In recent years, the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Ismaila Sarr all excelled in the Championship before stepping up to the Premier League, and a number of African stars are set to grace the top flight next term.
In the wake of Sunday's EFL Championship playoff final between Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield Town, which ended in joy for Forest and heartbreak for the Terriers (especially Levi Colwill, who scored the own goal), we look at African players headed for the top flight.
Though Forest, Fulham and Bournemouth are the three sides promoted, the transfer window does, of course, mean that any players below, regardless of current Championship team, could find themselves in the Premier League.
Brice Samba - Nottingham Forest
The only player on this list to contest Sunday's playoff final, Samba was influential in Nottingham Forest reaching the Wembley showpiece against Huddersfield Town and returning to the top tier for the first time since 1999.
The Congolese stopper was the hero of the semifinal when he saved three penalties in the shootout against Sheffield United to set up the Tricky Trees' meeting with the Terriers -- their first trip to Wembley since 1992.
It was the highlight, at that stage, of an unexpected season in which Forest, under the management of Steve Cooper, far surpassed expectations.
Samba's penalty stops weren't his only big contributions of the semifinal -- he also made a fine save to deny Iliman Ndiaye during the course of the contest -- and ended the season with the sixth best expected goals prevented of the second tier's keepers.
He ended Sunday's final in the treatment room, subbed off in the 90th minute due to injury, but was well enough to walk out to the winners' ceremony and collect his deserved medal.
Accused of not truly realising his potential in the past, could the former Olympique de Marseille man be set for another starring role in the Premier League?
Antoine Semenyo - Bristol City
Chelsea-born Semenyo has already been rewarded for the best year of his career by being handed a maiden Ghana call-up. The 22-year-old was named in Otto Addo's squad for the Black Stars' upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, and could make his debut against Madagascar on June 1.
The youngster is surely ready for the step up, having had a hand in 20 goals -- eight goals and 12 assists -- in the second tier this season.
Semenyo has finally begun to find the consistency that was lacking last term -- only two players in the division created more goals this season -- and his physical attributes, coupled with an impressive work rate, should ensure lower-half Premier League sides take a look this offseason.
The likes of Southampton, Crystal Palace, Celtic, West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion have been linked in the attacker, while the Robins rejected an offer from Forest during the January transfer window.
"We want to keep our best player, of course we do, but the reality of where we are is there are times when that stance will be stretched and it will be questioned, and what we have to do is make the right decision for us as a football club," Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson told BBC Radio Bristol earlier this month.
"We'll have a better chance of succeeding next year if Antoine is here, but if he goes somewhere he's going to be expensive for somebody."
Jean Michael Seri - Free agent
Regardless of the success he's enjoyed this season, there's no getting away from the fact that moving to Fulham in 2018 proved to be a poor move for Ivory Coast's Seri.
Once the most talented deep-lying African playmaker in the game, the midfielder had appeared Barcelona-bound in 2017, only for OGC Nice to renege on the agreed terms; a year later, Seri found himself at newly promoted Fulham.
Two relegation campaigns and two loan moves have followed, with the Ivorian struggling with the intensity of the Premier League, but this term, Seri stuck around to get the Cottagers back up to the top flight.
It's been -- finally -- an overwhelming success, with the 30-year-old proving to be the brains of Marco Silva's operation alongside Tom Cairney.
He registered six assists and enjoyed a pass-success rate of 89.4 percent, although with both player and club unexpectedly opting to part ways at the season's end, he's primed to be one of the hottest African free agents available.
At least Seri left on good terms with Cottagers fans, having finally proven his value to the West Londoners.
Neeskens Kebano - Fulham
Like Seri, Kebano has endured some highs and lows during his six-year stint with Fulham, raising questions about the suitability and wisdom of the move from Genk in the first place.
Unlike his teammate, however, he's generally had the affection of Cottagers supporters, who have appreciated his endeavour and capacity to conjure magic.
Kebano has lacked consistency, with performances of excellence swiftly followed by anonymous displays. Finally this season, under the tutelage of Silva, and thriving in a wide role in a 4-3-3 formation, he's begun to bring his talent to bear week in, week out, striking up a fruitful understanding with Aleksandar Mitrovic in the process.
The forward had a hand in 15 goals this term but after struggling to make his mark during two previous bites at the Premier League, can he now prove that he's ready to make the step up?
Unlike Seri, Kebano will remain on the banks of the Thames, with his deal having been extended at the season's conclusion.
Dominic Solanke - Bournemouth
Solanke appeared to have lost his way earlier in his career, having failed to build on the promise he demonstrated with Chelsea and Liverpool.
Here was a player who won the Golden Ball at the U-20 World Cup in 2017, yet three goals in his first 42 Premier League appearances with Bournemouth -- plus a relegation to boot -- suggested that he was never going to fulfill the hype.
Instead, a drop into the Championship proved the making of the man, as he struck 15 goals last term and almost doubled that tally this season with 29 efforts as Scott Parker's side returned to the top tier.
He was eclipsed only by Mitrovic in the division's scoring charts, with Solanke's return the most by any Bournemouth player in a single season since Ted MacDougall 50 years ago.
The former England international -- he remains eligible for Nigeria -- impressed with his ability both in a deeper more creative role, and on the shoulder of the opposition centre-back, although he must now prove that he can step up to make a mark in the Premier League.
The Nigeria Football Federation would be wise to pull out the stops to attempt to convince Solanke to follow in the footsteps of Ademola Lookman and convert to the Super Eagles.
Philip Billing - Bournemouth
Unlike Solanke, Billing's quality was apparent during his brief time in the Premier League -- with both Huddersfield and Bournemouth -- although he's definitely taken his game to another level since dropping down a division.
The midfielder made the EFL Championship Team of the Season this term on the back of his commanding performances in the heart of the park, where he's added goals to his game -- 10 goals and 10 assists this term to be precise.
He's also demonstrated an invaluable determination to take responsibility and drag the Cherries through when things aren't going their way.
Billing's aerial presence also helped Bournemouth get the better of their opponents in the midfield, and his decisive assist for Kieffer Moore to score the winner and clinch promotion against Forest at the start of this month was one of the moments of the season.
Billing's international career had stalled -- he went a year and a half without a cap since autumn 2020 -- although a recent friendly appearance for Denmark against Serbia has swelled his World Cup prospects, and dampened hopes among Nigeria supporters that he will switch to feature for the Super Eagles.
Honourable Mentions:
Elijah Adebayo (Luton Town/Nigeria), Benik Afobe (Stoke City/Democratic Republic of Congo), Marvin Ekpiteta (Blackpool/Nigeria), Sol Bamba (Middlesbrough/ Ivory Coast), Albert Adomah (Queens Park Rangers/Ghana), Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion/Nigeria), Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham/Nigeria), Abdul Rahman Baba and Andy Yiadom (both Reading/Ghana), Jordan Zemura (Bournemouth/Zimbabwe), Ilias Chair (Queens Park Rangers/Morocco)