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2023 has been another fruitful year for African footballers across the globe.  

The likes of Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah remain mainstays at the highest level, while the likes of Sadio Mane have a taken a step back. Meanwhile, new stars like Serhou Guirassy and Victor Boniface have emerged from Germany to challenge the status quo.  

Manchester United and Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana has suffered a nightmare start to life in the Premier League, which is a shame after he enjoyed a terrific 2022-2023 season at Inter Milan. Unlike Mane, he still has a chance to remain among the elite. Will he bounce back, or will things get worse? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.  

On the flip side, guys like Gift Orban and Mohammed Kudus are knocking on the door and could make it into our top 5 soon. 

Without wasting any more time, let us take a look at the five best-performing African players in the new European football season so far. 


Remember, You can bet on your favourite teams and favourite African players on Betking, Nigeria’s best online sports betting platform. We are committed to giving you the best betting tips and best odds to help you win big. 

 
 

 

**5. Yves Bissouma (Tottenham Hotspur & Mali** 

Tottenham have experienced a resurgence this season under the tutelage of new boss Ange Postecoglou. Admit it, we all thought they would struggle badly without Harry Kane — well, they’ve been even better than last season with the English captain.  

There will always be skepticism when it comes to Spurs. Still, they have been excellent and sit top of the Premier League after 8 games.  

 One man central to their fortunes is Mali international Yves Bissouma. The 27-year-old arrived last summer from Brighton. However, a combination of injuries, off-field issues, and a lack of trust from then-manager Antonio Conte made his first season at Tottenham a forgettable one.  

Bissouma has been colossal for Spurs this season. He has started the season’s campaign on fire,  quickly becoming the first midfielder in Europe’s top 5 leagues to complete 10+ tackles, 10+ take ons, 10+ interceptions ([Squawka](https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1698639460655595532?s=20)).  

He has been tasked with protecting the back four while pushing up to help Spurs maintain a strong press (shown by his 5 tackles won in the final third).  

The likes of Son Heung-Min and James Maddison may get the credit for goals and assists but Bissouma has been the glue keeping everything in place. 

● Bet on Tottenham to win against Fulham 

**4. Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen & Nigeria)** 

Boniface has taken the Bundesliga by storm, quickly becoming a fan favourite. The Nigerian has led the Bayer Leverkusen line expertly, literally firing Xabi Alonso’s men to the top of the table.  

Each week brings another goal for Boniface, and he follows up each goal with a fun celebration and hilarious posts on his social media page to endear himself even more to the fans.  

The Nigerian striker has 9 goals from 10 appearances across all competitions for Leverkusen this season, and when you watch him play, it’s easy to see why. Quick, strong, aggressive and a menace in the box, the 22-year-old has all the tools needed to succeed at the highest level. 

The underlying stats explain his offensive potential and give us even more insight into how deadly he could be moving forward. [According to Fbref](https://fbref.com/en/comps/20/shooting/Bundesliga-Stats#all_stats_shooting), Boniface has taken the most shots in Bundesliga (44) and has the most shots on target (17). That’s a positive sign, as it means he’s consistently getting into good positions to score. 

His 7 league goals have come from an xG of 7.4, showing incredible efficiency, and his average shot distance of 15.8 yards shows he does his damage in the box, which increases his chances of scoring.  

● Bet on Victor Boniface to lead Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title 

**3. Victor Osimhen (Napoli & Nigeria)**  

Osimhen is currently the favourite to walk away with the 2023 African Footballer of the Year award and it will certainly be well-deserved. He has had an exceptional 2023 and has carried last season’s form into the new campaign.  

Despite transfer distractions in the summer, off-field issues surrounding perceived disrespectful treatment by Napoli and a new manager/new system, Napoli’s main man has continued to deliver on the pitch with 6 goals in 9 games this season. 

His 6 goals have come from 10 shots on target, showing how hard it is to stop his attempts when they are on goal. He also averages 4.37 shots per game (2nd highest in the league), a great indicator of a player who prioritizes goals over everything else. 

There is no doubt that Osimhen will be right there in the Golden Boot race, aiming to win his second consecutive Capocannoniere and become the only African ever to do so. He also helped Nigeria qualify for the African Nations Cup qualifying with 10 goals, the highest-ever haul, and he will hope to lead the Super Eagles to glory in Cote d’Ivoire next year.

● Bet on Victor Osimhen to win the Serie A top scorer 

● Bet on Victor Osimhen to lead Napoli to the Serie A title 

**2. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt)** 

Salah has started the season in excellent form as Liverpool look to bounce back from the disappointment of the last campaign, where they missed out on Champions League football. 

The Egyptian has 5 goals and 4 assists in 8 appearances this season, and has taken on the mantle of creator-in-chief for the Reds, making him even more valuable than ever.  

At this point, there is no debating that Salah will end up as one of the greatest players to ever grace the Premier League, certainly one of Africa’s greatest exports. It is obvious why Liverpool turned down a mammoth bid from Saudi Arabia for his services, he is that irreplaceable for the Reds. 

With 192 goals and counting for Liverpool, the 31-year-old is one of the club’s biggest legends. He may not have done enough to push for the African Footballer of the Year honor for 2023, but he will certainly be key to Liverpool’s fortunes for this season. Take advantage of our professional betting tips by backing Salah to once again push Manchester City’s Erling Haaland close in the race for the Golden Boot. 

● Bet on Mohamed Salah to win the PL Golden Boot

**1 . Serhou Guirassy (VFB Stuttgart & Guinea)** 

Guirassy is the biggest story out of Germany this season and his goal tally certainly explains why. 13 goals in 7 games puts him clear of Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (8) and Victor Boniface (7). At 27, it is easy to ask where he has been this entire time, especially in a world where guaranteed goalscorers are at a premium.  

Guirassy has always scored goals, perhaps not at this rate, but he has been a consistent enough scorer. 25 goals in two seasons at Cologne, followed by a 14-goal season while on loan at Stuttgart combined to show that this is a striker with a keen eye for goal and that this could end up being more than a temporary purple patch.  

This season, however, he has taken his scoring to new heights. Guirassy began the 2023/24 campaign by scoring eight goals with eight shots on target in his first four top-flight games for Stuttgart, a feat never before achieved by any player at the club. His 13 Bundesliga goals have come from just 16 shots on target and [an xG of 7.2](https://fbref.com/en/comps/20/shooting/Bundesliga-Stats#all_stats_shooting).  The Guinean has scored two hat-tricks for Die Rotten in just 7 games and if he maintains the consistency shown so far, Stuttgart could be real title contenders. 

On this form, can you really bet against them doing that? 

● Bet on Guirassy to lead Stuttgart to a 2nd place Bundesliga finish 

**What do you think about this list? Would you have the contenders in a different order or do you think we’ve left out someone? 

Let us know in the comments and remember, you can bet on live matches today, check today’s match result, enjoy free betting tips with high odds on our Blog and much more, all on BetKing.** 

 

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Osimhen in, Onana out: The most in-form African players in Europe