Kelechi Iheanacho leads Nigerian goal scorers in Europe with 16 goals as Osimhen, Arokodare, Dessers and Gift Orban enjoy strong seasons

Nigerian forwards are enjoying impressive starts to the 2026/27 season across European football, with Kelechi Iheanacho leading the scoring chart ahead of Victor Osimhen, Tolu Arokodare, Cyriel Dessers and Gift Orban.

Also read: Yamal Hails Messi as Best Player at 2026 World Cup

Iheanacho has scored 16 goals in 12 appearances for Turkish club Bursaspor since joining as a free agent in the summer, establishing himself as the standout Nigerian goalscorer so far this season.

Osimhen and Arokodare have each recorded nine goals, while Dessers has also reached the same tally despite injury problems.

Orban follows with eight goals, highlighting the growing Nigerian influence across several European leagues.

Iheanacho has made a remarkable start to life at Bursaspor, scoring in each of his first 12 appearances and contributing three assists.

His latest goal came in the club’s 4-2 victory away to Keçiörengücü on October 25.

The forward collected the ball near the edge of the penalty area, created space with a dribble and fired home five minutes into the second half to put his side ahead 3-2.

The victory marked Bursaspor’s third consecutive league win and their fourth in five matches, lifting them above Kayserispor to the top of the Turkish 1. Lig with 28 points.

The 30-year-old, however, limped off late in the match. Coach Mustafa Er reportedly described the problem as minor, explaining that the substitution was precautionary.

Iheanacho has already surpassed the 12 league goals he scored for Leicester City in the 2020/21 season, previously his best return in a league campaign.

His current form could strengthen his prospects of returning to the Super Eagles squad ahead of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania.

Victor Osimhen has registered nine goals and three assists in nine appearances for Galatasaray, despite missing around five weeks through injury.

The Nigerian striker has returned to form for the Turkish champions, scoring his first Champions League goal of the season in their 4-2 victory away to Lille.

He subsequently scored both goals in Galatasaray’s 2-1 derby win over Fenerbahçe on Monday, finding the net in the 29th and 44th minutes.

The result put Galatasaray six points clear at the top of the Turkish Süper Lig with 22 points, according to the report.

Osimhen also extended his impressive record against Fenerbahçe, taking his tally to five goals in six appearances against the rivals without suffering a defeat in those matches.

His return to scoring form is a significant boost for Galatasaray as they pursue another league title and compete in Europe.

Tolu Arokodare has also scored nine goals and supplied three assists in 14 appearances for Ajax, where he is spending the season on loan from Wolves.

The 25-year-old joined the Dutch club on July 29 following a difficult first season in England and has quickly established himself as an attacking option.

Four of his goals have come in the Eredivisie, while three were scored in Conference League qualifying, according to the report.

Arokodare reached 100 career goals when he came off the bench to score in Ajax’s 2-0 victory over Atalanta on October 22.

Three days later, he scored the winner in a 2-1 away victory over Sparta Rotterdam, finishing into the far corner just before half-time following a counter-attack involving Julian Brandt.

He also struck the woodwork later in the match as Ajax moved up to second in the table.

Despite completing 90 minutes only three times in all competitions and recently experiencing illness, Arokodare has scored in five of his last seven league appearances.

Ajax are also reportedly interested in making his move permanent.

Cyriel Dessers has scored nine goals in 14 appearances for Panathinaikos, continuing to contribute despite injury difficulties.

Four of his goals came in the Conference League qualifiers, where he did not start any of the matches, before he added a brace against Kairat in the competition’s league phase.

His latest goal was the winner in Panathinaikos’ 1-0 victory away to Volos on October 25. The strike extended his scoring run to four consecutive matches.

The 31-year-old former Rangers forward said after the game that his team needed to become more clinical and finish matches earlier, while expressing confidence in his growing partnership with his teammates.

Dessers missed the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations because of injury, but his current form could strengthen his case for a recall to the Super Eagles.

Gift Orban has recorded eight goals and four assists since joining Amedspor on loan from Hoffenheim in the summer.

The 24-year-old has been instrumental in the Turkish side’s strong start following promotion, scoring a brace against Kasımpaşa and a hat-trick against Başakşehir.

He also scored and provided an assist in a 3-2 victory over Beşiktaş, with his goal earning the Turkish Süper Lig’s Goal of the Month award for September.

Orban’s latest contribution came in Amedspor’s 2-1 win away to Samsunspor on October 24.

He converted a 73rd-minute penalty and set up another goal as the team reached 20 points from nine matches.

Amedspor briefly moved to the top of the table before Galatasaray’s derby victory returned the latter to first place.

Orban is also level with Trabzonspor’s Mohamed Salah on eight league goals at the top of the Turkish scoring chart, according to the report.

Rafiu Durosinmi has scored seven goals since joining Belgian club Genk from Italian side Pisa in the summer for a reported club-record fee of €10.5m.

Six of his goals have come in the Belgian league, while his seventh was scored in a 2-0 Belgian Cup victory over Virton on October 18.

The 23-year-old scored on his debut with a header from a Junya Ito cross and later converted a penalty in a 3-2 comeback win over Westerlo.

He also found the net in four consecutive matches, including games against Royal Antwerp and Beveren.

Durosinmi has set himself a target of scoring at least 20 goals this season and hopes to challenge for the league’s Golden Boot.

His form represents a turnaround from his time at Pisa, where he scored once in 12 Serie A appearances.

Before moving to Italy, he recorded 35 goals in 86 matches for Viktoria Plzeň. Genk have handed him a contract running until 2030.

Akor Adams has scored four goals and supplied one assist in nine appearances for Venezia, making an encouraging start to his campaign.

One of his most notable contributions was the winning goal in Venezia’s 1-0 upset of Napoli.

He had previously scored against Fiorentina in September and also contributed two goals and an assist in two Coppa Italia appearances.

The Super Eagles forward will be hoping to maintain his scoring form and help Venezia improve their league position.

Meanwhile, Abraham Marcus has recorded four goals and two assists in nine appearances for Portuguese side Estrela Amadora.

All four goals have come in the league, where he has contributed five goal involvements in eight appearances. He has also registered an assist in the Taça de Portugal.

The 26-year-old spent several years on the fringes at Porto, but his early-season performances suggest he is making progress at his new club.

Also read: Yamal Hails Messi as Best Player at 2026 World Cup

With Iheanacho leading the way and several other forwards producing consistent returns, Nigerian attackers are making their presence felt across European football in the 2026/27 campaign.