Top African Players to Watch in Serie A in the 2025/26 Season

In Summary

• The 2025/26 Serie A season is packed with African brilliance, with stars like Ademola Lookman, Odilon Kossounou, and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa leading the charge for their respective clubs.
• Rising talents such as Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Kamaldeen Sulemana, and Zakaria Aboukhlal are showcasing the next generation of African football excellence in Italy.
• From goal-scoring forwards to solid defenders, these African players are not only shaping Serie A’s current season but also reinforcing Africa’s growing dominance in European football.

Deep Dive!!

Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, October 19th— The Serie A is one of the biggest leagues in Italy and Europe in general. Beginning with trailblazers like François Zahoui in the 1980s, Serie A has a long history of welcoming African players. The continent's presence is greater than ever now. 

There is a change for the 2025/26 season as past greats like Victor Osimhen sign a €75 million contract to join Galatasaray, making room for new leaders. With several African standouts, clubs like Atalanta are expected to succeed and could contend for the title.

In this article, we lay focus on the top African players, especially worth watching in the ongoing 2025/26 Serie A league, based on their recent performance and previous accomplishments.

8. Zakaria Aboukhlal (Morocco/Torino)

Zakaria Aboukhlal is a young and talented right winger who plays with Torino. He made his debut at the Italian club in a Coppa Italia match on August 18, 2025, against Modena, and has since made appearances in Serie A. At his previous club, Toulouse, he won the 2023 Coupe de France. It is worth noting that he scored four goals in a single game for Jong AZ and scored in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a significant individual milestone.

Even though he has yet to register a goal contribution in 5 games this season at Torino, he is worth watching both at the Italian club and with his national side, Morocco, who have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

6. Boulaye Dia (Senegal/Lazio)

Boulaye Dia is a Senegalese forward, playing actively for Lazio. At Salernitana, he won the Serie A Player of the Month award for May 2023 before joining Lazio on loan. He’s been in the league since 2022 and has since scored 34 goals. So far this season, Dia has scored a goal for his club, and his potential speaks for itself with fans still buzzing with expectations on what the star man could bring this season.

On the international level, Boulaye Dia has been outstanding, winning the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. The 28-year-old scored his first World Cup goal in 2022, and was appointed a Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion for his contribution to Senegal's success.

5. Kamaldeen Sulemana (Ghana/Atalanta)

Kamaldeen Sulemana is a young left winger, showing great potential in the Serie A. Even though he just joined Atalanta from Southampton, he has already scored two goals and an assist in the 2025-26 season one in a 3-0 win against Torino and another in a 1-1 draw versus Juventus.

The 23-year-old is the first player inducted into the Serie A Goal of the Month Hall of Fame for his goal against Juventus. He has also made his debut for the Ghana national team, represented the country in international matches, and is recognized for his speed and dribbling skills.

4. Evan Ndicka (Côte d'Ivoire/Roma)

Joining Roma in 2023, Evan Ndicka is the first outfield player in the Italian club’s history since the 20-team Serie A format began in 2004 to play every minute of every league match in the 2024/25 season. He plays the centre-back position.

His flawless attendance record demonstrates his tenacity and value to the team's defence, which helped them earn a position in the Europa League. In his previous clubs, like Eintracht Frankfurt, he has achieved a number of feats and individual awards. The 26-year-old star was born in France, but has made his debut in Côte d'Ivoire.

3. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon/Napoli)

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa plays professionally as a midfielder for Serie A side Napoli. His strong presence in the midfield was essential in helping Napoli win their first Serie A title in 33 years in the 2022/23 season.

He has also been a vital midfield player, helping out with his goal scoring and defensive work rate. During that same championship season, he scored his first Champions League goal against Liverpool and a brace against Torino. With two goals scored and one assist provided in the early stages of the 2025/26 season, Anguissa looks to be heading for an incredible season and could go all the way.

On the international level, the 29-year-old was part of the squad that achieved third place in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by his country. He has also participated in multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, and if he succeeds in helping his team in the playoffs, he could participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

2. Odilon Kossounou (Côte d'Ivoire/Atalanta)

Odilon Kossounou joined Atalanta on loan in 2024 and sealed his place in the team the following year. The defender won the 2025 Italian Super Cup and made 23 appearances in the 2024/25 season, which culminated in his permanent signing by the club. The 24-year-old will be expected to do what he does best this 2025/26 season at Atalanta.

For his previous club, Bayer Leverkusen, he secured a domestic treble and also won two Belgian league titles with Club Brugge. For his national team, he has won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and also actively helped his country qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

1. Ademola Lookman (Nigeria/Atalanta)

Ademola Lookman is a standout African performer in the Serie A, especially in the last season. With 27 goal involvements (15 goals, 12 assists) in the previous campaign, he outperformed his expected goals by a wide margin and was instrumental in Atalanta's success. 

The 27-year-old striker helped Atalanta secure the 2023-24 UEFA Europa League with a hat-trick in the final. Lookman was named the club's Player of the Season for 2022-23, received a Ballon d'Or nomination, and is the reigning African Player of the Year. With all these aforelisted, there is no doubt about what the striker could achieve in the 2025-26 season.

Ademola Lookman helped the Nigerian Super Eagles reach the AFCON finals and could also help the national team qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the playoffs.

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