African forwards left their mark on European football by scoring crucial goals for their sides last season.
Another season of European football ended, with the major leagues discovering their winners. Some of the most established African stars continued playing key roles in their teams while new faces pushed for more recognition.
Let’s take a look at the highest-scoring Africans across Europe’s top four leagues.
5- Victor Osimhen 🇳🇬
Osimhen was a crucial player for Napoli in their bid to win the Serie A last season.
The Blues eventually slipped behind AC Milan and Inter on the table. But that couldn’t undermine the great performances of the Nigerian star.
Osimhen scored 14 goals and provided five assists in his 27 appearances for Napoli last season. His form has attracted interest from several elite European sides, including Bayern Munich and Arsenal. Let’s see if the Super Eagles star will stay at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium beyond this summer.
4- Taiwo Awoniyi 🇳🇬
Another Nigerian star, Awoniyi, made his loan move from Liverpool permanent to become one of Bundesliga’s best forwards at Union Berlin.
Awoniyi’s incredible goalscoring consistency played a significant role in Union’s dream run last season. The Super Eagles star registered 13 goals and two assists in his 30 Bundesliga appearances last season, helping the Berliners secure a spot in the next season’s Europa League.
West Ham, Southampton, and Leicester City have shown interest in bringing Awoniyi back to the Premier League. However, Union will most likely get to keep their star striker, at least for another season.
3- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 🇬🇦
Aubamenyang spent a season full of ups and downs at Arsenal and Barcelona. But that didn’t stop him from delivering his expected amount of goals.
At Arsenal, he scored four goals and provided an assist before Mikel Arteta exiled him from the squad mid-season. However, a January move to Barcelona saw the ex-Gabon international quickly find his best form at Camp Nou.
Under Xavi Hernandez, Aubameyang scored 11 goals in his 17 appearances for the Blaugrana. The Catalans are keen to add another striker to their ranks next season, with Robert Lewandowski being their main target.
Given Auba’s stats, whoever plans to join Barca as their next target striker should prepare to face fierce competition from the former Arsenal star.
2- Sadio Mane 🇸🇳
Mane came extremely close to having a perfect 2021-22 season. He captained Senegal to their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in February before helping Liverpool in their quadruple push.
The Reds won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup while also reaching the Champions League final. In the Premier League, they competed in a close title race with Manchester City, who edged them out on the final matchday.
A defeat against Real Madrid weakened Mane’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. However, that couldn’t prevent PFA from selecting the Senegal star in their Team of the Year.
Mane finished the Premier League season with 16 goals and four assists. Bayern Munich are pursuing a deal for the 30-year-old ahead of the next season, with Mane reportedly being eager to join the Bavarians.
1- Mohamed Salah 🇪🇬
Salah won his second PFA Player of the Year award after spending another fantastic campaign at Liverpool.
Similar to Mane, Salah couldn’t fulfil all of his trophy dreams at Anfield. However, the Egyptian star won a host of prestigious individual awards to make up for the UCL and Premier League disappointments.
In addition to the PFA award, Salah won the Premier League’s Golden Boot for the third time after scoring 22 goals. He also topped the assist charts at the English top-flight, winning the Playmaker of the Year award with 14 assists.
The 29-year-old completed his individual awards by winning the league’s Goal of the Season award for the 2021-22 campaign. Salah’s award-winning solo goal against Manchester City can summarize his current form: Composed, motivated, and technically excellent.
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