Nigeria exports more footballers than any other African country

Nigeria is ninth on the world list of expatriate footballers, according to CIES Football observatory.

The country was ranked first on the African continent ahead of Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon and Ivory Coast.

The 25th edition of the CIES Football Observatory Monthly Report analyses the presence of expatriate footballers in 137 leagues of 93 national associations worldwide.

Nigeria has no fewer than 292 footballers plying their trade in foreign leagues.

Of the 292 Nigerian professional footballers abroad, 84 percent play in European leagues.

Brazil (1,202) is ranked first in the world, followed by France (781) , Argentina (753), Serbia (460) and England (451).

Spain is in sixth place with 362 football expatriates, followed by Germany with 335.

Croatia is in eighth place with 323 exported players while Uruguay is tenth with 288.