African footballers have increasing moved to other continents over the years to seek greener pastures and make more in the beautiful game. This how some of these players performed in the second weekend of April 2019.
England 🏴
Liverpool are in a fierce two horse race with Manchester City to determine who wins the English Premier League. In match Day 33, their African stars were at their best to keep their hopes of an English top flight title for the first time in 29years. Guinean midfielder Naby Keita equalized at the 36th minute after they had gone a goal down against Southampton at Saint Mary’s. Their Egyptian star Mohammed Salah scored his 18th goal of the season when he put them ahead at the 80th minute. They won the game 1-3.
The English Championship was in match Day 40 over the weekend, Stoke City recorded a 0-1 win against Blackburn Rovers. The lone goal for the Potters was scored by Nigerian Oghenekaro Etebo at the 14th minute.
There was a 10th goal of the season for Algerian forward Mohammed Said Benrahma for Brentford in their 3-3 home draw against Derby County. The Algerian has also provided 12 assists in 36 games this season.
Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazy had a game to forget against Millwall. Not only did he score an own goal in his side West Bromwich Albion’s 2-0 loss, at the 66th minute, he was also sent off at the 80th minute.
30 years old Ghanaian right winger Albert Danquah Adomah scored Aston Villa’s second goal away at Sheffield Wednesday. It was his third goal of the season which helped the 1982 European champions to a 1-3 away win.
Italy 🇮🇹
Italian Serie B side Padova lost away to Carpi 2-1, their lone goal was scored by 26years old Nigerian striker Jerry Uche Mbakogu. It was his third of the season.
Still in the Italian Serie B 22 years old Nigerian forward on loan from Roma to Perugia, Umar Sadiq Mesbah scored Perugia’s second goal at the 13th minute in a 2-4 loss to visiting Benevento.
Guinea-Bissauan striker Carlos Apna Embalo managed his second goal of the season at the 29th minute in Corenza’s 1-0 win against Crotone.
Spain 🇪🇸
In the Spanish Segunda Division Malaga lost on the road to Granada, a 47th minute red card from two yellow cards for their Senegalese midfielder Alfred John Momar Ndiaye on loan from Villarreal did not help them at all.
Another Senegalese, Ibrahima Balde was on target for Real Oviedo at the 81st minute in their 1-1 draw against Las Palmas.
Born on January 5, 1984 in Aba, Nigerian striker Ikechukwu Uche put Gimnastic ahead at the 4th minute, before Guinean forward Jose Kante Martinez sealed their 2-0 win at the 90th minute against Numancia.
France 🇫🇷
Bordeaux made sure of all their points against Marseille. Guinean striker Francois Komano gave them the lead from the penalty spot at the 27th minute.
Guingamp and AS Monaco separated on 1-1 draw at the Roudourou. Cameroon defender Felix Eboa Eboa got Guingamp’s goal at the 23rd minute.
Cameroon forward Stephane Bahoken scored his 10th goal of the season at the 52nd minute for Angers in their 3-3 draw against Rennes. Senegalese forward Mbaye Niang got Rennes second at the 59th minute.
Amiens and Saint Etiennes canceled themselves out in a 2-2 draw, Senegalese striker Moussa Konate scored both goals for Amien at the 23rd and 61st minutes respectively.
Guinean full-back Issiaga Sylla scored the lone goal for Toulouse in a precious 1-0 win against Nantes.
Cameroon forward Eric Maxime Choupo-Moting scored the opener for PSG in a 2-2 against Strasbourg at the 13th minute. He was replaced at the 60th minute, but before that replacement he was at the center of an inexplicable miss when he somehow stopped his teammate Christopher Nkunku’s delicate chip of the Toulouse goalkeeper from crossing the line. A win would have handed PSG the league title.
In the French Ligue 2, potential Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo scored his eighth goal of the season by handing Troyes 0-1 win against Valenciennes.
Clermont lost at home to Nancy 2-3, Madagascar striker Faneva Andriatsima scored Clermont’s second at the 90th minute.
Holland
Ajax are now league leaders in the Dutch Eredivisie after their 1-4 win against Willem 11. Ajax scored their fourth goal through their in form Moroccan forward Hakim Ziyech at 70th minute.
PSV lost their first spot after a 3-3 draw with Vitesse. South African midfielder Thulani Serero opened the scoring for Vitesse at the 13th minute.
