Fiston Mayele’s Al-Ahli Tripoli contract makes him Africa’s top-paid player

Fiston Mayele has become the highest-paid footballer in Africa after joining Al-Ahli Tripoli on a two-year contract worth $5m (£4.28m) a year, according to football insider Micky Jnr.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international, 32, has signed for the ambitious Libyan champions after three successful seasons with Pyramids FC. His contract with Al-Ahli Tripoli runs until June 2028.

Mayele arrives with a substantial list of honours collected during his time in Egypt. Those trophies include a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League title, an African Super Cup, two Egyptian Cups and the Africa-Asia-Pacific International Cup.

The striker has won 38 caps for the Leopards and scored six international goals. His move to Al-Ahli Tripoli follows an impressive period with Pyramids FC, where his performances helped establish him as one of the leading forwards on the continent.

His reported salary places him among the highest earners associated with European football’s leading leagues. For comparison, the figure is broadly similar to the earnings attributed to Nayef Aguerd at OM, estimated by L’Equipe at €4.31m net per month, and slightly above the reported €3.55m net received by Eric Dier at Monaco.

Those figures make Mayele the best-paid player in Africa, moving him above his new Senegalese team-mate Mamadou Lamine Camara. Camara joined Al-Ahli Tripoli in February from RS Berkane on a reported annual salary of $1.2m, according to journalist Makhtar Dime.

Mayele’s arrival is part of Al-Ahli Tripoli’s attempt to strengthen a squad built around a major sporting project and a series of high-quality signings. The club have won the Libyan championship twice in succession and are now targeting a stronger campaign in continental competition.

The former Pyramids FC forward finished as the leading scorer in the 2024-25 campaign. He will now be tasked with helping the Tripoli club reach the CAF Champions League group stage, after their failure to progress beyond the qualifying rounds last season.

Al-Ahli Tripoli were eliminated by RS Berkane in the preliminary stages. The Libyan side drew the first leg 1-1 before losing the return match 2-1, ending their hopes of advancing in the competition.

Mayele’s contract gives him the opportunity to combine a potentially influential role on the pitch with an exceptional financial package. His immediate challenge will be to translate his scoring record and experience of winning African honours into success for the Libyan club.