It was another weekend of fascinating football across Europe with several African players resuming duties for their respective clubs for the 2018/2019 league season.
Ducor Sports brings you a roundup of African players’ involvement over the weekend.
England
After the closure of the summer transfer window, the new English Premiere League on Friday, August 10 kicked off with Manchester United bagging the first three points with a 2-1 win against Leicester City at Old Trafford.
Ivorian international Eric Bailly did what he does best and was able to deliver another brilliant performance in United’s defense.
Nigeria’s duo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi and Ghana’s Daniel Amartey formed part of Leicester starting eleven. However, their involvement could not help the 2016 champions to avoid defeat.
At Anfield, Mohammed Sallah, Sadio Mane are back to their normal duties, this time around, backed by Guinea’s Naby Keita who made his debut for Liverpool over the weekend.
The African trio helped Liverpool make a flying start with a 4-0 win against West Ham United.
Sallah scored the opener in the 19th minute before Mane doubled the lead and completing up a brace in the 53rd minute. This was followed by Daniel Sturridge’s late goal.
Ivory Coast Wilfred Zaha and Ghana’s Jeffrey Schlupp were the heroes at Craven Cottage-the home ground of Fulham FC.
A goal in each half from the African duo was enough for Crystal Palace to collect their first win against newly promoted Fulham.
After joining The Eagles during the summer transfer, Senegalese Kouyate made his debut after he was introduced in the 88th minute.
A step down the EPL, DR Congo’s Britt Assombalonga was the got-to-guy, winning it for Middlesbrough with his solitary goal against Birmingham City.
It was a similar story at the City Ground with Algeria’s goal assassin Hilel El Arb Soudani sealing all points for Nottingham Forest against Modou Barrow’s Reading.
It wasn’t a happy ending for Nigeria’s Eberechi Eze who watched his brilliant opener for Queens Park Rangers reduced to a consolation following Sheffield United’s late rally to strike twice.
Still in the English Championship, DR Congo Benik Afobe made it two straight goals in two games, netting for Stoke City prior to Bentford leveling matters via Watkins
France
It was a tough start of the season for several African players plying their trade in the French League.
However, it was a perfect debut for Tunisian attacker, Wahbi Khazri in Saint-Étienne’s opening match against Guingamp. The 27-year-old who joined from Rennes, scored the opener in his new club’s 2-1 triumph over the weekend.
Norway
Ivorian attacker Franck Boli scored his fifth league goal for Stabæk in Norway’s top flight league. The 24-year-old scored the opener in the 52nd minute but his opponents got the consolation in the 59th minute.
USA
Over to the Major League Soccer, Ghanaian midfielder Bismark Adjei-Boateng has been unlucky to score his first goal for Colorado Rapids since he joined the club last season from Norwegian club Strømsgodset.
Interestingly, his first career goal in MLS came at the right time over the weekend. At one-all after the full 90 minutes, Adjei-Boateng scored a last-gasp goal with three minutes left of added time.
Guinea-Bissau’s attacker Gerso Fernandes was on target for Sporting KC in their 2-0 win against Los Angeles FC. He grabbed the opener in the 17th minute.
Still in MLS, age is but a number for Sierra Leone’s Kaiansu Kei Kamara. The 33-year-old attacker made it 10 goals out of 19 appearances when he secured the first goal in Vancouver Whitecaps’ 2-1 win over Portland Timbers.
Senegalese attacker Dominique Badji could have had a great debut for his new club Dallas. The team was down by 1-0 before Badji pulled them on level terms after 52 minutes ticked on the clock, unfortunately, a late effort from Uruguayan Marcelo Benítez stole the show for the Seattle Sounders.
Finland
Gambian attacker Macoumba Kandji continued his scoring streak with a brace in Honka’s 3-0 win against TPS. The 33-year-old Gambian has so far scored 5 goals in his last four games, making it 13 goals in 17 games.
The towering goal-getter and the league’s player of the month gong winner for July, is two goals shy of equaling the current top scorer.
Image: Getty
