Naples, Osimhen sees Weah: with a goal he will write the history of Serie A

One goal, only one. And Victor Osimhen will give a big push to monsieur le président George Weah. For now, he’s still sitting on the throne of the best African scorer in the history of Serie A with 46 goals. Even without his lucky mask, lost on his return from Nigeria, the engagement could already arrive on Sunday evening at Maradona in the match against Milan, the team in which the current head of state of Liberia played between 1995 and 2000, raising the Golden Ball went to the sky at the Meazza, in the first year in which the prize finally crossed European borders (1995).

Weah made history as the first non-European footballer to win football’s most prestigious individual trophy. Overtaking his majesty George is not even quoted by bookmakers given the pace at which O simhen is traveling in the league: a goal every 91 minutes. Of the players who have scored at least 20 in a single Serie A season, only four have done better than Napoli’s Nigerian centre-forward in the three-point-for-win era: Muriel (one every 65′ in 2020-21), Vieri (one every 78′ in 2002-03), Higuain (one every 83′ in 2015-16) and Immobile (one every 88′ in 2019-20).

Cyclone Osimhen doesn’t look anyone in the face and sweeps away everything it meets on its way. With his 21 league goals he hit poor Milan doubly, overshadowing another African legend, Samuel Eto’o, who scored as many in the 2010-11 season, that of post-Triplete Inter. Victor’s agonistic fury is ringing loudly across Europe. That ravenous approach to the game, starting out like crazy to immediately bite the opponent and then finish him off during the game: only Harry Kane has been able to score the first goal of the match in more games than the Neapolitan (eight against seven) this season in the top five tournaments in Europe. Cyclone Osi against “Hurricane” the hurricane, clash between primordial forces.

Victor and his brothers

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Victor remains by far the most prolific of the Africans even when the spectrum of major continental tournaments is extended to ten. Five goals more than the Nigerian compatriot from Genk, Paul Onuachu (16), and 6 over the Senegalese from Strasbourg, Habib Diallo. Liverpool’s Pharaoh Momo Salah and Ajax’s emerging talent, Mohamed Kudus, are stuck on 11, Bayern’s fox Choupo-Moting is just 10. Among Europe’s top African goalscorers, four play in Serie A: in addition to Osimhen, Mbala Nzola from Spezia, Ademola Lookman from Atalanta and Boulaye Dia from Salernitana. None of the other major leagues has so many goals in double figures. This wave of African bombers is also characterized by the young age of its protagonists. Osimhen is 24 years old, Lookman follows him with 25, only a year more for Nzola and Dia: the African wind won’t stop blowing on Serie A anytime soon. goals in Atalanta’s last five in the league, after having had a hand in five goals and three assists in the previous five, Dia has scored from two games in a row with Salernitana and hasn’t reached three consecutive goals in the league since last September . The Senegalese striker has already somehow entered the history of the Campania club as the fourth to reach double figures in a single Serie A season: before him, Renzo Merlin (10 goals in 1947-48), Marco di Vaio ( 12 in 1998-99) and Federico Bonazzoli (10 in 2021-22). Salernitana will go to La Spezia on Sunday afternoon for a very delicate salvation challenge, but will not find Nzola, who is disqualified as well as injured. The Ligurians have not won any of the four games he has missed. In short, Africans more than important: necessary.

The dark years of Zigulì

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But it wasn’t always like this. Thirty years have passed since the first African goal scored in the league. It was February 14, 1993 when Roger Mendy, the rocky Senegalese defender wanted by coach Galeone, gave Pescara the lead in the home match against Brescia. Galleon was not saved and Mendy soon disappeared from the radar but led the way for the first wave of Africans. In fact, Weah arrived only two years later, followed by a trail of future champions: Eto’o, Taribo West, Gervinho to name a few… Before Mendy, there was a void, testifying to the skepticism that then enveloped those latitudes. In fact, we have to go back twelve years to find the first African to set foot in Serie A: François Zahoui, Ivorian, attacking midfielder for Ascoli 1981-82. He earned one million and 200 thousand lire a month and was nicknamed Zigulì, after the color of the famous licorice candy. Then Mazzone only threw him in when he won or drew, to send him offside and gain seconds. Today Osimhen scores one goal per game and already sees the Scudetto. The two extremes of the African parable in Serie A.