Belgium 🇧🇪
Oostende made the most of their home advantage by beating KFCO Beerschot Wilrijk 2-1. The consolatory goal for the visitors was scored by their Togolese striker Euloge Meme Placca Fessou.
There was a 2-2 draw between Westerlo and St Truiden. 22 years old South African Kurt Abrahams scored St Truiden’s second at the 77th minute.
Union St Gilloise showed no mercy to visitors Waaland Beveren as they humiliated them 5-1. The home sides Comorian striker Faïs Selemani scored two penalties, at the 28th and 51st minutes before completing his hat-trick at the 65th minute. His Malian teammate Youssoufou Niakaté bagged a brace with goals at the 33rd and 63rd minutes of the game.
Anderlecht fell at home to Royal Antwerp, thanks to goals from Cameroon winger Didier Lamkel Ze at the 39th minute and DRC striker Dieumerci Mbokani at the 83rd minute.
Portugal 🇵🇹
Chaves were on the end of 4-0 bashing from Vitoria Guimaraes. Ghanaian midfielder Alhassan Wakaso got the fourth goal for the home side.
In the Portuguese second tier CD Cova da Piedade beat Academico Viseu 2-1. Their second goal was scored at the 69th minute by South African Thabo Cele.
Academico’s lone strike was scored by Ghanaian forward Kwame Nsor at the 88th minute.
Denmark 🇩🇰
Randers FC drew 1-1 at home with Vendsyssel FF. The goal for Vendsyssel was scored at the 32nd minute by Sierra Leone striker Al-Hadji Kamara.
21 years old Nigerian midfielder Frank Onyeka scored the opener for FC Midtjylland at 47th minute in their 2-2 draw against Esbjerg away from home.
Senegalese international Dame Ndoye scored the lone goal for FC Copenhagen in their 0-1 win against OB.
Sweden 🇸🇪
In the Swedish top flight, Haecken defeated Helsingborg 2-1 at home. Ghanaian Mamudo Moro scored for Helsingborg at the 86th minute.
In the second tier Dalkurd suffered a humiliating 0-4 home defeat from Brommapojikarna. Kenyan striker Eric Johana Omondi scored the first at the 19th minute and the third at the 74th minute.
22years old Ugandan forward Lumala Abdu found the back of the net for the first goal for Syrianska in 0-3 win against IK Frej Taeby.
Switzerland 🇨🇭
There was a second goal of the season for Gambian forward Assan Ceesay at the 30th minute for FC Zurich in their 1-1 draw away to Grasshoppers.
League leaders Young Boys of Bernes showed their superiority at home against FC Thun. They were emphatic 5-1 winners. Cameroon winger Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu scored the fourth at the 39th minute.
FC Sion and Luzern separated on 2-2 draw. Nigerian international Blessing Chibuike Eleke put Luzern ahead at the 62nd minute though they failed to hold on to the lead. It was the 23 years old’s ninth goal of the season.
Austria 🇦🇹
In the Austrian Bundesliga, league leaders Salzburg defeated LASK 0-2. Zambian youngster Patson Daka scored their second at the 90th minute.
In the Austrian Erste Liga, FC Juniors OO defeated Wiener Neustadt 2-1. 18years old Ivorian Yao Olivier Juslin Nzi was sent off at the 41st minute for two yellow cards for FC Junior OO but they battled to earn all the three points.
FC Liefering lost at home to Austria Lustenau 1-2, Germano-Nigerian forward Karim Adeyemi scored for FC Liefering at the 14th minute.
Turkey 🇹🇷
There was a 4-1 win for Trabzonspor against Antalyaspor. Nigerian forward Anthony Nnaduzor Nwakaene scored the first for Tranzonspor at the 21st minute.
Franco-Senegalese striker Soulaymane Doukara scored the lone goal for Antalyaspor.
Senegalese striker Mbaye Diagne scored a brace for Galatasaray in a 3-0 win against Yeni Malatyaspor. He scored two penalties, the first at 45th minute and the second at the 89th minute.
In the Turkish second tier Boluspor defeated Karabukspor 4-0. Their Nigerian striker Chukwuma Emmanuel Akabueze scored their opener at the fifth minute.
