African players in Europe: Ice-cool Jackson strikes twice / Photo: © AFP
African players in Europe: Ice-cool Jackson strikes twice
Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson doubled his Premier League goal tally this season to four with a brace for Chelsea in a 3-0 victory over West Ham United at the weekend.
The 23-year-old son of a Gambian father and Senegalese mother wasted no time making an impact at the London Stadium, netting twice in the first 18 minutes.
Fellow Senegalese Iliman Ndiaye for Everton, Cameroonian Bryan Mbeumo for Brentford and Egyptian Sam Morsy for Ipswich Town were other African scorers.
Here, AFP Sport highlights some of the Africans who starred in the major European leagues.
ENGLAND
NICOLAS JACKSON (Chelsea)
Jackson's finishing was questioned during his first season at Stamford Bridge, but he was ice cool to twice slot past Alphonse Areola. He also turned provider for Chelsea's third goal with a pass for Cole Palmer.
BRYAN MBEUMO (Brentford)
Mbeumo also has four Premier League goals already this season after a thumping volley after just 23 seconds put Brentford ahead at Tottenham. But the Bees could not hold out as Spurs came back to win 3-1.
ILIMAN NDIAYE (Everton)
Ndiaye scored his first Premier League goal for Everton with a fine low strike in off the post to put the visitors in front at Leicester. For the third consecutive game, Everton failed to hold a lead, but a 1-1 draw was enough to register their first point of the season.
ITALY
BOULAYE DIA (Lazio)
Senegal international Dia joined Lazio on loan from Salernitana during the close season and enjoyed a goal-scoring debut against AC Milan in a 2-2 draw last month. On Sunday, however, he was eventually substituted in the 68th minute as his team lost 2-1 to Fiorentina.
GERMANY
VICTOR BONIFACE (Bayer Leverkusen)
The Leverkusen striker came off the bench after 68 minutes to win the game in a thrilling 4-3 home victory over Wolfsburg. The coolest man on the pitch as Bayer faced dropping points at home for the second-straight league match, Boniface collected the ball with his back to goal and scored on the turn in stoppage time. The Nigerian has three league goals and an assist in his past two matches.
SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)
New Borussia striker Guirassy had an unhappy homecoming against his former side in a 5-1 thumping by Stuttgart. He scored 28 goals in 28 league games last season and moved to Dortmund during the close season with former Stuttgart captain Waldemar Anton. The Guinea forward did, however, get on the scoresheet, scoring Dortmund's only goal midway through the second-half.
OMAR MARMOUSH (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Eintracht's in-form Egypt winger sealed a 2-0 home win over Borussia Moenchengladbach, scoring 10 minutes from time. The forward showed his flair by tricking defender Ko Itakura before unleashing a shot into the roof of the net. Marmoush has four goals in four league games this season.
FRANCE
ELIESSE BEN SEGHIR (Monaco)
Morocco international Ben Seghir scored a crucial goal as Monaco beat Le Havre 3-1 to move level on points with Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille at the top of the Ligue 1 table. The 19-year-old, who made his international debut in March, gave Monaco a 2-1 lead in the 66th minute with a fine curling strike into the far corner from outside the area.
N.Roberts--TNT
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