List of African players to play for Manchester United

Odion Ighalo will become the first Nigerian player to represent Manchester United at senior level

Odion Ighalo is set to become the first Nigerian to wear the Manchester United shirt - and the seventh African overall to play for United since 1999.

This is after Manchester United completed a sensational deadline day move to sign the 30-year-old on loan from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua until the end of the season.

However, the Nigerian is not the only African to play for Manchester United as Game Yetu takes a look at some of the best African players to play at Old Trafford.

QUINTON FORTUNE

Nationality: South Africa

 Appearances: 126

 Goals: 11 

 Fortune became the first African to play for United when he joined the club for £1.5m from Atletico Madrid in 1999.

Overall, the South African played 126 times for United, scoring 11 goals before departing for Bolton Wanderers in 2006.

He turned out for four other clubs, including Bolton Wanderers and Doncaster Rovers before hanging up his boots in 2010.

Fortune also represented his country at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

Eric Djemba-Djemba

Nationality: Cameroon

 Appearances: 39

 Goals: 2

The Cameroonian midfielder played for Manchester United from 2003-2005.

After a handful of appearances in 2004/05, Djemba-Djemba was sold to Aston Villa in January 2005.

After Aston Villa, Eric had a loan spell at Burnley before emigrating to the Middle East to play for Qatar Sporting Club in Doha.

Now 38, divorced dad-of-four Eric is still an active footballer in Swiss amateur team, having played for clubs in Qatar, Denmark, Israel, Serbia, Scotland, India, Indonesia and France.

MANUCHO

Nationality: Angola

 Appearances: 3

 Goals: 0

 In 2008, 23-year-old Manucho signed for United after smashing in the goals for Angolan side Atlético Petróleos de Luanda.

But he would fail to score after he only made one Premier League and two League Cup appearances, all as a substitute, before departing a year after signing.

He was loaned to Hull City later in the season.

 

Manucho played alongside highly rated Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov.

He went on to spend the majority of the remainder of his career in Spain playing for Valladolid and Rayo Vallecano.

He retired last year after a spell in the Spanish third tier with UE Cornellà.

MAME BIRAM DIOUF

Nationality: Senegal

 Appearances: 9

 Goals: 1

 After hitting 45 goals in 86 games for Molde in Norway, United decided to sign Diouf in 2009.

The Senegalese striker would score just one goal in nine games for the club before departing three years after signing.

He was sold to Hannover after a total seven appearances for United.

He would go on to have a successful three-year spell at Hannover, where he scored 35 times in 71 games.

Stoke City, who are currently in the Championship later signed him in 2014. 

He's still playing for Stoke City but has scored just one goal in the past two seasons.

WILFRIED ZAHA

Nationality: Ivory Coast

 Appearances: 4

 Goals: 0

 Wilfried Zaha was signed in January 2013 but he would appear just four times for United.

The Ivorian winger was loaned out to Cardiff City for the second half of the 2013/14 campaign. 

He was sold back to Crystal Palace in 2015 where he had originally spent the rest of the 2012/13 season.

He was initially signed to Crystal Palace on loan before it was made permanent and he has thrived ever since.

ERIC BAILLY

Nationality: Ivory Coast

 Appearances: 74

 Goals: 1

 Bailly was signed for £30 million from Villarreal in 2016.

Bailly has not been a regular feature in United having struggled with injuries in the past 18 months, but he is back to play under Solskjaer.

Ighalo now joins Ivory Coast star Eric Bailly as the only Africans on United's books this season.