Italy's happy hunting grounds

Mohammed Kallon is putting pressure on Ronaldo

Italy has finally discovered the great talent of Mohammed Kallon.

The Sierra Leone forward has scored five goals in the first five games of the season for Inter, and is currently joint top scorer in the Italian league.

Inter are also top of the table, level on points with Juventus and AC Milan.

Kallon is proving a saving grace for Inter Milan, who are missing their two first choice strikers.

Ronaldo is still recovering after nearly two years out through injury, and Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba is serving a ban until June 2002 for falsifying his nationality.

Kallon is now in the perfect position to renegotiate his contract with Inter.

He refused to enter discussions about renewing it at the beginning of the season, and in the space of a few weeks has proved how valuable he is to the club.

Top striker

Although the contract runs until 2005, Inter will be keen to make sure they retain his services, though they may have to up his salary significantly.

Kallon is paid £6,000 a week, while his banned team-mate Recoba earns ten times that amount, despite not playing.

If he keeps up his with his goalscoring exploits it could be difficult for Inter to drop him once Ronaldo and Recoba are available again.

Kallon is not the only African riding high in Italy.

Christian Manfredini

Christian Manfredini has had a great start with Chievo, the newly promoted minnows of Verona.

They have stunned Serie A and lie fourth in the table in what is their first ever top level campaign.

Manfredini was born in Port Bouet, Ivory Coast, and arrived in Italy when he was four years old. He was adopted by a family in Puglia.

Last year Manfredini, whose African name is Sisostre, visited Ivory Coast for the first time and said he fell in love with his native country.

The good news for Ivorians is that he is still eligible to play with the Elephants.