African Players Shine Across Europe: Bakambu, Gradel, and Diagne Lead the Way
It has been a remarkable week for African footballers across Europe, with several stars making headlines with decisive contributions in their domestic leagues and continental competitions.
La Liga: Congolese striker Cédric Bakambu continues to impress in his debut season with Villarreal, having now scored 10 goals in La Liga. He showcased his talent again this weekend with a brace against Sevilla, though his efforts were not enough as Villarreal fell 4-2. Bakambu had already been in fine form in the Europa League earlier in the week, scoring twice to boost his team’s campaign.
Ligue 1: In France, Senegalese defender Fallou Diagne and Franco-Ivorian forward Jérémie Boga rescued Rennes with a second-half comeback, turning a 0-2 deficit against Lyon into a 2-2 draw. Meanwhile, Lille secured a 2-1 win over Bastia with goals from Moroccan Sofiane Boufal and Franco-Cameroonian Ibrahim Amadou. Gazelec Ajaccio snatched a last-minute victory against Caen thanks to Moroccan striker Khalid Boutaib, while Marseille struggled for a 1-1 draw at Lorient, with Ghanaian Majeed Waris opening the scoring.
Serie A: In Italy, Ghanaian midfielder Afriyie Acquah assisted Ciro Immobile twice, but Torino still lost 3-2 to Genoa, highlighting the competitive nature of the Serie A weekend.
Bundesliga: In Germany, Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang contributed one assist in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-0 win over Mainz, keeping pace in the scoring race behind Robert Lewandowski, who netted twice to reach 24 goals, compared to Aubameyang’s 22.
Premier League: England saw Ivorian forward Max-Alain Gradel return from a six-month injury to score his first goal of the season in Bournemouth’s 3-2 victory over Swansea, a result that helped the club avoid further relegation troubles. In the FA Cup, Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor provided a key assist in Crystal Palace’s 2-0 win over Reading, while Algerian Adlène Guedioura and Nigerian Odion Ighalo scored to guide Watford past Arsenal 2-1, advancing to the semi-finals.
Overall, African talent was on full display across Europe, with players like Bakambu, Gradel, and Diagne making decisive impacts for their clubs. Their performances highlight the increasing influence of African footballers in top-tier European leagues, both in scoring and creating opportunities.
The week also underscored the resilience of players returning from injury, such as Gradel, and those stepping up in crucial moments, like Diagne and Boufal, showing that African stars continue to play pivotal roles for their teams across the continent.
