African players in Europe: Wissa goal cannot save Brentford / Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS - AFP
African players in Europe: Wissa goal cannot save Brentford
A goal by Democratic Republic of Congo star Yoane Wissa could not prevent struggling Brentford losing 2-1 away to leaders Arsenal in the Premier League at the weekend.
The winger, who starred at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations for the fourth-placed Congolese Leopards, equalised by punishing a blunder from Gunners goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
But Kai Havertz snatched a late winner for Arsenal, leaving Brentford just five points above the relegation zone having won only seven of 28 league matches.
Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:
ENGLAND
YOANE WISSA (Brentford)
He was the beneficiary of a howler from Ramsdale in the Bees' 2-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal were leading 1-0 in first-half stoppage-time when Ramsdale took too long to clear a back-pass from Gabriel Magalhaes, allowing Wissa to close down the England international. By the time Ramsdale tried to boot the ball to safety, Wissa had got near enough to block it into the net from close range.
DAVID DATRO FOFANA (Burnley)
The Ivory Coast forward scored his third goal for the Clarets in a 2-2 draw at West Ham. Fofana has been on loan from Chelsea since January and maintained his good form with an 11th-minute strike at the London Stadium. The 21-year-old evaded weak challenges from Moroccan Nayef Aguerd and Kalvin Phillips before launching a 25-yard rocket into the top corner.
DANGO OUATTARA (Bournemouth)
The Burkina Faso midfielder scored for the first time this season to spark the Cherries' fightback in a 2-2 draw against Sheffield United. With his team trailing by two goals against lowly United, Ouattara struck in the 74th minute with a header from Ryan Christie's corner and Bournemouth levelled in stoppage-time.
SPAIN
UMAR SADIQ (Real Sociedad)
Sadiq ended an 18-match goalless run by scoring the first Sociedad goal in a 3-2 La Liga win at lowly Granada that kept his club sixth. He was chosen by eventual runners-up Nigeria for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations only to withdraw injured.
GERMANY
SERHOU GUIRASSY (Stuttgart)
The Stuttgart striker opened the scoring in a 2-0 home win over Union Berlin which tightened their grip on third place. Atakan Karazor thread a direct pass through the Berlin defence, allowing Guirassy to unleash a shot across the face of the goal and into the net. The Guinea forward made a difficult strike look easy, as he has done for many of his 21 Bundesliga goals in 20 matches this season.
NATHAN TELLA (Bayer Leverkusen)
Nigeria winger Tella opened the scoring in Bayer Leverkusen's 2-0 win over Wolfsburg, which kept Xabi Alonso's side 10 points clear atop the table with nine games to play. Starting in place of suspended Jeremie Frimpong, Tella leapt to head in an Alex Grimaldo chip after 37 minutes.
FRANCE
MARSHALL MUNETSI, OUMAR DIAKITE (both Reims)
Zimbabwean Munetsi put the visitors ahead against Paris Saint-Germain only for Moroccan Yunis Abdelhamid to inadvertently level for PSG with an own goal. After PSG went ahead, Ivorian Diakite levelled in the final minute of the opening half as it finished 2-2.
Ch.McDonald--EWJ
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