Choupo-Moting named Africa’s top performer in ‘big five’

Cameroon and Schalke 04 attacker Eric Choupo-Moting is the top performing African player across Europe’s five biggest leagues (Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Primera Liga and Bundesliga) according to renowned football statistics website WhoScored.com.

WhoScored.com uses detailed statistics from Opta to compile player ratings based on each event recorded in a match and calculated using sophisticated algorithms. It is a reliable resource to objectively measure a player’s performance, whether in a single match or over the course of a season.

With an average rating of 7.67 (out of a possible 10) throughout the current Bundesliga campaign, Cameroonian Choupo-Moting is the continent’s top representative within the ‘big five’ for 2014/15.

He is the seventh highest rated player in the German top flight and the only African currently in the top 10 of any of the five leagues.

The overall top performing player across the five leagues is Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, with an amazing rating of 8.81.

See the listings below for the top overall performer and top African player in each of the five leagues. Following the player’s name is his performance ranking within that league, then his appearances (including substitute appearances), goals, assists and minutes played.

England – Premier League

Best overall player: Eden Hazard, 1st (Chelsea) – rating 8.04 – 33 apps, 2931 minutes, 13 goals, 8 assists.

Best African player: Victor Moses, 14th (Stoke) – rating 7.45 – 19 apps, 1455 minutes, 3 goals, 3 assists

Germany – Bundesliga

Best overall player: Arjen Robben, 1st (Bayern Munich) – rating 8.48 – 21 apps, 1679 minutes, 17 goals, 7 assists

Best African player: Eric Choupo-Moting, 7th (Schalke 04) – rating 7.67 – 27 apps, 2341 minutes, 9 goals, 6 assists

France – Ligue 1

Best overall player: Alexandre Lacazette, 1st (Olympique Lyon) – rating 7.80 – 30 apps, 2591 minutes, 26 goals, 6 assists

Best African player: Nicolas N’Koulou, 12th (Olympique Marseille) – rating 7.49 – 20 apps, 1751 minutes, 2 goals, 0 assists

Spain – Primera Liga

Best overall player: Lionel Messi, 1st (Barcelona) – rating 8.81 – 34 apps, 3015 minutes, 38 goals, 17 assists

Best African player: Sofiane Feghouli, 93rd (Valencia) – rating 6.94 – 28 apps, 1529 minutes, 5 goals, 5 assists

Italy – Serie A

Best overall player: Paul Pogba, 1st (Juventus) – rating 7.78 – 22 apps, 1855 minutes, 7 goals, 2 assists

Best African player: Faouzi Ghoulam, 23rd (Napoli) – rating 7.28 – 16 apps, 1366 minutes, 0 goals, 2 assists

Statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, 29 April 2015.