Gift Orban, Mo Salah, and Omar Marmoush lead the group of African football stars recording stellar performances before the international break. Read all about it in our latest weekly football recap.
GIFT ORBAN STEALS THE SHOW
In search of their first league win of the season, Olympique Lyonnais Lyon took on Strasbourg at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. They got off to the worst possible start as Sebastian Nanasi gave Strasbourg the lead in the 3rd minute. The visitors maintained their lead until Corentin Tolisso grabbed an equalizer for Lyon in the additional minutes of the first half.
After the halftime break, it was déjà vu as Strasbourg regained the lead three minutes into the second half through Andrey Santos. Things went from bad to worse for the home side as Emanuel Emegba extended their lead in the 58th minute, giving Strasbourg a two-goal cushion. Lyon was in dire need of inspiration, and Gift Orban’s introduction in the 59th minute made the difference.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored within two minutes of Orban’s introduction to halve the deficit.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man! The Nigerian grabbed the equalizer within four minutes, finishing acrobatically from Alexandre Lacazette’s cross.
Despite a prolonged VAR review for offside, the goal was given. The comeback was well underway! Orban’s work wasn’t done as he scored his second goal of the match, which ultimately proved to be the match-winner. The striker guided the ball into the net with a perfectly placed header from fellow substitute Malick Fofana’s cross. Three points in the bag!
THE MO SALAH SHOW
Mo Salah was at his usual best against familiar foes Manchester United on Sunday. Liverpool took on Manchester United in another edition of their historic North West derby. The Egyptian winger nearly got Liverpool off to the perfect start as he teed up Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 7th minute, but the goal was ruled out as he had strayed slightly offside in the build-up.
He turned provider again, and this time it counted. His cross was prodded home by Luis Diaz for the opener in the 35th minute. His second assist was a thing of beauty. Linking up nicely with Diaz once again with a quick one-two, Salah turned the ball into the path of the Colombian with a trivela pass. Diaz provided a sublime finish to double their lead. Two assists in seven minutes for the Egyptian winger.
Mo Salah is the top scorer in this historic fixture, and he got in on the act once again, grabbing a goal. He wasn’t going to let his favorite victims in the EPL go unscathed. He was teed up by Dominik Szoboszlai eleven minutes after the restart, hitting the Hungarian midfielder’s pass first time into the net beyond a helpless Andre Onana.
He nearly grabbed a second goal straight from United’s kick-off, but his shot blazed high over the crossbar. Nonetheless, it was a job well done for Liverpool’s Egyptian king. The winger has been in fine form this season, having found the net in their three opening matches, helping the Reds to second place behind table toppers Manchester City.
OMAR MAMOUSH STARS IN FRANKFURT WIN
Eintracht Frankfurt took on Hoffenheim at the Deutsche Bank Park, in desperate need of their first league win of the season. Egyptian winger Omar Marmoush teed up Hugo Ekitike for the opener in the 24th minute, laying the ball into the path of the French striker, who proceeded to round the keeper up and finish in sublime fashion. Hugo Larsson doubled the lead for the home side nine minutes later, and Marmoush was involved again. After some fine work on the left, the Egyptian threaded the ball into Ekitike’s path, and the French striker laid it off for Larsson to grab his goal. The home side went into the break with a two-goal lead.
Andrej Kramaric halved the deficit for the visitors after the restart, but any hopes of a comeback were brutally extinguished by Frankfurt. Omar Marmoush got in on the act two minutes after Kramaric’s goal to restore their two-goal cushion.
The 25-year-old winger was teed up by Mario Götze to grab his first goal of the season. Hoffenheim’s failed clearance fell to Götze, who lofted the ball into Marmoush’s path. Omar Marmoush controlled it expertly and fired it into the net. A well-deserved goal to seal the three points.
A TALE OF TWO NIGERIAN FORWARDS
Nantes took on Montpellier away from home at the Stade de la Mosson, hoping to put an end to their goal-scoring drought and extend their unbeaten run this season. They got off to a memorable start as Matthis Alpine latched onto Tino Kadewere’s pass to give the visitors the lead in the 24th minute, ending their away goal drought! Montpellier wasted no time in grabbing their equalizer as Nigerian striker Akor Jerome Adams scored in the 30th minute. The Nantes goalie failed to handle Jordan Ferri’s shot and spilled it into Adams’ path, with the Nigerian reacting quickly to tap the rebound into the net.
The drama didn’t end there, as a penalty was awarded to Nantes in the additional minutes of the first half. Nigerian winger Moses Simon stepped up and duly dispatched it to restore the visitors’ lead, sending the goalie the wrong way.
Egyptian striker Mohamed Mostafa grabbed a goal in the 85th minute to seal the win. Kadewere picked out Mostafa with a sublime pass, and the latter applied the finish.
Tino Kadewere starred throughout the match, with the Zimbabwean attacker recording two assists to help his team to victory.
AN ALL-AFRICAN AFFAIR AS NICE DECIMATE ANGERS
OGC Nice took on Angers away from home at the Stade Raymond Kopa in their Ligue 1 fixture. Burundian midfielder Youssouf Ndayishimiye opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a powerful header from Jonathan Clauss’ cross from a corner. Hicham Boudaoui grabbed the second for the visitors in the 25th minute, lashing the ball into the net, aided by a slight deflection off an opposition player after a deft flick by Tanguy Ndombele. They took a two-nil lead into the break.
Algerian midfielder Himad Abdelli grabbed his first goal of the season via a penalty for the home side in the 67th minute, sending the Nice goalkeeper the wrong way. His goal would prove to be just a consolation for Angers.
Nice was relentless and ruthless, adding another goal shortly after. Ivorian forward Evann Guessand restored their two-goal lead in the 72nd minute, benefiting from a slaloming solo run by Jeremie Boga for a simple tap-in from about five yards.
Guessand grabbed his brace thirteen minutes later, condemning Angers to a 4-1 loss at home. Receiving the ball on the edge, he skilfully evaded the defender’s challenge, cutting onto his left foot, and he fired emphatically into the net.
COCO LEAVES IT LATE
Equatorial Guinea center-back Saul Coco turned out to be the hero for Torino as they faced off against Venezia at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium.
Both sides pressed for a goal throughout the match, but it remained goalless. It seemed it was going to end in a draw until Coco rose to the occasion and grabbed the winner for the visitors in the 86th minute. He connected well with Adam Masina’s flicked header from Ivan Ilic’s cross, guiding it into the net with a well-placed header.
What a time for the summer signing to score his first goal for his new club! His goal helped them extend their impressive start to the season as they sit third on the Serie A table.
GUEYE SENT OFF ONCE AGAIN
Senegalese midfielder Pape Gueye was sent off for Villarreal in their 1-1 draw against Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium. Valencia had gone ahead through Hugo Duro in the 24th minute, while Ayoze Perez equalized just before the break in the additional minutes of the first half. Gueye was sent off in the 68th minute for a rash tackle, having picked up a yellow card earlier in the second half. He received a second yellow following the challenge and was subsequently shown his marching orders.
He has now set an unwanted record in the process, becoming the fastest La Liga player in the 21st century to be red-carded on four occasions, doing so within twenty appearances. The midfielder had previously received three red cards during his loan spell at Sevilla in the 2022-2023 season. He signed for Villarreal as a free agent at the beginning of this season. Even Sergio Ramos might feel jealous of the midfielder’s disciplinary record.
