Adebayor crowns Salah over Drogba, Jay Jay Okocha, and Mikel as African Premier League GOAT

Former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor just dropped a bombshell that will have African football fans debating for weeks. 

The former Arsenal and Spurs striker has picked Mohamed Salah as the greatest African to ever grace the Premier League, ahead of legends like Didier Drogba, Jay Jay Okocha, and John Mikel Obi.

Speaking in a video on Instagram, Adebayor, one of the most hated players in history didn't hold back as he ranked African Premier League icons. He praised Sadio Mane, Michael Essien, and Riyad Mahrez as legends, calling Okocha and Mahrez players he'd "travel 10 hours on a bus, on a train, on a plane to go and watch because they got that, that thing in them, that flare." 

He acknowledged former Super Eagles skipper Mikel as ‘great’ and even gave himself credit as a striker who was "great to watch" for his technical ability and link-up play.

But when it came to the ultimate question, Adebayor didn't hesitate. "Didier Drogba. The goat. He's your Premier League goat African. He's, he's my, at the moment he's my Premier League goat African," he said, before the interviewer revealed that Salah was next on the list. 

"Well, spoiler alert, Mo Salah is next. Oh, so I'm gonna have to ask you to choose between Mo Salah or Drogba. For me, Mo Salah would have to be the goat. Yeah, yeah."

The reasoning? The numbers don't lie. "188 goals up to date and he's still going," Adebayor noted, referring to Salah's relentless scoring record at Liverpool. 

But choosing Salah over Drogba's trophy haul, Champions League heroics, and big-game dominance will sting Chelsea fans who watched the Ivorian deliver when it mattered most. 

And Nigerian supporters won't be happy seeing Okocha's magical flair and Mikel's success, including a Champions League title, overlooked in favour of raw goal totals.

Adebayor knew this take would cause chaos, and that's exactly what's happening across social media right now. The debate is raging: Is it the numbers that make you the GOAT, or the moments and trophies? One thing's certain, Adebayor just made sure this conversation isn't ending anytime soon.