Ace Football presents a detailed list of the greatest African stars to have played for the Spurs.
Like several other Premier League sides, Tottenham have been home to so many African players in their history. The north London outfit might not have a rich black culture as their arch-rivals Arsenal, but they are still one of the clubs heavily affiliated with African talents.
So let’s take a look at the best African players in Spurs’ history.
5- Noureddine Naybet 🇲🇦
One of the greatest Moroccan players of all time, Naybet is mostly known for his La Liga-winning spell at Deportivo La Coruña. ‘El Moro’ started his Tottenham career when he left the Spanish side in 2004.
He scored his maiden goal for the Spurs during their north London derby against Arsenal days after his arrival. The centre-back went on to make 30 more appearances for Tottenham during the 2004-05 season.
However, after the appointment of Martin Jol in the next season, Naybet lost his place in the squad. The Morocco legend eventually left Tottenham in July 2006 and retired from football.
4- Emanuel Adebayor 🇹🇬
Adebayor is one of the players who have worn both Arsenal and Tottenham’s jerseys. The former Togo international left the Gunners to join Manchester City in 2009. Despite his strong start with the Citizens, Adebayor lost his place in City’s squad after only one season. He then moved to Real Madrid and Tottenham on loan deals.
Unlike his loan spell at Real Madrid, Adebayor started to find his lost spark at White Hart Lane. The Spurs made his deal permanent as he gradually re-established himself as a starter.
During his four-year stay at Tottenham, Adebayor featured in 113 games, scoring 42 goals and providing 20 assists. He finished the 2013-14 campaign as his side’s top-scorer after registering his 14th goal in their final league match.
The next season, however, saw Adebayor losing his place in Tottenham’s lineup. The London club parted ways with the forward by mutual consent in September 2015.
3- Didier Zokora 🇨🇮
Following his great performances in the 2006 World Cup with Ivory Coast, Zokora joined Tottenham on an £8.2 million deal. A malaria infection hampered Zokora’s start at the club, keeping him hospitalized until weeks after his arrival.
Upon his return, however, Zokora quickly developed into a key part of Tottenham’s squad. His great physicality made him an ideal choice for the defensive midfield position under Martin Jol.
The Ivorian, however, retained his position in the squad even after Jol’s departure. He was part of the Spurs team that won the 2007-08 League Cup, their first major trophy in nine years. Zokora made 134 appearances for the Spurs before leaving the club in 2009. He then joined Sevilla, where he won another Cup trophy in his first season at the club.
2- Mido 🇪🇬
Ahmed ‘Mido’ Hossam joined Tottenham on an 18-month loan deal from Roma in January 2005. The Egyptian icon scored a brace in his Spurs debut against Portsmouth. However, he soon suffered a string of injury setbacks which prevented him from reaching his top form at the club.
Nonetheless, the north London club made his deal permanent in the following year. Mido made a total of 61 appearances for Tottenham, scoring 19 goals and providing three assists. Following a failed transfer to Manchester City, Mido left the Spurs to join Middlesbrough on a £6 million deal in 2007.
Since his retirement in 2013, the former Ajax star has continued his activities to promote Egyptian talents in his academy. He has also worked as an advisor for the Egyptian Premier League side Pyramid FC since 2021.
1- Benoît Assou-Ekotto 🇨🇲
Assou-Ekotto was another African player who joined Spurs under Jol. The Cameroon star developed himself as one the most promising left-backs of Ligue 1 at Lens. The Spurs signed Ekotto on a reported £3.5 million deal, planning to quickly integrate him in their squad.
It did not take too long before Ekotto moved ahead of Lee Young-Pyo in Tottenham’s pecking order. He went on to feature in 205 games for the Spurs. However, similar to several other Tottenham players of his generation, Ekotto left the club without winning a trophy.
A severe knee injury left Ekotto out of action for most of the 2012-13 season. The club loaned the defender out to QPR before releasing him as a free agent in 2015. Two years later, reports of Ekotto becoming a p*rn star took English media by storm. However, the player dismissed the rumours and joined Metz, where he retired after continuing his football for three more years.
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