Only Osimhen Can Break My Turkey Record – Diagne

In a candid and heartfelt interview with Turkish daily Vatan, former Senegal international striker Mbaye Diagne has declared that his long-standing record as the highest-scoring foreign player in a single Turkish Süper Lig season remains nearly untouchable – but if anyone were to break it, he would only accept one man doing so: Galatasaray’s current hitman, Victor Osimhen.

Diagne set the formidable benchmark during the 2018–2019 campaign, a season split between two Istanbul clubs. First, he tore apart defenses while on loan at Kasımpaşa, netting an astonishing 20 goals in just 17 matches before the winter break.

Then, following a high-profile move to Galatasaray, he added another 10 goals in 12 appearances, bringing his seasonal total to a record 30 strikes – the most ever by a foreign player in Turkey’s top flight.

Now, more than half a decade later, Diagne still watches the league with a sense of pride and a touch of possessiveness. Speaking with a broad smile, he said: “I’m happy – very happy. I scored a lot of goals, and I’m proud to be the top scorer here. Nobody has broken my record in the Süper Lig. And honestly? They probably won’t be able to.”

“I could only accept it if my friend Osimhen broke it,” Diagne emphasised. “For anyone else, it is impossible. But for him? I would be the first to congratulate him.”

The numbers, however, suggest that Osimhen still has work to do. As of now, the explosive forward has found the net 15 times in the Süper Lig this season, trailing behind his compatriot Paul Onuachu, who leads the scoring charts with 22 goals.

Yet Diagne’s faith in Osimhen remains unshaken – perhaps because he knows that a fully fit and firing Osimhen, backed by Galatasaray’s creative midfield, can produce the kind of ruthless finishing that once defined Diagne’s own golden year.

Diagne’s remarks have added a layer of intrigue to the title race and the Golden Boot battle. While many pundits point to Onuachu as the likelier challenger to the record, the Senegalese legend’s personal blessing for Osimhen underscores the deep mutual respect between two powerful African strikers who once wore the same yellow-and-red jersey.

Whether Osimhen can surge past 30 goals in the remaining fixtures remains uncertain – but he now carries not just the hopes of Galatasaray fans, but the symbolic endorsement of the very man whose record he is chasing.