African footballers stole headlines across Europe, leading their teams to impressive victories. We bring you all the action in this weekly football recap episode, capturing high points like Igamane’s debut brace, Kebbal’s star showing, Moses’ stellar performance, Mbeumo’s vital goal, and Guirassy’s brace.
MOUCTAR DIAKHABY NODS VALENCIA TO VICTORY
Valencia CF strolled to a resounding three-nil victory over Getafe CF in their Matchday 3 fixture at the Mestalla Stadium. Valencia took to the pitch on the back of a five-game winless run and were eager to clinch their first league win at home.
Fortune shone on the hosts as Mouctar Diakhaby opened the scoring on the stroke of the half-hour mark to open his account for the season. Wriggling free of his markers, the Guinean centre back connected perfectly with Luis Rioja’s inswinging delivery from a corner and launched a bullet header into the back of the net.
Two second-half goals by Arnaut Danjuma and Hugo Duro helped Valencia win as they condemned Getafe to their first loss in La Liga this season. 3 goals and 3 points for Valencia as they returned to winning ways in front of their home crowd.
ILIMAN NDIAYE & BETO POWER EVERTON TO VICTORY
Everton FC claimed a deserved victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their thrilling clash at the Molineux Stadium. Everton arrived at the Molineux in strong form, following consecutive wins in the EFL Cup and the Premier League. The Toffees got off to a perfect start against Wolves as Beto opened the scoring in the 7th minute of the game. The Guinea-Bissau striker displayed his predatory instincts in front of goal as he nodded Jack Grealish’s flick across the face of the goal into the net from close range. Up and running! His first league goal of the 2025/2026 League season.
Wolves didn’t waste time grabbing a 21st-minute equaliser as Hwang Hee-chan and Marshall Munetsi combined to devastating effect in Everton’s half. Wolves went from defence to attack in the blink of an eye, and Zimbabwean forward Munetsi teased a sumptuous low cross into the box, and Hwang launched a first-time finish into the net. Game on!
Everton restored their lead in the 33rd minute as Iliman Ndiaye struck decisively at the heart of Wolves’ defence. Everton picked Wolves apart piece by piece, and a sweeping team move ended with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall cutting the ball back across the face of the goal. Ndiaye turned it into an empty net, benefitting from Beto’s dummy as he netted his second league goal in as many games.
Ndiaye thought he had notched a second goal right after the restart, but his goal was ruled out for offside. Dewsbury-Hall extended their lead further in the 55th minute, and a 79th-minute goal by Rodrigo Gomes was not enough to swing the match in Wolves’ favour. Consecutive league victories for the Toffees and Wolves remain winless in the Premier League this season.
MBEUMO GETS OFF THE MARK AS FORSTER NETS FOR BURNLEY
An embattled Manchester United side clinched its first league victory of the season following a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Burnley at Old Trafford. Fresh off their humiliating exit at the hands of Grimsby Town FC in the EFL Cup, United were aiming for a statement win.
Manchester United opened the scoring in the 27th minute via a strike of fortune as Burnley’s ill-fated midfielder Josh Cullen turned the ball into his own net. The Red Devils took the lead into the break following a dominant first-half performance. Burnley drew level in the 55th minute through Lyle Foster as the striker opened his goalscoring account for the season. The South African striker started and finished the move, slamming home Bruun Larsen’s pinpoint cross into the net. His first Premier League goal since May 2024!
It didn’t take long for United to restore parity as big-money summer signing Bryan Mbeumo netted his maiden Premier League goal for United two minutes after Burnley’s equaliser. Following a surging drive by Diogo Dalot down the left flank, he teased a pass across goal, and Mbeumo lashed the Portuguese fullback’s cutback into the back of the net. Excellent movement to position himself for a simple finish. Having opened his account for United in the EFL Cup midweek, he is now off the mark in the EPL.
Forster thought he had grabbed an equaliser following a sensational individual effort, but his goal was ruled out for offside by the narrowest of margins in the 59th minute.
Jaidon Anthony drew Burnley level in the 66th minute. Still, he went from hero to villain as he fouled Amad Diallo in Burnley’s 18-yard box, allowing Bruno Fernandes to restore United’s lead from the penalty spot in the closing minutes. A last-gasp victory for The Red Devils as they clinched a deserved victory over the Clarets at home. First Premier League win of the season.
ANGUISSA NETS LAST-GASP WINNER IN NAPLES
Serie A Champions Napoli SSC claimed a hard-fought victory over Cagliari Calcio at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as they continued their title defence with a win in their first home game of the season. Napoli had large spells of dominance in the game, but were resolutely kept out by a resilient Cagliari side. The game surged to life in the closing minutes of the first half and extended periods of the second half, but neither side managed to find the breakthrough. As it seemed it was heading to a stalemate, Frank Anguissa rose to the occasion and snatched the three points for the Gli Azzurri with a last-gasp goal, virtually the last kick of the game.
Timing his run to perfection, Anguissa connected with Alessandro Buongiorno’s perfectly weighted cross and finished with aplomb to send the home fans into a frenzy.
The Cameroonian midfielder picked up from where he left off last season. A satisfying victory for the home side and a heartbreaking defeat for Cagliari, who felt hard done by for all their efforts.
GUIRASSY’S BRACE FIRES DORTMUND TO WIN
Borussia Dortmund returned to winning ways with an emphatic three-nil victory over Union Berlin in their first league game at the Signal Iduna Park this season.
