The African duo of Zambian striker Rachael Kundananji and Nigerian superstar Asisat Oshoala has been a match in terms of finding the back of the net this season.
The Copper Queen has registered 19 league goals this season for Madrid CFF in the Spanish women’s top flight. Oshoala on the hand has 20 goals to her name.
However, Bolanews presents the list of five female African players with the most goals in the French, German, Spanish, English, and Italian leagues combined.
1. Asisat Oshoala: 20 goals (Spain)
Oshoala has continued to shine in Europe since her big move to FC Barcelona Femeni. The Super Falcon registered her 20th league goal of the season in a 3-0 win over Sporting Hueva on Sunday. This was the second consecutive league season in which Oshoala bulged the back of the net on 20 occasions. Her late goal helped crown FC Barcelona as league champions for the 8th time overall and the 4th time in succession. The five-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year has now won 11 pieces of silverware with the Catalan club.
2. Rachael Kundananji: 19 goals (Spain)
Following her transfer from SD Eibar to Madrid CFF in the summer, Kundananji has been tearing the Spanish Women’s League apart. The Zambian international notched her 19th league goal in a tightly contested Madrid Derby between Madrid CFF and Real Madrid. The 22-year-old was a nuisance to Real Madrid on the night, who were just coming off losing the title race to Oshoala’s FC Barcelona. The African pair of Oshoala and Kundananji will be keen on catching league top scorer Alba Redondo, who sits at 24 goals.
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3. Tabitha Chawinga: 18 goals (Italy)
Just over 500 miles from Kundananji’s birthplace, Ndola, is Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, which produced another prolific goal machine, Tabitha Chawinga. Defenses in Italy have fallen at the mercy of the Malawian international. She has scored 18 league goals for Inter this season. If the Scorchers captain continues to find the back of the net that often, it’s not long before European powerhouses come chasing after her signature.
4. Rosemonde Kouassi: 9 goals (France)
No African player has scored more goals in UEFA’s highest-ranked women’s league than Kouassi. The Ivorian international has nine league goals to her name in the French women’s league this season. Her club, Fleury 91, currently sits in a UEFA Champions League qualification spot behind Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain in the table. The 21-year-old’s goal-scoring ability will be relied upon if Fleury 91 are to shake off the competition from the clubs just below them.
5. Rasheedat Ajibade: 9 goals (Spain)
Ajibade is the third African top scorer in the Spanish women’s league, behind fellow Madrid-based striker Kundananji and Nigerian compatriot Oshoala. The diminutive forward has scored nine top-flight goals this season for Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. She is currently on a contract that will keep her at the club until 2025.
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The FIFA Women’s World Cup is around the corner, and stars like Oshoala, Kundananji, and Ajibade carry huge expectations from their country. Nigeria will come up against the hosts, Australia, the Republic of Ireland, and Canada in Group B.
The Copper Queens face the likes of Spain, Costa Rica, and Japan in Group C, while 2022 WAFCON finalists South Africa and Morocco are in Groups G and H, respectively.