African Players In Europe: Mane Upstages Salah

 

Sadio Mane upstaged Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah among the African stars in Europe at the weekend by scoring his fourth goal this season in a 2-1 league win over Leicester City, according to a report by AFP.

 

Recall that the Senegalese forward was overshadowed by reigning African Footballer of the Year Salah last season with the Egyptian scoring 32 Premier League goals for the Reds.

 

Also in the list of African players performing abroad, a former African Footballer of the Year, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon, broke his goal drought this season by scoring for Arsenal in a 3-2 win at Cardiff.

 

 

 

The Senegal winger helped Liverpool extend their flying start to the season as his early goal inspired a win at Leicester. Mane struck in the 10th minute when he collected Andrew Robertson’s pass and prodded home from 10 yards. It was Mane’s fourth goal of the season and Liverpool went onto score again through Roberto Firmino before surviving a second-half Leicester fightback. Thanks to Mane, Jurgen Klopp’s side sit top of the table with four consecutive wins.

 

 

The Algeria midfielder scored his first goal for Leicester, but it was not enough to stop Claude Puel’s team losing. Trailing by two goals at the King Power Stadium, Leicester were given a lifeline by Ghezzal when the 26-year-old finished off Nigerian Kelechi Iheanacho’s pass in the 67th minute. Ghezzal, who arrived from Monaco in August, won’t get many easier goals as he slotted into an unguarded net left vacant by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, whose needless attempt to dribble past Iheanacho had given possession to the Foxes.

 

The Gabon striker finally scored his first goal of the season, producing a fine finish in Arsenal’s win at Cardiff. After going three games without getting on the scoresheet, questions were being asked of Aubameyang, who had made such an excellent start to life with the Gunners last season following his January move from Borussia Dortmund. New Arsenal manager Unai Emery had admitted Aubameyang was struggling for confidence, but the 29-year-old didn’t look low on morale in the 62nd minute when he curled home from 20 yards. Aubameyang’s 150th goal in the top five European leagues put Arsenal 2-1 up and on course for their second win of the season.

 

 

Ivorian international Gervinho, playing again in Italy after two years with Chinese club Hebei China Fortune, shocked champions Juventus by cancelling out Mario Mandzukic’s opener with a 33rd-minute goal for promoted Parma. It was the first start for Gervinho, who last played in Serie A with Roma in 2016. To the anger of the crowd, he was substituted after an hour by coach Roberto D’Aversa, who later said the 31-year-old had problems during the week, explaining: “I can’t let him get injured.” Juventus came back to win 2-1.

 

Ivory Coast midfielder Kessie got AC Milan off the mark after 40 minutes for their first game in the San Siro, a 2-1 win over Roma. Ricardo Rodriguez rolled the ball across the goal face, with Kessie pouncing past Ivan Marcano to tap in at the back post and give AC Milan their first points of the season.

 

 

Germany-born Ghana forward Boateng scored his second goal in three games for new club Sassuolo in a come-from-behind 5-3 win over Genoa. The 31-year-old Boateng revived his side with the equaliser for 1-1 after 34 minutes following a back-heel from Senegalese striker Babacar, who then finished off a Boateng rebound to score his first of the season four minutes before the break as the side from Modena remain unbeaten this season with seven points from three games, second behind champions Juventus.

 

 

Cameroon defender Nkoulou scored the only goal on a stormy night in Turin to give Torino their first win of the season and end SPAL’s winning run. Nkoulou, 28, headed in off a Roberto Soriano corner seven minutes after the break after the game had been suspended for an hour because of rain which made for soggy playing conditions in northeastern Italy.

 

 

The Cameroonian midfielder made his first start for Mainz since joining from Atletico Madrid in mid-year, coming in for the injured Jean-Philippe Gbamin. As Mainz picked up a point in Nuremberg, Kunde picked up a yellow card for a foul on Alexander Fuchs.

 

 

The Ivorian veteran helped his side to a first away win over Schalke in 14 years as Hertha triumphed 2-0 in Gelsenkirchen. Kalou missed a superb chance in the first half, dragging his shot across goal when one-on-one with goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann.

 

 

Schalke’s Senegalese defender cut an unfortunate figure in the home loss to Hertha. Having inadvertently deflected Ondrej Duda’s opener into the net on 15 minutes, Sane nearly gifted Hertha a second goal 20 minutes later when a miscommunication with Abdul Rahman Baba allowed Kalou a free run on goal.

 

 

The Cameroonian left-back bagged his first goal for Montpellier in a 1-0 victory at Reims. The 27-year-old Oyongo, an Africa Cup of Nations winner who joined from Montreal Impact in January, drilled a crisp half-volley from a deflected cross low into the far corner on 77 minutes to settle a tight encounter.