The season is now complete in Italy and Spain but there was one final huge milestone for one of our African stars in Europe this campaign. We round up the best performers from the weekend’s action.
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VICTOR OSIMHEN (NAPOLI & NIGERIA)
Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen became the first African football to win the Golden Boot in Serie A as he topped the table this year and netted his 26th goal in the final day 2-0 win over Sampdoria. It has been a sensational campaign for the forward, who finished five goals ahead of second placed Lautaro Martínez from Inter Milan. Only two of Osimhen’s goals were penalties and he scored a full 12 more Serie A goals in 2022/23 than the previous campaign. His goal against Sampdoria was from the spot as he won the penalty himself and then drilled the ball into the right-hand corner.
LAMECK BANDA (LECCE & ZAMBIA)
Zambian Banda scored for the second time in his first season in Serie A but could not see his side to victory as they finished 16th in the table following a 3-2 loss to Bologna. Banda got the game’s first goal with a brilliant finish from the edge of the box as he met Gabriel Strefezza’s cross first time. It was all about technique and power. His only other goal in this campaign came in a 2-0 win at Sampdoria in November. It is Banda’s first campaign in Italy after he joined Lecce from Maccabi Petah Tikva in Israel. He featured in 36 of their 38 games with 19 starts and 17 sub appearances. Certainly a lot for the 22-year-old to build on there.
ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (ATALANTA & NIGERIA)
Lookman was among the leading scorers in Serie A midway through the campaign but the goals dried up from February onwards. He still managed a very healthy return of 13, easily the best season of his career for goals, and finished the campaign with an assist as Atalanta brushed aside Monza 5-2. Lookman came off the bench on the hour-mark and provided a wonderful flick pass into the path of Luis Muriel, who scored Atalanta’s fifth late on. It ends a strong first season for Lookman in Italy, having previously featured in the Premier League and German Bundesliga.
NICOLAS JACKSON (VILLARREAL & SENEGAL)
Jackson took his tally of goals in LaLiga to 12 this season when he netted the opener for Villarreal in their 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid. It is a result that sees the Yellow Submarine finish the season in fifth and qualify for the Uefa Europa league next season, while Atletico end third. They would have finished above Real Madrid with a win. Jackson has had a strong finish to the season and scored nine times in his final 11 games, including the opener against Atletico. He picked up a poor clearance from the Atletico defence and rifled the ball into the far corner.
EL BILAL TOURE (ALMERIA & MALI)
Mali forward Toure netted a seventh goal of the campaign as Almeria drew 3-3 at Espanyol and survived relegation by a single point on the final day of the LaLiga season. It is part of a strong finish to the campaign for the 21-year-old in which he netted three goals in the last six games, including a winner at Barcelona, to help keep Almeria in the division. Toure provided an excellent header to Álex Centelles’ cross, though his side eventually had to come from behind to level at 3-3 late on with a penalty. It ends a good first season for Toure in Spain after he joined Almeria from Reims in France at the start of the campaign.