Addo (Ghana) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Junior Agogo (Ghana) - Colorado Rapids
Tenywa Bonseu (Uganda) - Columbus Crew
Michael Butler (Liberia) - NY/NJ Metrostars
Abdul Thompson Conteh (Sierra Leone) - DC United
Mamadou Diallo (Senegal) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Richard Farrer (South Africa) - Dallas Burn
Neathan Bigson (South Africa) - Colorado Rapids
Jair (Cape Verde) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Ivan McKinley (South Africa) - Miami Fusion

2002
Joe Addo (Ghana) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Junior Agogo (Ghana) - San Jose Earthquakes
Tenywa Bonseu (Uganda) - Dallas Burn
Abdul Thompson Conteh (Sierra Leone) - DC United
Mamadou Diallo (Senegal) - New England Revolution; NY/NJ Metrostars
Birahim Diop (Senegal) - NY/NJ Metrostars
Richard Farrer (South Africa) - Dallas Burn
Sam Forko (Liberia) - NY/NJ Metrostars
Daouda Kanté (Mali) - New England Revolution
Ivan McKinley (South Africa) - DC United
Musa Shannon (Liberia) - Colorado Rapids
Dipsy Sololwane (Botswana) - Chicago Fire

2003
Joe Addo (Ghana) - Tampa Bay Mutiny
Edgar Barolomeu (Angola) - Metrostars
Tenywa Bonseu (Uganda) - Dallas Burn
Chris Gbandi (Liberia) - Dallas Burn
Daouda Kanté (Mali) - New England Revolution
Ibrahim Kanté (Mali) - New England Revolution
Toni Nhleko (South Africa) - Dallas Burn
Zizi Roberts (Liberia) - Colorado Rapids
Dipsy Sololwane (Botswana) - Chicago Fire

2004
Joe Addo (Ghana) - NY/NJ Metrostars
Tenywa Bonseu (Uganda) - NY/NJ Metrostars
Chris Gbandi (Liberia) - Dallas Burn
Sumed Ibrahim (Ghana) - Chicago Fire
Daouda Kanté (Mali) - New England Revolution
Nana Kuffour (Ghana) - DC United
Joseph Ngwenya (Zimbabwe) - Los Angeles Galaxy
Toni Nhleko (South Africa) - Dallas Burn
Zizi Roberts (Liberia) - Colorado Rapids
Dipsy Sololwane (Botswana) - Chicago Fire

2005
Mubarike Chisoni (Zimbabwe) - Los Angeles Galaxy
Connally Edozien (Nigeria) - New England Revolution
Chris Gbandi (Liberia) - FC Dallas
Abbe Ibrahim (Togo) - NY/NJ Metrostars
Nana Kuffour (Ghana) - DC United
Joseph Ngwenya (Zimbabwe) - Los Angeles Galaxy
Alain Nkong (Cameroon) - Colorado Rapids
Eugene Sepuya (Uganda) - Colorado Rapids
Dipsy Sololwane (Botswana) - Chicago Fire; Real Salt Lake
Melvin Tarley (Liberia) - Real Salt Lake

2006
Mehdi Ballouchy (Morocco) - Real Salt Lake
Bouna Coundoul (Senegal) - Colorado Rapids
Willis Forko (Liberia) - Real Salt Lake
Chris Gbandi (Liberia) - FC Dallas
Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone) - Columbus Crew
Joel Kitamirike (Uganda) - Columbus Crew
Joseph Ngwenya (Zimbabwe) - Columbus Crew
Alain Nkong (Cameroon) - Colorado Rapids
Dominic Oduro (Ghana) - FC Dallas
Robert Ssejjenba (Uganda) - DC United
Melvin Tarley (Liberia) - Colorado Rapids

2007
Mehdi Ballouchy (Morocco) - Real Salt Lake
Kasali Yinka Casal (Nigeria) - DC United
Bouna Coundoul (Senegal) - Colorado Rapids
Francis Doe (Liberia) - New York Red Bulls
Willis Forko (Liberia) - Real Salt Lake
Chris Gbandi (Liberia) - FC Dallas
Abbe Ibrahim (Togo) - Toronto FC
Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone) - Columbus Crew
Jean-Martial Kipre (Côte d'Ivoire) - Real Salt Lake
Guy-Roland Kpene (Côte d'Ivoire) - DC United
Abdoulie Mansally (Gambia) - New England Revolution
Jerson Monteiro (Angola) - Chicago Fire
Joseph Ngwenya (Zimbabwe) - Columbus Crew; Houston Dynamo
Sainey Nyassi (Gambia) - New England Revolution
Dominic Oduro (Ghana) - FC Dallas
Arsene Oka (Côte d'Ivoire) - New England Revolution
Bakary Soumare (Mali) - Chicago Fire
Olivier Tebily (Côte d'Ivoire) - Toronto FC

2008
Mehdi Ballouchy (Morocco) - Colorado Rapids
Danleigh Borman (South Africa) - New York Red Bulls
Louis Crayton (Liberia) - DC United
Bouna Coundoul (Senegal) - Colorado Rapids
Francis Doe (Liberia) - DC United
Kheli Dube (Zimbabwe) - New England Revolution
Emmanuel Ekpo (Nigeria) - Columbus Crew
Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone) - San Jose Earthquakes; Houston Dynamo
Macoumba Kandji (Senegal) - New York Red Bulls
Thabiso Khumalo (South Africa) - DC United
Abdoulie Mansally (Gambia) - New England Revolution
Matthew Mbuta (Cameroon) - New York Red Bulls
Patrick Nyarko (Ghana) - Chicago Fire
Sainey Nyassi (Gambia) - New England Revolution
Dominic Oduro (Ghana) - FC Dallas
Adam Smarte (Liberia) - San Jose Earthquakes
Davide Somma (South Africa) - San Jose Earthquakes
Bakary Soumare (Mali) - Chicago Fire

2009
*Ade Akinbiyi (Nigeria) - Houston Dynamo
Mehdi Ballouchy (Morocco) - Colorado Rapids
Danleigh Borman (South Africa) - New York Red Bulls
Louis Crayton (Liberia) - DC United
Francis Doe (Liberia) - DC United
Kheli Dube (Zimbabwe) - New England Revolution
Emmanuel Ekpo (Nigeria) - Columbus Crew
*Emmanuel Gomez (Gambia) - Toronto FC
Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone) - Houston Dynamo
Macoumba Kandji (Senegal) - New York Red Bulls
Thabiso Khumalo (South Africa) - DC United
Michael Lahoud (Sierra Leone) - Chivas USA
Abdoulie Mansally (Gambia) - New England Revolution
Matthew Mbuta (Cameroon) - New York Red Bulls
Ange N'Silu (Congo DR) - DC United
Patrick Nyarko (Ghana) - Chicago Fire
Sainey Nyassi (Gambia) - New England Revolution
Sanna Nyassi (Gambia) - Seattle Sounders
*Stanley Nyazamba (Zimbabwe) - Columbus Crew
Dominic Oduro (Ghana) - New York Red Bulls
Stephane Ombiogno (Cameroon) - New England Revolution
*Emmanuel Osei (Ghana) - New England Revolution
*Amadou Sanyang (Gambia) - Toronto FC
Adam Smarte (Liberia) - San Jose Earthquakes
Davide Somma (South Africa) - San Jose Earthquakes
Bakary Soumare (Mali) - Chicago Fire
Steve Zakuani (Congo DR) - Seattle Sounders


*Signed but yet to make an MLS appearance



ALL-TIME NUMBER OF MLS PLAYERS FROM...
11 - Nigeria, South Africa
10 - Liberia
8 - Ghana
5 - Gambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe
4 - Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal
3 - Angola, Mali, Sierra Leone
2 - Cape Verde, Congo DR, Mozambique
1 - Botswana, Morocco, Togo

AFRICAN MLS PLAYERS THAT ATTENDED AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Jerson Monteiro (AL-Birmingham)
Dipsy Selolwane (Saint Louis University)
Paulo Dos Santos (Rhode Island)
Steve Zakuani (Akron)
Guy-Roland Kpene (Dowling College)
Joe Addo (George Mason)
Chris Gbandi (Connecticut)
Musa Shannon (Robert Morris)
Adam Smarte (UC Santa Cruz)
Daouda Kante (Florida International)
Bakary Soumare (Virginia)
Mehdi Ballouchy (Santa Clara)
Connally Edozien (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
Manny Motajo (Howard University)
Francie Okaroh (Boston University)
Bouna Coundoul (Albany)
Macoumba Kandji (Georgia Military Bulldogs)
Abdul Thompson Conteh (UDC)
Kei Kamara (Dominguez Hills Toros)
Michael Lahoud (Wake Forest)
Derek Backman (Boca Raton)
Danleigh Borman (Rhode Island)
Rich Farrer (New Mexico)
Thabiso Khumalo (Coastal Carolina)
Ivan McKinley (Boca Raton)
Tenywa Bonseu (Martin Methodist)
Eugene Sepuya (Alabama A&M)
Robert Ssejjemba (Virginia Intermont College)
Mubarike Chisoni (Costal Carolina)
Kheli Dube (Coastal Carolina)
Joseph Ngwenya (Coastal Carolina)
Stanley Nyazamba (Lee University)