2021/2022 season: Five best foreign players in local league
Friday, January 14, 2022
Burundian striker Abedi Bigirimana (with the ball) has played a vital role to keep SC Kiyovu at the top of the league table this season. / Photo: Courtesy.

Foreign players always spice up the various leagues they play in and they help raise the image of the competition.

In Europe, the English Premier League, the Spanish La Liga, the Italian Serie A, the French Ligue 1 and many others reached the highest level as clubs started to sign expatriate players.

The list is endless, Abedi Pele (Olympique Marseille), George Weah (AC Milan), Dwight Yorke (Manchester United), Tony Yeboah (Frankfurt ), to mention a few, shone for their clubs.

In Africa, Al Ahly’s glory days started with Angola’s Flavio Amado leading their attack, the Tunisian league became a force to reckon with from 1998 to 2000 due to Brazilian import Francileudo Silva Dos Santos.

Narrowing it home, the past three or four years have seen the top-scorer accolade claimed by foreigners; Michael Sarpong, Samson Babuwa and Robert Sabah all picked the award.

This season, the expatriate players are at it again firing from all angles for their respective clubs. In this article, Weekend Sport takes a look at five best foreign players in the Rwandan topflight league currently.

1. Willy Leandre Onana (Rayon, Cameroon)

The Cameroonian attacker has arguably been the best foreign player in the Rwandan league so far after eleven games. He has carried Rayon Sports on his shoulders with some remarkable performances despite the team’s patchy form.

Onana has scored five goals, provided a host of assists and has been used in different attacking positions. If Rayon Sports are to finish in the top ranks, it will depend on Onana.

2, Shabani Hussein (AS Kigali, Burundi)

The veteran Burundian forward has been clinical for AS Kogali and he is the league’s top-scorer with six goals.

He has come to the rescue of his club numerous times when the going gets tough by probing his mettle. 

A tried and tested player with lots of experience, Hussein could be the man to propel AS Kigali to the title as he also eyes the goal king award.

3. Abedi Birigimana (Kiyovu, Burundi)

Another of the Burundian contingent carving a niche for himself in the Rwandan top division football this season.

Bigirimana is the reason the "Green Baggies” are on top of the table as his five goals have been very crucial for them, if he remains in top form, expect Kiyovu to challenge for their first league title since 1993.

4. Ben Ocen (Musanze, Uganda)

Five goals already in the league, the Ugandan hitman has been on fire since moving from Police FC in his home country.

Ocen is a deadly goal poacher who is capable of scoring from both outside and inside the box. He certainly is one of the favourites for the golden boot award.

5. Peter Agblevor (Etoile, Ghana)

Despite the fact that the newly promoted side are struggling in the league, Agblevor has been topnotch for them in the final third of the field. He has scored four goals already, which includes a brace against champions APR.

Well, two of his countrymen from Ghana namely Michael Sarpong and Robert Sabah previously won the goal-king award with Rayon and SC Kiyovu, respectively.