Konyaspor: 4 goals in 25 matches, Jackson Muleka's worst European season | OneFootball

Konyaspor: 4 goals in 25 matches, Jackson Muleka's worst European season

Konyaspor: 4 goals in 25 matches, Jackson Muleka's worst European season

Congo striker Jackson Muleka found the back of the net again this weekend in the Turkish league, opening the scoring for Konyaspor against Kasimpasa. That goal brings his tally to 4 for the season—a stat that starkly illustrates a particularly challenging campaign for the former DR Congo Leopards prodigy.

With just 3 goals in 22 matches, Jackson Muleka is enduring one of the toughest seasons of his European career. Once hailed as one of the most promising Congolese forwards, he is now struggling to recapture his clinical edge in front of goal.

Season after season, the striker has drifted further from his peak form. Inconsistency and disciplinary issues have repeatedly stalled his progress, leading to a decline in both his performances and attacking impact.

A downward trajectory over recent seasons

The numbers tell the story of this gradual decline. In the 2023-2024 campaign, Muleka scored 7 goals with Beşiktaş JK. The previous season, 2022-2023, he finished with 5 goals for the same club. His standout season remains 2021-2022, when he netted 14 times for Kasımpaşa SK—a statistical high point he has yet to match in Europe. Since then, he hasn’t managed to cross the symbolic 10-goal mark in any single season. It’s a reality that clashes with the expectations once held for him after he broke out in the Belgian league before joining Standard Liège.

A striker searching for a second wind

Long tipped as a future attacking leader for the Leopards, Muleka is now trying to revive his career. His recent goal could be the spark that reignites his confidence. But if he hopes to reclaim his status as a top striker, the Congolese international will need to rediscover the consistency and finishing touch that made him one of Africa’s breakout stars in Europe in the early 2020s.