African players are lighting up pitches across Europe, and this series is dedicated to celebrating their standout performances.
From record-setting goals to clutch assists, here are the players who made a difference this past weekend.
Alex Iwobi (Fulham)
A spanner was thrown in Liverpool’s title chase, and at the heart of it all was Alex Iwobi. The Fulham midfielder scored and assisted in their stunning 3-2 win over the Reds. After capitalizing on a loose Robertson pass and seeing his first shot blocked, Iwobi rifled a left-footed effort into the net via a deflection. Later, his awkward clearance led to Fulhams’s third. That goal made Iwobi the first Nigerian to hit 30+ goals and 30+ assists in Premier League history. Big 17 for a reason.
Kelechi Iheanacho (Middlesbrough)
Kelechi is cooking in the Championship. After grabbing his first goal for Boro last weekend, he added two assists in a 2-0 win over Blackburn. First, he teed up Tommy Conway in the second minute, then set up Samuel Iling Jr minutes later. He nearly scored, too, but he fired just wide. The Nigerian is finding his rhythm in Boro colours.
Christantus Uche (Getafe)
Under the radar but flying high, Christantus Uche had a stellar outing in Getafe’s 4-0 rout of Valladolid. He assisted twice—first with a flicked header and later with a perfect pass to Terrata—and also started the move for the third goal with a clever backheel. Uche now leads Getafe’s assist chart with 5 assists, adding 3 goals to his name in a breakout debut season.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio)
With Lazio chasing Europe, every point matters. Fisayo stepped up with a crucial assist in their 1-0 win over Atalanta. He won a header off a long ball from Mandas, laying it into Isaksen’s path, who slotted it home. That assist helped push Lazio into 6th place, an important contribution from the young midfielder.