Cameroon defender Patrick Etoga scored the second for Istanbulspor at the 51st minute in their 1-5 win against Balikesirspor.
There was a brace for Senegalese forward Magaye Gueye for Osmanlispor in their 2-4 loss against Eskisehirspor. It was the former French youth international’s seventh and eighth goals of the season.
Adanaspor lost at home by 3-4 to Turkish second tier league leaders Denizlispor. The first goal for Adanaspor was scored by Malian Famoussa Kone who is on loan at Adanaspor from Gotzepe.
Nigerian midfielder Lanre Kehinde is in fine goal scoring form, he got Denizlispor’s second at the 74th minute.
29 years old Guinean forward Bengali Fode Koita scored both goals for Kasimpasa in the Turkish top flight in their 2-1 win against Erzurum. He got the first at the 29th minute and the second at the 79th.
The reply for Erzurum came from Nigerian Samuel Edouk at the 61st minute.
Greece 🇬🇷
Greek giants Olympiacos went to Panetolikos and imposed a 0-5 win, their Guinean defender Mohamed Mady Camara scored their fourth at the 70th minute.
Czech Republic 🇨🇿
There was an own goal for Cameroon defender Juan Olivier Simo Kingue for Pribam who defeated Opava 3-1. His 57th minute own goal was inconsequential as his team still took all the three points.
23 years old Senegalese midfielder Dame Diop scored his seventh goal of the season for Banik Ostrava who scored three early goals in their 3-1 win against Teplice. He got their third goal at the 26th minute.
Russia 🇷🇺
In the Russian Premier League, FC Ufa registered a narrow 1-0 win at home against FK Rostov. The lone goal of the game was scored by their 29 years old Nigerian attacking midfielder Sylvester Emeka Igbonu popularly known as Sylvester Igboun. It was his sixth league goal of the season.
Poland 🇵🇱
DRC centre-back Christian Maghoma was sent off at the 90th minute for a second yellow card in his team MZKS Arka Gdynia’s hard fought away 3-3 draw against Pogon Szczecin.
For the home side, their German of Algerian decent who is still eligible to play for Algeria, Sofian Benyamina got their third goal at the 87th minute of the very entertaining contest.
Hungary 🇭🇺
In the Hungarian OTP Bank Liga, Ivorian striker Lacina Emerghara Traoré scored an 84th minute penalty for Újpest’s 2-1 win against Mezokovesd SE.
Romania 🇷🇴
Home side Dinamo Buccuresti registered a 3-2 home win against Concordia Chiajia. Nigerian Simon Zenke netted their winner at 56th minute.
Belarus 🇧🇾
Ghanaian forward Joel Fameyeh scored the third goal at 85th minute for Dinamo Brest in their 3-1 win against Dnyapro Mogilev.
Latvia 🇱🇻
Ivorian Alain Cedric Herve Kouadio scored the opener for FK RFS in their 1-2 away win against FS Metta/LU.
Serbia 🇷🇸
Prolific Ghanaian striker Richmond Boakye scored the first and fourth goals for Redstar Belgrade in their comfortable 4-0 home win against Proleter.
USA 🇺🇸
Orlando stood their ground to register a 4-3 home win in a high scoring MLS game against Colorado. Colorado’s Sierra Leone forward Kei Kamara scored their first at the 9th minute.
China 🇨🇳
Super Eagles forward Odion Ighalo cannot stop scoring in the Chinese Super League. He scored the third at the 35th minute and the fourth at the 66th minute for Shanghai Shenhua in their 5-1 win against Beijing Renhe.
DRC star striker Cedric Bakambu scored the second for Beijing Guoan in their 3-0 against Jingsu Suning FC.
Azerbaijan 🇦🇿
A brace from Botswana international Mpho Kgaswane for Zira FK was not enough to prevent defeat away to FK Neftçi who won the game 4-2.
Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦
On loan from Zamalek of Egypt, DRC forward Kabongo Kassongo scored a 90th minute third goal for Al Wehda in their 3-1 win against Al Ettifaq FC.
Evergreen Niger striker Moussa Maazou had a 9th minute opener for Ohud Medina in their 4-2 loss to Al Qadisiyah FC.
29 years old Ivorian forward Sekou Junior Sanago scored a fourth goal for Al Ittihad in their 4-1 win against Al Batiu FC.
Muambo Edward.
