The 2023-2024 African crop in La Liga was one of the most exceptional ever seen in Spain.Samuel Chukwueze sold to AC Milan for 28 million euros, Nicolas Jackson went to Chelsea for 37 million and El Bilal Touré joined Fiorentina for 32 million. Now that the latter have left, other Africans are taking over.
Will Abde Ezzalzouli show his class in La Liga with Barça?
The African armada that made its mark last season is back in action. And for SNA, there are players to watch this season in La Liga. They are Iñaki Williams, Youssef En-Nesiry (if he isn't sold at the end of the mercato) and Abde Ezzalzouli. Alongside these 3 players, 2 other established talents from France who have joined the Spanish league could make their mark in La Liga: Hamari Traoré, a transfer from Rennes, and Jonathan Bamba, formerly of Lille.
Iñaki Williams: Consistency incarnate in La Liga
The Ghanaian international is one of the Spanish league's most established players.On the eve of his 9th season, it's only natural that he should be listed among the most eagerly-awaited African players. Williams is coming off a very good second half of the season. He scored 10 league goals and provided 3 assists in 36 games for Bilbao. An improvement on his standards, which hovered around 7 to 8 goals and 6 to 7 assists in recent seasons, with a peak in 2018-2019 of 13 goals and 4 assists. Overall in La Liga, he has played 308 games, scoring 64 goals and providing 35 assists. Iñaki Williams seems to have gained in maturity after his World Cup with Ghana. Following on from his successful season, will he improve his statistics?Given his potential, he has every chance of doing so.
Youssef En-Nesiry: the rebirth of the Cherifian
Youssef En-Nesiry is another of the championship's expected African adventurers.He enjoyed a renaissance (8 league goals during the season) at the World Cup after a season and a half of doubt with Seville. In the wake of the Moroccan epic, he continued his fine form throughout the season.He rediscovered his striker's instinct, and showed off his relaxed approach on the pitch. With his new-found confidence, he is expected to confirm his promise this season and do as well as he did in 2020-2021, when he scored 18 goals.In fact, he opened his goal account on Matchday 1 against Valencia (home loss 1-2). At the start of this campaign, he was one of the league's renowned strikers.
Abde Ezzalzouli: a promise to be confirmed in La Liga
Abde Ezzalzouli has left his mark on the 2022-2023 La Liga season with his technique and goals for Osasuna. For the time being, this has earned him a place in the plans of FC Barcelona, who sent him out on loan to sharpen his skills.He has already shown good promise on tour, with some good games and a few goals. Last year, he scored 4 goals and gave 2 assists. This put him on the radar of several clubs, the most insistent of which was Bayer Leverkusen.Winning the AFCON U23 with Morocco gave him a boost of confidence. And his return to training with Barca ahead of schedule shows his determination to have a successful year.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL BY Abde
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli! (4-2, min. 45+3) 🇲🇦⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/V936kMGG0w— AkramPRO (@iamAkramPRO) August 8, 2023
Hamari Traoré: A first experience outside France
Malian international Hamari Traoré (31) has been a consistent performer for Stade Rennais, holding down a starting berth under a number of different coaches, culminating as captain. At the end of his 6-year contract, he was inundated with offers. But he decided to leave his comfort zone to join Real Sociedad in Spain. His considerable experience, consistency and size make him a player who is eagerly awaited this season.
Jonathan Bamba: An under-used talent takes off?
Ivorian Jonathan Bamba is another Ligue 1 talent, albeit intermittent in his performances.But there's no doubting his talent.After 5 seasons with LOSC, the last of which included 6 goals and 7 assists, the 27-year-old is about to write another chapter in his life at Celta Vigo. It's an opportunity for the player to take his game to the next level.The more open game in Spain could allow him to further showcase his immense talent.A player to keep an eye on in the league.