The scores remained unchanged till Serhou Guirassy found an opening in the closing minutes of the first half. Following some brilliant work down the right flank, Yan Couto teased a tantalising cross into the 18-yard box and Guirassy slammed it first time into the net, whipping out his trademark celebration in delight. Another goal against the side he torments frequently. The Guinean Striker has started the season in exceptional form. His goal was the difference between the two sides at the break.
True to his clinical nature, Guirassy notched a sensational goal for Dortmund’s second in the 55th minute. Receiving a pass about 35 yards from goal, he flicked the ball brilliantly to Maximilian Beier and sprinted goalwards. Understanding his assignment perfectly, Beier returned the ball to Guirassy. One-on-one with Union Berlin’s goalie, he opted for an artistic finish, sublimely lobbing the ball over the goalie. 3 goals in 2 games!
Felix Nmecha added a third for Dortmund late on as they picked up the three points for their first win of the new Bundesliga season.
Guirassy has scored 18 Bundesliga goals in 2025 – more than any other player. The 29-year-old striker is the first BVB player since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2015 to score in seven consecutive Bundesliga games. Just Guirassy doings!
HAMZA IGAMANE NETS TWICE IN MAGICAL DEBUT FOR LILLE
Hamza Igamane was among the goals as LOSC Lille thrashed FC Lorient resoundingly away at the Stade du Moustoir. Both sides remained deadlocked at the break following lacklustre first-half performances under the pouring rain. Barely 24 hours after signing his five-year contract with Lille, Igamane was introduced into the fray at the start of the second half to make his Ligue 1 debut in a tactical switch.
After the restart, the game roared to life as the goals poured in endlessly. Lille surged to a two-nil lead by virtue of goals from Romain Perraud and Matias Fernandez-Pardo in the space of seven minutes. Lorient was awarded a penalty, and Senegalese striker Sambou Soumano was handed spot kick duties. He was denied expertly from 12 yards, but Tosin Aiyegun pounced on his scuffled rebound and smashed the ball home to spare Soumano’s blushes. The Beninese international has now registered goals in consecutive Ligue 1 appearances.
Lille were unfazed and restored their two-goal lead through Fernandez-Pardo in the 77th minute, sparking a goal fest to life. Igamane netted a debut goal in the 80th minute to put clear daylight between the hosts and the visitors. Capitalising on poor defending by Lotient, the 22-year-old Moroccan teed Fernandez-Pardo for his hat-trick, but the latter’s shot crashed against the crossbar and Igamane prodded the rebound into the net. Super sub!
Hákon Haraldsson added a fifth for Lille in the 87th minute, and Igamane completed his brace in the 3rd minute of added time. Captain Benjamin André unselfishly flashed a cutback to Igamane, and the young Moroccan striker slotted the ball home coolly. Igamane is the first Lille player to net a brace on his Ligue 1 debut since Victor Osimhen
85th-minute substitute Osame Sahraoui extended their lead two minutes after Igamane completed his brace. Receiving a cross-field pass from goalkeeper Berke Özer, Sahraoui sprinted unmarked at full speed into acres of space down the left flank, and cutting in onto his right foot, he rolled the ball into the net from 20 yards—the Moroccan winger’s first goal of the season.
A resounding victory for Les Dogues over Les Merlus. Lille are the first team to score at least seven goals in the same half of a Ligue 1 game in 28 years, while Lorient slumped to their biggest-ever loss in Ligue 1.
MOSES SIMON, KEBBAL, SANÉ AMONG THE GOALS AS PARIS EDGE METZ IN THRILLER
Paris FC clinched its first Ligue 1 victory in 46 years, defeating FC Metz in the Stade Jean-Bouin. The fixture saw two newly-promoted Ligue 1 sides face off in Paris FC and Metz. Sadibou Sané opened the scoring for Metz with a jaw-dropping scissors kick in the 22nd minute. The Senegalese centre back reacted instinctively to Gauthier Hein’s cross and thundered the ball home with an acrobatic finish. Following a lengthy spell of pressure, Paris were awarded a penalty for a rash challenge by Sané in the closing minutes of the first half. Algerian
Ilan Kebbal stepped up and buried it emphatically as both sides went into the break on level terms.
Paris came out firing on all cylinders after the restart and grabbed the lead through Kebbal in the 52nd minute as the 27-year-old Algerian international completed his brace in style. Unmarked at the far post, Moses Simon picked him out with a deep cross, and he struck the ball clinically. His third goal in as many Ligue 1 games. He is enjoying life back in the French top-flight.
The game was end-to-end as both teams entertained their fans with their thrilling performance. Metz drew level almost immediately as Malian midfielder Boubacar Traoré netted his first goal in Metz’s colours to draw them level two minutes after Kebbal’s goal. Traoré capitalised on a misplaced pass by Maxime Lopez and, following a quick exchange of passes with Giorgi Tsitaishvili, he fired the ball into the net. The on-loan 24-year-old midfielder is off the mark in his second spell with Les Grenats.
Moses Simon restored Paris’ lead in the 67th minute to shatter the hearts of Lorient’s fans. Following a quick counterattack, Lopez released the ball to Simon, who was sprinting at breakneck speed and taking a couple of touches to set it up. He dispatched the ball calmly into the net. He continues his bright start to life in Paris! 3 goals involved in 3 games.
Sadibou Sané went from hero to zero as he was shown a red card in the 80th minute after a rash challenge on Moses Simon’s thigh. A disappointing end to the game for him.
Overall, it was a thrilling game and an important victory for Paris as they downed familiar foes Metz at home. Metz remains in the bottom place, with 0 points from three Ligue 1 games.
