LONDON – Senegal national team and Chelsea Muslim striker Demba Ba has offered money necessary to fund the construction of a mosque in his parents’ hometown in Senegal.

“Being a Muslim is more important than me being a footballer,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with the Independent by sen24heures website reported on Friday, May 9.

“A good Muslim is a good person, so I try to be a good person,” he added.

Ba is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League side Chelsea and the Senegal national team.

Being a devout Muslim, the Chelsea star usually celebrates his goal to performing prostration.

It is also known that he was brought up in a religious home.

The news about his contribution to fund a new mosque hit the Senegalese media last week.

The new mosque is expected to be inaugurated within the coming weeks.

Ba is one of 40 other Muslim stars in the English Premier league.

The Muslim existence on English football pitches dated back to 1992 Tottenham’s Spanish midfielder Nayim was the only Muslim player in the league.

Seeking new talented players for the league, scouts brought new players from West Africa and Paris to become global stars.

The growing influx of Muslim players has been fuelled by the internationalization of football.

Ba’s homeland, Senegal, is a country in West Africa where Islam is the predominant religion. Nearly 90 percent of the country’s population is estimated to be Muslim.