The Serie A is the top-flight level of club football in Italy, which houses some of Europe’s most successful teams and is widely regarded for producing world-class talents.
Over the years, multiple Nigerian footballers have secured high-profile moves to play in the league and have achieved impressive goal scoring performances that have cemented their places among the league’s greatest.
Victor Osimhen’s remarkable spell at Napoli places him at the top of the all-time goal scoring chart for Nigerian players in the division, but which other Super Eagles player join him in the top five?
This article highlights the top 5 Nigerian goalscorers in the history of the Italian Serie A.
Victor Osimhen (65 goals)
Victor Osimhen unsurprisingly takes top spot as the highest scoring Nigerian footballer in Serie A history with 65 goals.
The 26-year-old joined Napoli in a record €80 million deal in 2020 and made 108 appearances in the league across four seasons at the club.
The Super Eagles striker helped the club to a historic title win in the 2022-23 season, scoring 26 goals to become the first-ever African footballer to win the golden boot award and also earning the Serie A footballer of the year award.
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Ademola Lookman (41 goals)
Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman’s haul of 41 goals ranks him as the second-highest Nigerian goalscorer in the Italian Serie A history.
The 28-year-old is 24 goals shy off Osimhen’s record, but still has time on his side to edge the record.
The Super Eagles winger is currently in his fourth season since joining La Dea from RB Leipzig and has scored twice already in the league this season.
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Simy Nwankwo (34 goals)
Nigerian forward Simy Nwankwo scored 34 goals in the Serie A from 116 appearances in five seasons.
The 33-year-old first enjoyed a decent spell with Crotone, before departing as the club’s record goalscorer in 2022, when he joined Salernitana.
Simy’s most prolific season came in the 2020-21 season, when he netted 20 goals and finished as the fifth topscorer in the Serie A in that campaign. He left Italy in the summer to join Saudi Arabian outfit Al Orobah.
Obafemi Martins (28 goals)
Popularly referred to as ‘Obagoal’, former Super Eagles forward Obafemi Martins netted 28 times in the Serie A for Inter Milan.
The former Newcastle United striker joined the Nerazzurri in 2001 and enjoyed four impressive seasons at the club, making 88 appearances.
Obafemi Martins also won the league title in the 2005-06 season, as well as two Coppa Italia titles and one Supercoppa Italia during his time in Italy.
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Stephen Makinwa (16 goals)
Stephen Makinwa rounds off this list, having netted 16 times from 120 appearances across eight seasons in the league.
The former Nigerian international played for the likes of Modena, Atalanta, Palermo, Lazio and Reggina in the league, before his departure in 2010.
