24-year Guinea international Alhassane Keita wasn’t deserving sitting on the losing end in
St. Pölten’s 2-1 defeat to third-placed Austria Wien in Austria’s Bundesliga as Nigeria’s Bright Osagie Edomwonyi had a 28-minute run in table-toppers Strum Graz’s narrow 1-0 victory over Salzburg.
Cameroon midfielder Moumi Nicolas Brice Ngamaleu scored his first goal for Rheindorf Altach after 28 minutes ticked as the Cash Point outfit swaggered over Wolfsberger AC.
Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi of Nigeria had his ninth start for Genk, fielded as a defensive midfielder providing ceil to the back-four fronted by Gambia captain Omar Colley while teammate and Ghana’s Bernard Yao Kumordzi joined the fray from the bench in the 79th minute as The Smurfs trampled on Mechelen 2-1 to secure their third win of the season in week nine of the Belgian Jupiler Pro League.
Still in the same league, Ivory Coast’s Chris Vianney Bedia hammered home a decisive lone goal as Sporting Charleroi sashayed defeated Club Brugge. The 20-year-old is making most of his chances in the top flight having spent the previous year playing second fiddle football in France. His beauty on Friday was his third goal of the campaign in three consecutive games for The Zebras.
Mbaye Diagne of Senegal nicked in his 29th career goal and 8th of the season after scoring both goals in Tianjin’s 2-1 banging of Yanbian Funde in China’s Super League.
In Denmark, Bubacarr Sanneh of Gambia got on the score sheet before getting hauled off in the 58th minute owing to a suspected injury as his Horsens of a side let slip a lone goal lead after AGF equalized via Danny Olsen’s 63rd minute strike.
Modou Barrow who tormented Arsenal on his EPL debut last year was at it again, working up the Gunners defense and securing an assist in a match Swansea lost 3-2 to Arsenal before a 60,000 plus strong spectator turn out at the Emirates Stadium today.
Senegal’s Cheikou Kouyate comprised a three-man West Ham defense as gaffer Bilic’s men strolled over Crystal Palace with a Lazini’s 19th minute effort aiding the Hammers’ bid to stay away from the relegation zone.
Indomitable Lions Allan Romeo Nyom and Kenya’s Victor Wanyama each starred, in another EPL fixture, in Tottenham and Westbromwich Albion 1-1 stalemate at the Hawthorns Park. Spurs are yet to concede defeat in a streak of eight games and sit second as of today this though hinges on outcome of Liverpool’s clash against Manchester United billed for Monday.
On loan Manchester City and Ivory Coast attacker Wilfred Bony is beginning to hear alarm bells owing to his profligacy in front of goal having clocked 394 minutes of football for Stoke City.
Didier Ndong Ibrahim, Pape Djilobodji, Victor Chinedu Anichebe and South Africa’s Steven Pienaar, the other Africans on Sunderland’s roster, all got involved for The Black Cats while a much overlooked Mame Biram Diouf was only good to watch from the bench as The Potters subjected the North East side to its sixth lost of the league.
Nigeria’s Kelechi Ikeanacho got his third start under Guardiola before being replaced by a returning Aguero as a Toffees outfit making up Senegal’s Idrissa Gana Gueye and Congo DR’s Bolasie tied table-topping Manchester City on 1-1.
Egypt’s Ahmed El Mohamady impotently watched his team Hull City torn to tatters by Bournemouth. The Cherries gave The Tigers a footballing lesson to forget, raining six on Hull at the Vitality Stadium effectively reducing Marrison’s 34th minute equalizer to nothing.
Victor Moses was the sole African at the Stamford Bridge, scoring the third goal for Chelsea in the Blues’ comprehensive 3-0 romping of champions Leicester City. Algeria duo Mahrez and Slimani as well as Schulpp and Ahmed Musa of Ghana and Nigeria respectively were all involved for The Foxes.
Guy-Roland N’Dy Assembé was part of Nanacy’s regiment of troop that gave PSG an early scare before the title holders’ moment of magic, through a Cavani’s goal, earned coach Mery’s charges the spoils.
Porto reject and Ivory Coast’s Jean Micheal Seri was the unsung hero in Nice 2-0 triumph over Lyon on Friday while Guinea’s Issaiga Sylla and Burkina Faso’s Yago formed the Toulouse side that shocked Monaco 3-1 at the Stadium Municipal.
In Germany, emerging Gambian player Ousman Manneh got his first Bundesliga goal in Werder Bremen’s 2-1 rare thrill over Bayer Leverkusen. Manneh, whose story we’ve chronicled on this page, made the breakthrough to the first team this year from the reserves after joining the club last year on a long-term contract.
The 19-year-old is on a stretch of four games, all as a starter thanks to gaffer Nouri’s trust in youth. Landing in Germany as an undocumented immigrant seeking an improved life, Ousman is living the dream and is the first player from the West African nation to score in the German Bundesliga.
Algeria’s Bentaleb was another first-time scorer in the Bundesliga grabbing the opener for Schalke – an advantage Augsburg’s Baier would later cancel out in the 77th minute in a showdown ending 1-1. Still in Germany, Syli Nationale’s Ibrahim Traore climbed off the substitutes’ bench as a 46th minute replacement for Hermann in Borussia M’gladbach goalless stalemate with struggling Hamburger SV.
In Italy, Morocco’s Benatia was part of The Old Lady’s back-line that kept off Udinese as Juve cruised to a 2-1 win.
Libya’s pride a certain UK-born Ahmad Benali got substituted limping off the pitch in agony as Serie A newcomers Pescara drew Sampdoria 1-1. Mohamed Salah proved a thorn in Naploi’s flesh, playing a part in the 3-1 demolition in a top-of-the-table battle. It was the Egyptian’s fourth of the new season. Kalilou Koulibaly of Senegal attempted to launch a comeback for The Little Donkeys but his 58th minute effort was rendered meaningless after Salah’s goal and Edin Dzeko’s brace.
Seydou Doumbia made it seven goals in nine appearances while teammate and compatriot Sereso Geoffroy Die minded the middle of the park for Basel in Switzerland’s Super League as the nineteen times title winners routed third-from-bottom Luzern.
In Spain, Nigeria’s Uche Agbo was brought in a damage limitation strategy that suffered a spectacular failure as La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid annihilated Granada 7-1 in a weekend goal galore that had Real rubbishing Betis 6-1 as Barcalona trounced Depotivo La Coruna 4-0.
Senegal’s Magaye Gueye notched in his second for Adanaspor but Burkina’s Abdul Razak Traore and Bosnia’s Ezec ensured Karabükspor move to third in the 18-team Turkish Super Lig today afternoon.
Featured Photo: Ousman Manneh– Courtesy of Bundesliga English Twitter page
