Ex-Super Eagles star Yakubu Aiyegbeni tied with Mo Salah as Africa's best in key Premier League stat
Former Super Eagles star Yakubu Aiyegbeni is tied with Mohamed Salah as the African player with the most Premier League hat-tricks.
Aiyegbeni's Premier League hat-trick haul
Aiyegbeni was one of the most prolific strikers to play in the Premier League with 95 goals in 252, the fifth-highest among African players.
However, while there are four other players ahead of him on the all-time African top Premier League scorers list, no African player has scored more hat-tricks than the former Super Eagles star.
Aiyegbeni scored the first of his four hat-tricks for Portsmouth in a 5-1 win over Middlesbrough in May 2024, scoring four goals in the game.
The former Coventry City striker then scored another hat-trick in Pompey’s 4-3 win over Fulham in August 2024. The Cottagers were once again Aiyegbeni’s victim for his third hat-trick as he scored all three goals in Everton’s 3-0 win in December 2007.
The last of Aiyegbeni’s four hat-tricks came in the colours of Blackburn Rovers, as he scored all four goals in the 4-2 win over Swansea in December 2011.
Aiyegbeni and Salah sit alone at the top
This feat puts Aiyegbeni at the top spot alongside Salah, who also scored four hat-tricks during his time at Liverpool.
However, Salah’s hat-tricks helped him become Africa’s top scorer in Premier League history, scoring 193 goals.
The Egypt captain is ahead of Sadio Mane [111 goals], Didier Drogba [104 goals], Emmanuel Adebayor [97 goals] and Aiyegbeni [95 goals].
Ex-Super Eagles star Yakubu Aiyegbeni is level with Mo Salah as Africa's best in key Premier League stat
The Egypt captain is ahead of Sadio Mane [111 goals], Didier Drogba [104 goals], Emmanuel Adebayor [97 goals] and Aiyegbeni [95 goals].