PulseSports30: Osimhen dethrones Lookman as Dessers make top 5

PulseSports30 makes a return for the fourth year, recognising the 30 best-performing Nigerian footballers from the 2024/2025 football season.

A non-discriminatory annual ranking, PulseSports30 considers footballers of Nigerian heritage who performed excellently either in Africa, Asia, Europe, North/South America, or Oceania.

We started the rollout on Monday, and now it is time to reveal our top five, including the winner of this year’s PulseSports30. 

The 2024/2025 season was important for the growth of Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers, who featured in 55 games for Rangers, scoring an impressive 29 goals and adding 7 assists across all competitions.

The Belgian-born forward was one of the bright spots for Rangers, even though they fell short of the Scottish Premiership title, finishing second.

Following an impressive season, Dessers made a return to the Super Eagles setup after a long absence. He helped Nigeria win the Unity Cup and scored in the game against arch rivals Ghana.

To wrap up the season, Dessers got married and is expected to make a big move, capitalising on his success last season.

Tolu Arokodare emerged as one of the most promising talents in African football during the 2024-2025 season, both for Genk and the Nigerian national team.

In the Belgian Pro League alone, he scored 21 goals (23 goals and 7 assists across all competitions), making him the top scorer and finishing in the top five for assists. He received the Ebony Shoe award for the best African player in Belgium.

His heroic season saw Eric Chelle hand him his Super Eagles debut against Rwanda. Arokodare would later rescue Nigeria, scoring the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Russia in a friendly match.

The lanky forward was also a key player as Nigeria won the Unity Cup in London after a penalty shootout win against Jamaica. His performances this season have made him a target for several top teams across Europe.

Super Eagles and Nottingham Forest full-back Ola Aina had a remarkable season with his side, having helped them challenge for a European ticket. 

The full-back was one of the best defenders in the Premier League; with his performance, he won Nottingham Forest's Player of the Month award for November.

Aina also won Forest’s Goal of the Month award in November after his stunning strike against West Ham United.

The Nigerian international also helped his club keep the highest number of clean sheets in the Premier League, tied with Arsenal (13).

Ademola Lookman delivered a stellar 2024/25 campaign, not just for Atalanta but on the continental stage, scoring 15 goals and providing 5 assists in 31 Serie A matches, contributing to a total of 20-goal involvements across all competitions.

His all-around attacking threat — 0.60 goals per 90 and 0.8 goal involvements per game, placed him among the most efficient forwards in Italy. Crucially, Lookman’s contributions helped Atalanta secure a return to the UEFA Champions League and finish third in Serie A.

Complementing his club success, Lookman was crowned the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year in the 2024/25 season, becoming the seventh Nigerian to win and underscoring his influence beyond Europe.

Between elite club performance and continental recognition, Lookman’s 2024/25 season firmly stakes his claim among the best Nigerian footballers of this generation.

After everything he had already done, it should be unfair for Victor Osimhen to be made to prove himself, but that was what the 2024/25 season was for him, and he passed with flying colours.

After his CAF POTY win, Osimhen was part of a Napoli squad that displayed the worst title defence in history. He had battled injuries and could not reach the levels he had reached in the previous campaign. All of this meant that he failed to secure his dream move in the summer of 2024 and was shipped out on loan to Galatasaray. 

Osimhen rose from the proverbial ashes like a phoenix, making the most of his situation at Galatasaray by leading the Cim-Bom to a domestic double in record-breaking fashion.  

He scored 37 goals for Galatasaray last season, 26 of which came in the league, helping himself to the Golden Boot. He also provided eight assists, totalling a whopping 45 goal contributions.

Click here to see players ranked from 6-10