Ayegbeni Yakubu
No striker outscored Drogba more consistently than The Yak, who remains one of the Premier League’s most underrated African imports.
In both the 2004-05 and 2005-06 season he netted more than the Chelsea forward—the only African player to do so—when he scored 12 and 13 to Drogba’s 10 and 12 respectively.
It was the same story in the 2007-08 season, when Yakubu scored 15 to Drogba’s eight, and in the 2011-12 campaign, when the frontman scored 17 to Drogba’s five.
Emmanuel Adebayor
The Togo frontman also outscored Drogba across several campaigns.
In both 2007-08 and 2008-09, the Togo frontman netted more than the Ivorian great; 24 and 10 to Drogba’s eight and five respectively.
In both seasons, Ade was African’s top scorer in the Prem.
Benni McCarthy
Equalling Adebayor on 10 goals in the 2008-09 campaign was South Africa’s McCarthy, who was still enjoying his final hurrah at Blackburn Rovers before things declined at West Ham United.
In the 2006-07 season, he netted 18 goals—his best return in England—but was outgunned by The Drog.
Benjani
One of the few Zimbabwe internationals to have tried his hand in England—alongside the likes of Bruce Grobbelaar, Peter Ndlovu and Marvelous Nakamba—Benjani netted an impressive 15 goals during the 2007-08 season.
It was a superb haul for the Portsmouth man, although he was unable to recreate that goalscoring form with Manchester City.
Obafemi Martins
The striker impressed in England for both Newcastle United and Birmingham City, unforgettably winning the League Cup with the latter.
Peter Odemwingie
Another Nigerian who scored more that Drogba in a single season was Odemwingie, who bagged an impressive 15 goals in the 2010-11 campaign.
In this campaign, the West Bromwich Albion hitman was the only frontman to bag more than the Ivorian, although he also repeated the feat the season after when he scored 10 to Drogba’s five.
