 Nonda can finish top of the goal charts |
Shabani Nonda has been the pre-eminent African in France's Le Championnat. Going into the final round of games of the season this Saturday, Nonda is the best goalscorer in the league.
The Democratic Republic of Congo international has notched up 23 goals, two ahead of Portuguese international Pauleta.
Nonda also scored for his club Monaco, as they beat Sochaux to win the league cup last Saturday.
Tony Sylva and Souleymane Camara also picked up winner's medals. But it has been a frustrating season for the Senegalese pair.
Lyon and Mali's Mamadou Diarra has had a much happier time this season.
The midfielder played 27 games as Lyon retained the title they won last season.
Another player with a smile on his face is Didier Drogba.
The Ivorian international has been one of the revelations of the season, scoring 15 goals to hoist minnows Guingamp into fifth place.
Unsurprisingly, Drogba won't be staying around much longer.
"I plan to leave at the end of the season," he said.
Henri Camara also plans to jump ship.
His club Sedan look likely to get relegated, but without the Senegal World Cup star's 13 goals they could go into freefall, from which it would be hard to recover.
Nonda, Drogba and Henri Camara are the only Africans to knock in more than 10 goals this season.
Nigerian forward John Utaka started off well, but with a game left has only eight strikes to his name for disappointing Lens.
The best African at the North-Eastern club has undoubtedly been Mali's Seydou Keita, while Senegal's Pape Bouba Diop missed much of the year with a stomach muscle injury.
Another injured Senegalese player is full back Omar Daf.
He missed the second half of the season after being voted into influential French newspaper L'Equipe's team of 2002.
 Fadiga has been inconsistent this season |
The African contingent at Auxerre faced mixed fortunes, typified by the extremely talented but frustratingly inconsistent Khalilou Fadiga.
Fadiga's Senegal colleague Amdy Faye has been better, and is attracting attention from English clubs.
Zimbabwe's Benjamin Mwaruwari started like a train before finishing like a snail, while Ivorian Kanga Akale, bought at Christmas to back up Fadiga, did just that.
Two young Guineans impressed this year: Pascal Feindouno at Bordeaux, and Fode Mansare at Montpellier.
Troyes' Algerian contingent suffered however.
The six Desert Warriors were unable to stop their club, a UEFA Cup campaigner a couple of years back, sliding into League 2.
Finally, two midfielders deserve a mention.
Sylvain Ndiaye has been unable to impose himself with the Lions of Senegal, but has been in sparkling form at Lille, and looks set to move to Paris St. Germain in the summer.
Ghana's Michael Essien has been even better.
Many observers conclude the Bastia defensive midfielder is the best African in France, and a host of French and foreign clubs are following his every move.
MMIX
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