African players are lighting up pitches across Europe, and this series is dedicated to celebrating their standout performances.
From a record-setting hat-trick to season-high goal contributions, here are the players who made a difference this past week.
Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund)
Borussia Dortmund may have exited the Champions League with a 5-3 aggregate loss, but Serhou Guirassy left his mark. The Guinean striker scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 second-leg win over Barcelona on Tuesday, becoming the first African player to score a hat-trick in the quarter finals or later of the Champions League and the first African to net three against the Spanish giants in the Champions League. He also set a club record as Dortmund’s highest-ever scorer in a single UCL season with 13 goals. Guirassy continued his scoring form over the weekend, opening the scoring in a 3-2 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Bryan Mbuemo (Brentford)
Bryan Mbuemo’s stellar campaign continued with a dominant display in Brentford’s 4-2 win over Brighton. The Cameroonian forward bagged a brace and an assist, pushing his season tally to 18 league goals, the fourth highest in the Premier League. Mbuemo has been the talisman for the Bees and may be primed for a big summer move.
Yoane Wissa (Brentford)
Mbuemo’s strike partner Yoane Wissa has also been on fire. He chipped in with a goal and an assist in the same 4-2 win, taking his Premier League total to 16 goals. The Congolese forward and the Cameroonian are deep in their “Barclays men” bag, and they will no doubt now have eyes on reaching the 20-goal mark together.
Umar Sadiq (Valencia)
Umar Sadiq continues to be clutch for Valencia. The Nigerian forward came off the bench to score a late equaliser against Rayo Vallecano, reacting quickest to slot home a rebound after hitting the post. On loan from Real Sociedad, Sadiq now has five goals, helping pull Los Ches seven points clear of the drop zone.
