African internationals experienced various performances during the second evening of the 5th day of the Champions League group matches:
- Didier Drogba: Drogba had a challenging night with Galatasaray against Real Madrid. Although he established himself as the top African scorer in the Champions League by advancing to the Santiago Bernabeu, his efforts were in vain. Drogba assisted in Galatasaray’s lone goal but faced a 1-4 defeat against a 10-man Real Madrid side without Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Chancel Mbemba: The evening was a rollercoaster for Mbemba. The Congolese player opened the scoring for Anderlecht but then scored an own goal, giving Benfica the advantage. Anderlecht ultimately suffered a 2-3 defeat despite Mbemba’s eventful performance.
- Yaya Touré: Although Yaya Touré didn’t score, he played a pivotal role in Manchester City’s 4-2 victory over Viktoria Plzen.
- Ahmed Musa: Musa, starting for CSKA Moscow, couldn’t match the reigning European champions, as Bayern Munich secured a comfortable 3-1 win in the Russian cold.
- Olympiakos vs. PSG: Olympiakos, fielding only one African player, Gaétan Bong, held off PSG at the Parc des Princes. Despite coming back to level the score, the Greeks lost in the last minutes with a 1-2 defeat. The Congolese Delvin Ndinga remained on the bench.
A night filled with diverse performances for African internationals in the Champions League.