Previously dominated by serial goal scorers such as Lewandowski and Aubameyang, the Bundesliga is now showing itself to be more open, with new styles of “9” high on the goal-scoring charts .Nicolas Füllkrug, last season’s Bundesliga top scorer in a promoted team, may have shown the way for African strikers, with Kolo Muani and Nkunku behind him.
Everything suggests that Harry Kane will end up as the Bundesliga’s top scorer, thanks to his individual qualities and the status of his new club, Bayern. But as soccer is full of surprises, here are three African players who could be up there with the former Tottenham striker and finish as Africa’s top scorer at the same time.
Serhou Guirassy: the confidence of last season
The Guinean striker scored eleven times in 22 Bundesliga games to help his team stay up last season, and hit the ground running with Stuttgart, where he was eventually signed on a permanent basis. Serhou Guirassy has no intention of resting on his laurels, at least that’s the message he’s sending out at the start of the new season. He has already scored 3 goals in 2 games. A good start could give the 27-year-old striker a head start before missing a few weeks of competition with the AFCON. But would it be enough for the centre-forward of a club less well endowed with passing attacking players to finish top scorer ahead of Harry Kane?
🚨 Le premier buteur africain de la saison 2023/24 en Bundesliga : 🇬🇳 Serhou Guirassy.
Serhou et Silas ont tout les deux inscrits un doublé pour le premier match de championnat ! 🇨🇩💫 pic.twitter.com/mTCBk950u4
— 🏆 Actu Foot Afrique (@ActuFootAfrique) August 19, 2023
Sébastien Haller: getting round the Füllkrug threat
This task will be far more complicated for Sébastien Haller, who not only has to score in his first real season, but also manage competition with last season’s Bundesliga top scorer. But after his long absence due to cancer, Haller has reaffirmed his goal-scoring prowess with 9 goals in just three months. Although he has yet to score in the league this season, the Ivorian has the opportunity to show his best over a full season, using the competition as extra motivation. Given his determination to make a speedy comeback during his illness, “Seb” can dream big.
Victor Boniface: the chief surprise
Having scored 9 league goals in Belgium in 2022/23, Victor Boniface’s summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen already seems to be delighting fans. With a profile close to that of the Bundesliga’s latest top scorer, Boniface has the chance to play for one of Europe’s most attacking teams. As well as meeting the demands of combination play, the 22-year-old Nigerian scored a brace last weekend against M’gladbach. It may be too early to see him titillating Harry Kane in the scoring charts, but if he proves effective with the chances his club create, he will become a serious striker among the league’s top African scorers.
