Beyond the Game: 7 African Footballers With Academic Degrees

Football players around the world have come to appreciate the value of education having learnt how important it is not just to them but to their careers in sport.

Having a good education means they are most likely to make the right decisions when it comes to handling themselves in the game and investing what they earn but also, the academic certificate can act as a fallback plan when things do not work out in football or when they hang up their boots.

It is for these reasons that now, lots of football players are going back to school and from a number of African football legends, there are big names like Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Sunday Oliseh and Nwankwo Kanu (both Nigeria), Bernard Parker (South Africa), Joseph “JJ” Masiga (Kenya) and Jean-Alain Boumsong (Cameroon) who have a university degree(s).

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Among those still actively playing, there are also several of them with university degrees and Pulse Sports unpacks some of them.

Zimbabwean winger Gabriel Nyoni is among African footballers with academic degrees as he completed a degree in marketing in 2016 when he was playing for Highlanders in his country.

For Nyoni, the degree came in handy five years ago as it helped him secure a new club when he advertised his services on social media, using his newly-acquired marketing skills to highlight his strengths and what he would bring to his new employers.

That was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and he was then signed by South African second division side Cape Umoya FC.

Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho is another African footballer with an academic degree as he holds a degree in Business Marketing.

The striker, now on loan at English Championship club Middlesbrough from Spanish side Sevilla, opted to get a good understanding of the commercial side of things to complement his football skills and he will be hoping that it comes in handy in his business dealings during and after his career.

Another Nigerian striker on the list, Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has a degree in Business Management.

Awoniyi graduated from Buckinghamshire New University in Wycombe, United Kingdom in September 2022, less than three months after joining the Premier League club.

Kenyan captain Michael Olunga is not just good at scoring goals but has also scored top grades in school.

Olunga has a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Geospatial Engineering from the Technical University of Kenya, which earned him the nickname "Engineer."

Geospatial Engineering involves the application of technology to capture, analyse and manage spatial data which includes mapping, surveying, and using geographic information systems (GIS) to aid in urban planning, infrastructure development and environmental monitoring.

Olunga has previously explained how he intends to practice engineering full-time once he hangs up his boots.

Nigerian women’s national team star Michelle Alozie is the true definition of beauty and brains as she has complemented her stunning looks with football talent as well as a career in medicine.

The Houston Dash star graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Molecular Biology from Yale University and works part-time as a cancer research technician at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas.

The California-born star is a fan favourite among Super Falcon fans and has won 23 caps while scoring one goal since her debut for Nigeria in 2021.

South African forward Percy Tau is also among African footballers with an academic degree as he has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of South Africa (UNISA).

Tau graduated while plying his trade in Europe before he returned to Africa and joined Egyptian giants Al Ahly, where he was among the highest earning African-based players with an annual pay of $1.2 million.

The “Lion of Judah,” ditched the Cairo giants for the riches of the Gulf in January 2025, joining Doha-based Qatar SC where he is reportedly on $5.5 million.

Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi leads the list of African footballers with academic degrees, having completed a Business and Management course while playing for his current club Leicester City.

Ndidi found time in his busy schedule to go to class and studied at the De Montfort University in Leicester, United Kingdom.

The midfielder enrolled for the course in 2019 and graduated in 2022, acting as an inspiration to many footballers who claim their busy schedules cannot allow them to go back to class.