The Fulham midfielder reached 329 appearances in the English top flight after being named in the starting line-up for Saturday’s encounter against Aston Villa, moving one ahead of Liverpool forward Salah, who has made 328 appearances.
Iwobi had drawn level with the Egyptian after featuring in Fulham’s 1-0 victory over Coventry City, but his inclusion against Aston Villa took him into outright second place on the African appearance list.
The 30-year-old is now closing in on the record held by former Ivory Coast international Kolo Touré, who made 353 Premier League appearances during his spells with Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Iwobi needs 25 more appearances to move beyond Touré’s record and become Africa’s most experienced player in Premier League history.
Iwobi’s Premier League journey
Iwobi began his Premier League career with Arsenal in 2015 after progressing through the club’s youth system.
He made 11 league goals during his time at the Emirates Stadium before joining Everton in 2019, where he spent four seasons.
The Nigerian returned to London in September 2023 to join Fulham, continuing to establish himself as an important member of the team.
Across his Premier League spells with Arsenal, Everton and Fulham, Iwobi has scored 36 goals, comprising 11 for Arsenal, six for Everton and 19 for Fulham.
His ability to operate in central midfield, attacking midfield and on either wing has made him a versatile option throughout his career.
African players with the most Premier League appearances
Iwobi’s latest achievement places him ahead of several established African stars in the competition’s history.
The leading players include:
• 1. Kolo Touré (Ivory Coast): 353 appearances
• 2. Alex Iwobi (Nigeria): 329 appearances
• 3. Mohamed Salah (Egypt): 328 appearances
• 4. Jordan Ayew (Ghana): 305 appearances
• 4. Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast): 305 appearances
• 6. Shola Ameobi (Nigeria): 298 appearances
Other notable Nigerian players on the list include Nwankwo Kanu with 273 appearances, Yakubu Aiyegbeni with 252 and John Obi Mikel with 249.
Iwobi also made history in September 2026 by becoming only the fifth player to record at least 100 Premier League appearances for three different clubs, joining Gary Speed, Rory Delap, Gareth Barry and James Milner.
With 329 appearances already to his name, the Super Eagles midfielder now has the opportunity to achieve another historic milestone by becoming Africa’s leading appearance-maker in the Premier League.