In England, Ivory Coast’s Eric Bertrand Bailly scored one of Manchester United’s four goals as the Red Devils romped to a 4-0 win over Swansea City. Jordan Ayew, the other African in the tie starred for the entirety of the fixture.
DR Congo’s Benik Afobe made it to the starting line-up but got hauled off as hosts AFC Bournemouth sunk to a 2-0 defeat to Watford at the Vitality Stadium.
Cameroon’s Allan Nyom and Egypt’s Ahmed Hegazi were crucial in West Bromwich Albion’s 1-0 win over newcomers, Burnley.
At the King Power stadium, deposed champions Leicester City secured the spoils after putting two past Brighton and Albion. Algerian pair Riyad Mahrez and Slimani played a part in the victory as well as Nigeria’s Wilfred Ndidi.
Ghana’s Jeffrey Schulpp was ushered in as fresh legs for Crystal Palace but Senegal’s Sadio Mane was the showman with the Liverpool flyer’s 73rd-minute effort which scooped the points at Anfield.
It was an afternoon of frenzy laced with goal galore as Gabon’s Mario Lemina and Southampton scrapped 3-2 past West Ham in which former Manchester United’s marksman, Hernandez scored the Hammers’ two goals.
At the Bet365, Arsene Wenger endured an evening to forget after the Gunners were gunned down by Stoke City who also had Cameroon’s Choupo-Moting and Mame Biram Diouf of Senegal.
A step below the EPL, Guinea’s Idrissa Sylla was a super-sub, sinking in a last-gasp effort to ensure QPR triumph over Hull City.
Switching to the Wembley Stadium, it required a Marco Alonso brace to get Victor Moses and Chelsea winning over Tottenham Hotspurs. Kenya’s Victor Wanyama raked up minutes under his belt for Spurs.
Germany
Ludovic Lamine Sane was as expected, a regular but the Senegalese international couldn’t help prevent Werder Bremen from losing their opening Bundesliga game (1-0) to Hoffenheim.
Salomon Kalou emerged victor over DR Congo’s Chadrac Bekalo as Hertha BSC spanked Stuttgart 2-0.
Former African Player of the year, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the ground running again and was one of the scorers as Dortmund beat Wolfsburg 3-0.
Nabil Bentaleb of Algeria netted from the spot-kick as Schalke gave last-season’s revelations RB Leipzig, a 2-0 beating in which Guinea’s Naby Deco Keita got booked.
France
Bordeaux came from behind to force a share of the points against Lyon. Burkina Faso international Bertrand Traore was on the score sheet for Lyon at the Groupama OL.
In another Ligue schedule, Algeria’s Isaad Idriss scored in Starsbourg’s 1-1 tie with Montpellier while DR Congo’s Firmin Mubele grabbed a brace in Rennes-Dijon’s 2-2 stalemate.
Nigeria-born defender Chidozie Collins Awazeim got sent off with only 34 minutes ticking, forcing Nantes to play the rest of the game with ten men who went on to stage a late rally to steal the points.
Cameroon’s Toko Ekambi was the go-to-guy for Angers SCO, rescuing a draw for the side after fellow Indomitable Lions, Clinton Njie spurred Marseille ahead earlier.
Belgium
Dodi Lukebakio (DR Congo) and Senegal duo Amara Baby and Cristophe Diandy formed the core of Sporting Charleroi’s side that thumped Genk 1-0.
Nana Opoku Ampomah is proving to be invaluable for Waasland-Beveren this season making most of his starting games. The 21-year-old Ghanaian midfielder scored for Beveren but his side tumbled to Lokeren in a 3-2 loss with Algeria’s Mehdi Terki stabbing home one of the latter’s three goals.
Mbye Leye of Senegal in his 13th season in Belgium’s top tier fired in the opener with Ghana’s youngster Eric Ocansey securing the other goal as AS Eupen downed KV Oostende 2-1. The 34-year-old notched 16 goals the previous term.
France-born and Desert Foxes’ attacker Sofiane Hanni had a goal disallowed after being flagged offside in a five-goal-thriller in which Sint-Truiden beat Anderlecht 3-2.
Club Brugge was on the cusp of slaloming past Kortrijk 2-1 with Mali’s Abdoulaye Diaby the scorer of the second goal.
Chinese Super League
AFCON-winning Cameroon captain Benjamin Moukandjo, is in no mood to apply the brakes on his current goal scoring form after the striker struck his fourth goal of the season in Jiangsu Suing’s 4-0 battering of bottom-placed and Bubacarr Trawally’s Yanbian Funde.
Finland
Nigeria’s Phillip Njoku poked in his second goal as Inter-Turku tore PS Kemi to tatters with a 5-1 scoreline. Gambia international left-back Abdoulie Mansally secured Kemi’s consolation goal.
Mansally’s compatriot Demba Savage was a thorn in JJK’s side throughout on Sunday, scoring two of table-topping HJK’s four goals.
Featured Photo: Cameroon’s Allan Nyom was crucial in West Bromwich Albion’s 1-0 win. (Getty Images)
