Continent of Champions: Weekly Football Recap

Anguissa and Ouattara lead the line of African star performers on this weekly football recap episode.

OUATTARA NETS BRACE IN WEST BROM DEMOLITION 

Premier League side Bournemouth FC took on Championship side West Bromwich Albion at The Vitality Stadium with a spot in the FA Cup fourth round at stake. 

The visitors took an early lead through Caleb Taylor’s headed goal in the 14th minute. It didn’t take long for the hosts to respond as Justin Kluivert netted an equaliser in the 27th minute. Burkinabe winger Dango Ouattara gave the hosts the lead in the 34th minute, turning Kluivert’s pass into the net from a tight angle. His first cup goal in Bournemouth colours!

Ouattara extended their lead further in the closing minutes of the first half. Setting the hosts on their way for a counterattack, he sprinted into the opposition half. Receiving a pass from David Brooks on the edge of the box, he took a touch and applied a simple finish to guide the ball into the net. It was his first career brace in European football. 

Ghanaian winger Antoine Semenyo came on as a substitute for Max Aarons at the start of the second half and he had an instant impact, grabbing a goal two minutes into his introduction. The winger hammered the ball into the net to provide a satisfying conclusion to a well-worked team move. Semenyo teed up Daniel Jebbison in the 92nd minute, the icing on the cake. A resounding victory for the Cherries as they booked a spot in the next round of the FA Cup. 

ANGUISSA’S STRIKE SEALS WIN FOR NAPOLI 

Napoli FC took on Hellas Verona at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, aiming to consolidate their position at the top of the Serie A standings. 

Hellas Verona goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipò was unlucky as Napoli took the lead in the 5th minute. 

Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s shot hit the upright and ricocheted off Montipo into the net. The hosts should have doubled the lead afterwards, but the lack of a finishing touch meant that Montipo’s own goal was the difference between both sides going into the break. 

André-Frank Zambo Anguissa made amends for his earlier misses after the restart. Exchanging a quick pass with Romelu Lukaku, he cut in on his left foot and unleashed an unstoppable rocket into the net from the edge of the box. A peach of a goal!

The Cameroonian midfielder has been in sensational goalscoring form this season and has already outperformed his highest goal-scoring tally from previous seasons. Napoli moved four points clear at the top of the Serie A standings. 

CISSÉ NETS IN CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE FIXTURES

RCD Espanyol played host to CD Leganes at the RVDE stadium, with both sides in desperate need of the three points. 

Espanyol defender Leandro Cabrera opened the scoring for the hosts in the second minute with a well placed header. The visitors weren’t kept for long as Seydouba Cissé netted a timely equaliser in the 14th minute. The Guinean midfielder applied a simple finish to Miguel de la Fuente’s lay off.  It was his second league goal in as many games. 

Despite getting off the match to an entertaining start, There was nothing to separate both sides at the break. 

Both teams made a couple of substitutions to swing the match in their favour. The hosts thought they had gotten the winner in the 84th minute, but it was ruled out for a handball in the buildup to the goal.

Both sides shared a point apiece at the full-time whistle 

Having netted a consolation against Villarreal CF in Leganes’ previous La Liga match, Cisse’s lone goal was crucial in helping the visitors secure a point on the road. Espanyol and Leganes remain locked in the relegation battle. 

TELLA AND GUIRASSY NETS AS LEVERKUSEN SEES OFF DORTMUND 

Borussia Dortmund played host to Bundesliga Champions Bayer Leverkusen at the Signal Iduna Park, aiming to extend their eleven-game unbeaten home run.

Leverkusen got off to a flying start as Nathan Tella gave them the lead in the opening minute of the game. 

Pairing Patrick Schick at the heart of Leverkusen’s attack, Tella turned Robert Andrich’s headed pass into the net with a powerful half-volley from the edge of the box, beating the goalie at his near post to net his first Bundesliga goal of the season. The Nigerian midfielder’s goal is the second-fastest goal to be scored in the German league this season.

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts as Schick netted a second goal for the visitors in the 8th minute. 

Dortmund weren’t willing to go down without a fight, and they halved the deficit four minutes later through youngster Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. 

Schick restored Leverkusen’s two-goal cushion in the 19th minute, turning in Jeremie Frimpong’s pinpoint cross. An entertaining start to the heavyweight clash! The visitors went into the break with a well-deserved two-goal lead. 

Following a VAR review for a foul by Edmond Tapsoba, Dortmund were awarded a penalty, and Serhou Guirassy stepped up and buried it, sending the goalie the wrong way to give the hosts a glimmer of hope in the 79th minute. 

The scores remained unchanged at the full-time whistle as Leverkusen held on for the three points. Goalscorer Tella was substituted for Martin Terrier in the 74th minute. Leverkusen have now recorded victories in six consecutive Bundesliga matches and are hot on Bayern Munich’s heels. The Bundesliga title race is far from over. 

AYEW GOAL NOT ENOUGH AS KOYALIPOU STARS FOR LENS

Le Havre AC played host to RC Lens at the Stade Océane, aiming to avoid a fourth consecutive home defeat in Ligue 1. 

The match started on a delightful note for the hosts as Ghana team captain Andre Ayew netted the opening goal in the 8th minute, nodding home the rebound from point-blank range. Two goals in two matches! The home fans erupted in ecstasy, their delight palpable.

Their joy was short-lived as Central African Republic winger Goduine Koyalipou netted an equaliser for the visitors in the 28th minute. The winger connected perfectly with Florian Sotoca’s cross and nodded the ball into the net, leaving the opposing goalie helpless and rooted to the spot. Lens’ winter transfer window signing wasted no time in making his mark and he announced his name to the spectators in style.

Both sides went into the break on level terms. 

In search of the winner, both sides made a couple of second-half substitutions. The visitors came up with the goods as Deiver Machado netted the winner in the 77th minute with a headed goal of his own. 

Koyalipou was substituted for Angolan forward M’Bala Nzola in the 68th minute, while Ayew came off for Moroccan midfielder Oussama Targhalline in the 72nd minute. It was a sixth consecutive league defeat for Le Havre as Lens got back to winning ways.