Top five Africans in Serie A so far this season

#5 Gervinho

It’s not been a smooth season back in Serie A for Gervinho, who returned to Italy—with Parma—at the start of the campaign, follow several years in China with Hebei China Fortune.

Now 32, the wideman remains a game-changer on his day, and has had a hand in eight goals in 19 league appearances so far this term.

However, his bright performances cannot hide the fact that his campaign has been overshadowed by attempting to engineer a move to Al-Sadd midway through the year, which naturally didn’t go down well with his employers.

After returning to the team, Gervinho responded with a goalscoring display against Sassuolo in February.

#4 Ola Aina

It’s proving to be a tricky campaign for Aina and Torino, who have lost their last seven matches and have fallen worryingly close to the dropzone.

At the time of the league’s suspension, the Turin heavyweights are only two points off the bottom three, and appear to be on freefall.

Pacey Aina has been one of the team’s brighter performers, memorably weighing in with an assist in the critical win over Fiorentina in early December, and has impressed, notably, on the left flank.

#3 Seko Fofana

The Ivorian midfielder is one of the less heralded African stars in the Italian top flight, but the Ivorian six footer has gradually gone from strength to strength at Udinese.

His form in the heart of the park has reportedly prompted interest from Torino, while West Ham United have also been monitoring the West African’s development.

Fofana enjoyed a purple patch during the Winter, contributing four assists and one goal in the space of five matches, and like a few other players on this list, he’s bouncing back in style after being let go by a major Premier League side (Manchester City) earlier in his career.

#2 Ismael Bennacer

Bennacer has coped with the added demands of moving to a European giant well since signing for AC Milan in the summer.

It’s been a tricky campaign for the Rossoneri, but the Algeria international has continued—largely—in the impressive vein of form that he demonstrated at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt last summer.

The 22-year-old’s dynamism has really caught the eye alongside Franck Kessie in the heart of Milan’s midfield, and he’s been one of the three most effective dribblers in the season over his first 20 appearances this term.

#1 Jeremie Boga

Head and shoulders above Africa’s other players in Serie A, Boga has netted eight goals for unfashionable Sassuolo, helping them up to 11th in the table at the time of the pause.

Several of his strikes have been sensational solo efforts, and it’s little surprise that he’s the most effective dribbler in the division so far this term—beating his man, on average, 4.4 times per match.

The attacker’s form has prompted rumours of a move back to Chelsea—who have a buy-back option in place—and it would be a glowing testament to the wideman’s improvement over recent years if he could finally make it at Stamford Bridge, having been sold in 2018.