Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen became the highest-scoring African in the Italian Serie A with his match-winning goal in Napoli’s 1-0 win over Fiorentina on Sunday.
The 24-year-old made no mistake from the spot-kick in the 74th minute to make it 47 goals in Serie A, one more than Liberian football legend and current president George Weah, who managed 46 in his five-year career with Italian giants AC Milan.
47 – Victor Osimhen has scored his 47th Serie A goal, his first one from penalty in the competition. He became the African player with the most goals in the top-flight (overtaked George Weah with 46 goals). Superpower.#NapoliFiorentina pic.twitter.com/F9Bw5S3U9D
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) May 7, 2023
Osimhen, who scored the all-important goal that crowned Napoli as the 2022–23 Italian champions against Udinese on Thursday, should have put the home side ahead in the 48th minute after Slovakian midfielder Stanislav Lobotka was brought down in the area.
The Nigerian, however, could not make it count as his penalty was saved by Fiorentina’s goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano.
Georgian forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia provided Luciano Spaletti’s side with another lifeline after he was fouled in the penalty area in the 72nd minute. In his defiant nature, Osimhen stepped up to right his wrong, slamming the ball into the middle of the goalpost for his 23rd goal of the season.
He was substituted later on for Giovanni Simeone with raucous applause from the fans inside the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Osimhen, who recently broke Samuel Eto’o’s record for the most goals scored by an African player in a single Serie A season, joined Napoli from Lille in 2020. He scored ten goals in his first season and 14 last season.
The Super Eagles no. 9 is still the leading candidate for the Capocannoniere this season with his tally of 23 goals – four goals ahead of Lautaro Martinez (19 goals) in second.
Napoli will travel to Monza for their next Serie A game on Sunday, May 14.
