Boulaye Dia’s strike delays Napoli’s title celebrations

Ayomikun Elemikan Sports 30/04/2023

Napoli will have to wait a little longer in order to celebrate winning the Serie A title after their 1-1 draw against Salernitana at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Naples club was primed to claim the coveted Italian top flight crown after leading the table for most of the season.

Napoli are delicately poised to clinch the 2022/2023 Italian Serie A title (Image: @Squawka_Live)

Victor Osimhen’s club headed into the weekend needing a win against their opponents and also needing Inter Milan to defeat Lazio – a job the Nerazzurri did well, beating their foes 3-1 earlier in the day.

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After a drab first half with no goals, the home side shot into the lead when Uruguayan left-back Mathias Oliveira converted Giacomo Raspadori’s pass two minutes past the hour mark.

The stands, filled with anxious, delirious fans sprung into wild jubilation. Their dream, hope expectation and anticipation of 33 years was becoming a reality. All the years of hard work are finally seeming to pay off.

However, the celebrations were cut short when French-born Senegalese forward Boulaye Dia drew one back for the visitors.

Salernitana celebrate their equalizer, ensuring Napoli’s Serie A title celebrations will wait (Image: @ESPNFC)

Dia has had a great season so far, netting 12 times and creating six other goals in 29 outings.

Salernitana also got a late red card in the game when manager Paulo Sousa was handed his marching orders.

Napoli currently lead the Serie A table with 79 points, a massive 18 points ahead of second place Lazio.

Title-winning party postponed

The Neapolitans will not worry too much as Napoli aren’t expected to lose any of their remaining six league games. The champions-elect could even secure the title in their next game.

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Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was solid in goal for Salernitana, denying Napoli a vital win on Sunday afternoon (Image: @ESPNFC)

Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, Georgia’s Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kim Min-Jae, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, energetic captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Piotr Zieliński, and Hirving Lozano are some players who have led the team to the verge of this historic season.

Osimhen leads the race for the Golden Boot with 21 goals in 26 league games. He has also assisted his teammates four times in the Serie A this season.

Delay is not denial as we all await the day Napoli celebrate the Serie A title for the first time since 1990.