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By: Ebenezer Bajela
The 2023/24 season is done and dusted but it’s a campaign that will live in the memory of many Nigerian players for a long time following their successes with their respective clubs across Europe and beyond, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
While the 2022/23 season was all about Victor Osimhen guiding Napoli to their first Scudetto title in over three decades, the just-concluded season saw several Nigerians make history in Germany, Italy, Belgium, Serbia and England.
In Italy, Ademola Lookman emerged as the man who helped Atalanta end their over six decades wait for a trophy and he will go down as club hero.
At age 26, Lookman could not boast of any trophy other than the U-20 World Cup he won with England. Last season, however, he took on a new dimension proving his worth to doubters.
The Nigerian led Atalanta to their first trophy in 61 years while also ending his search for his first trophy at club level.
Man of the moment, Lookman was the hero as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen in the final of the Europa League, scoring three goals and in the process becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in the final of the competition.
Sixteen goals and nine assists, Lookman’s 2023/24 statistics are not eye-popping, but they are significant following his career trajectory, his best ever so far in a career that has seen him embark on several loan moves in search of regular football.
It was almost a perfect season for duo Victor Bonface and Nathan Tella in Germany as both players celebrated a domestic double with Leverkusen, winning the Bundesliga and German Cup.
The two players were vital to Die Werkself, who won the Bundesliga and German Cup unbeaten, a historic feat. The only blip on the record of Xabi Alonso’s team was losing the Europa League final to Atalanta 3-0 on Wednesday in Dublin, their only defeat in all competitions last season.
The defeat ended Leverkusen’s record 51-game unbeaten run; it was their only loss in 53 games.
Boniface started the season like a man possessed, winning the Bundesliga Rookie of The Month four consecutive times until an injury ruled him out for almost four months. Despite missing almost the second half of the season, Boniface remains one of the most prolific strikers in Europe with 21 goals and 10 assists in 34 games across all competitions.
It is also a season to remember for the Ondo-born striker, who scooped the award for the Rookie of The Season in the German topflight.
Not the kind of player who gets attention from the media, Tella was always dependable when called upon.
The midfielder made 42 appearances across all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing six assists.
There was also celebration in Belgium for another Nigerian as midfielder Raphael Onyedika helped Club Brugge seal their 19th league title.
The midfielder was an integral part of the champions’ side, appearing in 29 of their games and providing three goals and one assist. His key involvement was in April when he scored a brace against Anderlecht to set them on course with a 3-1 win in the playoffs and then followed it up with another goal in their 3-0 win over Antwerp.
In Serbia, Peter Olayinka celebrated a domestic double helping Red Star Belgrade to the league and cup titles.
On Saturday, the 28-year-old scored twice to help his side defeat Cukaricki 4-1 and seal their status as champions of the Serbian topflight league.
The brace took the striker’s tally to 10 in an eventful season where he also provided seven assists.
After one season in the Championship, trio Joe Aribo, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho have all found their way back to the Premier League with Southampton and Leicester City respectively.
Aribo, after a slow start to the season, fought his way into Russell Martin’s side and started the club’s last nine Championship games, playing the entire 90 minutes of the three play-offs.
Ndidi was back to his best and played a crucial role as the Foxes returned to topflight football.
The defensive midfielder scored four goals and provided five assists in 32 games en route to Leicester’s return to the EPL.
With 12-goal contributions (six goals and six assists), the season will linger in the memory of the Lagos-born midfielder for quite sometime.
Though he lost his spot in the team after an injury, Iheanacho also played a key role in the Foxes’ promotion from the Championship to the Premier League after just one season, scoring five goals and registering one assist in 23 games.
Former Nigeria junior international Abdul Ajagun also won the Jordanian League title with Al-Hussein Sports Club.
The 31-year-old midfielder will depart the club on a high note as his contract expires in June.