The 5 Best Performing African Players Over the Weekend
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The 5 Best Performing African Players Over the Weekend

The 5 Best Performing African Players Over the Weekend

There were some fantastic results across football this last weekend, featuring plenty of goals and excitement. But one continent which were represented exceptionally is Africa.

Across a handful of games, African players have found the back of the net and spurred their teams on towards three points. This list created by Football Park is going to name the best five players from over the weekend, who come from the continent.

So in no particular order and without further ado, here is the full list…

Ismaila Sarr - Crystal Palace

This one is a given. The Senegalese has had an exuberant start to the Premier League campaign with Crystal Palace and it has just got better.

Having already found the net twice from three games this season, the 27-year-old buried the ball in the same place this weekend, as he put the Eagles 1-0 up against reigning champions Liverpool within just nine minutes of the game.

Crystal Palace went on to win the game 2-1, courtesy of a late winner by Eddie Nketiah to cancel out Federico Chiesa’s equaliser. Whilst Sarr had already been taken off prior to the thrilling ending, he had still contributed in abundance for Crystal Palace for the best part of 75 minutes.

Fares Chaibi - Frankfurt

Fares Chaibi may have taken part in one of the most entertaining matches of the weekend, as his side Eintracht Frankfurt clocked a 6-4 victory against Borussia Mönchengaldbach.

Seven players from Frankfurt’s starting 11 registered a goal or assist, but it was Chaibi who impressed the most. The Algerian netted a 39th minute goal in the game, as well as collecting two assists for both Robin Koch and Can Uzun’s moments of glory.

FotMob awarded the 22-year-old a 9.4 match rating for the gripping affair - a score significantly greater than any other player on the pitch.

Untitled (1280 x 720 px).jpg(Fares Chaibi Rating and Stats Mönchengladbach: FotMob)

It was truly deserved too, as Chaibi completely ran the show. He provided his set-piece prowess to assist Koch’s opener, as well as a delicate back-heel to tee up Uzun’s finish. As for the goal he claimed, the youngster found the corner and finished it with aplomb.

Yankuba Minteh - Brighton

Yankuba Minteh is the only man on this list who didn’t stick his name on the scoresheet over the weekend, but wow did the Gambian contribute.

Brighton managed to thump Premier League giants Chelsea 3-1 on Saturday afternoon, following a Trevoh Chalobah red card and two punishing goals from the Seagulls at the death.

The game hit the 90-minute mark at just 1-1, courtesy of goals from Enzo Fernandez and Danny Welbeck. However, in both the second and 10th minute of injury time, Brighton capitalised on two chances and buried a double against the Blues.

Maxim De Cuyper grabbed one and Welbeck got the latter for a brace. However, it was the striker’s first goal which featured Minteh excellence, as his out-swinging cross penetrated the box to find Welbeck who headed home.

At just 21 years of age, the youngster is having a fantastic season so far, with that assist bringing his tally to two. He is already showing signs of a top young talent.

Sofiane Diop - Nice

Ligue 1 outfit Nice were warranted a point at home against Paris FC over the weekend, as attacker Sofiane Diop registered his first goal of the season.

The Moroccan has struggled to get into first gear since the new campaign commenced, but he was sure to put his team 1-0 in the first half on Sunday afternoon.

Diop bagged a goal 40 minutes into the matchup, as his beautifully timed run helped him to reach the end of Mohamed-Ali Cho through-ball. The 25-year-old then found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, when he slashed the ball into the bottom corner to open his season account.

Nice then went on to share the points in the end, as Paris were awarded an 88th minute penalty to equalise. But despite a disappointing finale, it was still a positive day all round for their Moroccan maestro.

Brandon Thomas-Asante - Coventry City

Coventry City demolished local opposition Birmingham City on Saturday, as they stuck three goals past the Blues on home soil. Amongst the action was forward Brandon Thomas-Asante, as the Ghanaian set the tone of the match early on.

The former Salford and West Brom man made the net ripple just 16 minutes into the EFL Championship affair and went on to be one of Coventry’s best players in the match, until his late substitution for Kaine Kessler-Hayden in the 81st minute.

Thomas-Asante has now racked up three goals and two assists from seven games in the English second tier, as his contributions have helped push the Sky Blues up to second place in the league table. The goal was also his first one in four games, ending a very trivial goal drought.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist

Tom Booth

Content Writer

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