As a youngster, Fanendo Adi would spend nearly every day playing soccer barefoot with his friends in the streets near his home in a remote village in Benue State, which sits in the middle of Nigeria.

Like many soccer players in his home country, Adi dreamt of one day leaving Africa and pursuing a professional career abroad. As luck would have it, he was seen by a scout at the age of 15 and offered a chance to attend a tryout in Lagos, the sprawling capital of Nigeria. The opportunity gave him the exposure he needed to sign a professional contract abroad in Slovakia, and set him on a path that would ultimately lead to MLS and the Portland Timbers.

"Of course, we have professional leagues in Africa, but in my country, it's not very nice. You can't get the type of income you need as a guy that wants to have a wife and kids," said Adi, who is expecting his first child. "So, of course, you look for greener pastures and when the opportunity comes up to go abroad, you take it."

There are 54 distinct countries in Africa and the stories of various players differ throughout the continent. But Adi's experience is not too different from those of other African soccer players, who have left their often-struggling home countries in search of better opportunities abroad.

More and more, those players are finding a path to Major League Soccer.

The number of African-born players in MLS jumped from 16 in 2006 to 28 in 2007 when the league expanded its salary budget. That number has continued to rise as MLS has increased its international roster spots and become a more desirable option for foreign players, including Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba, who competed in MLS for two years after a celebrated career at Chelsea. This season, a record 45 African-born players are competing in MLS, many of whom are finding significant success in the league.

"The league is growing and people from other countries are starting to take notice," Timbers Kenyan defender Lawrence Olum said. "MLS is a pretty good league to be in, so it's not surprising to see more Africans coming to the league."

While the number of African players in MLS is rising, many have taken circuitous routes to the league. Olum grew up in Nairobi, the capitol and largest city in Kenya, before being scouted and then offered a soccer scholarship to attend Missouri Baptist University. Going to college in the United States sparked his professional career. New England Revolution forward Kei Kamara, who is from Sierra Leone, and Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe, who was born in Liberia, were both born in the midst of deadly civil wars and escaped their unstable home countries as refugees before moving to the United States. The majority of others, like Ghanaian midfielder David Accam, left for Europe, the premier destination for African players, before ultimately making their way to MLS.

Accam did not know anything about MLS while he was growing up in Ghana. He originally left his home country to attend Hartpury College and play in England before continuing his professional career in Sweden. It was only then that he learned about MLS and made the decision to sign with the Chicago Fire as a designated player in 2014.

But Accam said that MLS is now gaining traction throughout the continent as African players excel in the league. Former Seattle Sounders forward Obafemi Martins, who had a long career in Europe before joining MLS, scored 40 goals in three seasons with Seattle and was the runner-up for MLS MVP award in 2014. Kamara was a finalist for the 2015 MLS MVP award. Adi is the Timbers' all-time leading scorer. And Accam himself currently ranks third in MLS with 12 goals.

MLS games have also become a lot more accessible in Africa since the league signed a TV deal with FOX Sports Africa in 2015 to broadcast live games in 25 countries and territories across Sub-Saharan Africa.

"When I was growing up, we didn't know much about MLS," Accam said. "But we have had African players that have set an example, like Obafemi Martins, Dominic Oduro, Kei Kamara. Now, you get an audience in Africa watching, following the league. This also encourages other young African players that are in Europe or in Africa to come to the league because of what the African players here are doing."

The success of African players in top leagues abroad - like Drogba, former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o and former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien - and the growing achievements of African nations on the international stage has served to put African soccer on the map and prompted clubs throughout the world to scout for talent on the continent. The Ghana National Team reached the Round of 16 at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and turned heads by beating the U.S. to make a run to the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

In MLS, many African players have historically come to the U.S. in their youth or been scouted out of Europe. But as the league has continued to grow, clubs have devoted more and more resources to scouting across the globe and bringing in top international talent, Timbers general manager and president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson said. In addition, every MLS team now owns or partners with a lower division USL side, which should enable clubs to take chances on younger talent with greater frequency over time.

"We can put them in (our USL team) T2 and see if they flourish and see if they develop," Wilkinson said. "So, having the second team could provide certain options that previously didn't exist for us to look at a couple of young players from different countries, including those in Africa."

Sporting Kansas City made the decision to sign 20-year-old Ghanaian forward Latif Blessing out of Africa in the offseason after watching film of him competing for the Liberty Professionals in the Ghana Premier League.

The chance to come to MLS was massive for Blessing. In Ghana, he said he played on poor and uneven fields, made do with a lack of equipment and had to struggle to make a living. He was awarded the Ghana Premier League MVP award in 2016 after scoring 17 goals for the Liberty Professionals, but was not given any sort of bonus.

"The league in Ghana isn't paying good money, they aren't treating the players well," said Blessing, who is making a guaranteed salary of $74,379 with SKC this season. "That's why everyone there wants to go to another professional league, to get something for their future and their family... My background is very poor, but (in MLS), every month I can send money to my family. I'm just so happy to be here."

The achievements of African players in leagues like MLS and worldwide has already helped to create fresh opportunities for the next generation.

Olum said he didn't have the option to compete for top clubs or academy programs during his childhood and, instead, was coached by teachers until working under his first legitimate coach in college in the United States. Accam said he was lucky to grow up playing for the Right to Dream Academy, one of the biggest academies in West Africa and one of the few academy options he knew of during his youth. Now, he said he has seen a growing number of academy programs for young players in Ghana.

Accam hopes the growing accomplishments of African players will open more doors for others back home, including more opportunities in MLS.

"A lot of African players are doing really well and I think it's not just about doing well for themselves," Accam said. "They know a lot of people look up to them and they have to set good examples. You have to do well to give back to your community and open more chances for other African players."

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg