In Brief
- Nicolas Jackson scored early for Aston Villa in a dramatic 4-4 Premier League draw against Manchester United, while Ivory Coast winger Yann Gboho netted his first goal in the English top flight for Coventry City.
- Moroccan forward Yassir Zabiri scored his ninth La Liga goal of the season for Racing Santander, and Mali’s Lassine Sinayoko cemented his spot as Ligue 1’s top scorer with the winner for Paris FC.
- Elsewhere in Europe, Konan N’Dri rescued a point for Lecce in Serie A, while Ezechiel Banzuzi and Uchenna Ogundu both found the net as RB Leipzig beat Augsburg 5-2 in the Bundesliga.
(AFP) – Senegal star Nicolas Jackson scored after just four minutes for Aston Villa, who twice surrendered two-goal leads in a remarkable 4-4 Premier League draw away to Manchester United at the weekend.
AFP Sport highlights the African headline-makers in the major European leagues:
ENGLAND
NICOLAS JACKSON (Aston Villa)
Jackson helped put his side 2-0 ahead against United, but it wasn’t enough to inspire a victory at Old Trafford. When Jackson tapped in after United goalkeeper Senne Lammens palmed the ball into his path, it appeared the 25-year-old’s ninth goal in 14 games in all competitions this term would be the spark for a comfortable Villa win. However, in an incredible finale, United scored twice in stoppage time to rescue a draw.
YANN GBOHO (Coventry City)
The Ivory Coast winger scored his first Premier League goal in a 3-1 defeat at Everton. Gboho, signed from French side Toulouse in September, put Coventry ahead with a composed finish after evading slack defending in the 52nd minute. However, Frank Lampard’s team crumbled after the 25-year-old’s strike, as Everton scored three times to leave the visitors one point above the relegation zone.
SPAIN
YASSIR ZABIRI (Racing Santander)
Moroccan forward Zabiri continued his superb season with another goal to help Santander win 2-1 at Malaga. The 21-year-old bagged his ninth of the campaign with a simple finish to tuck a rebound into an empty net. Only Raphinha, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal have scored more goals in La Liga this season.
ITALY
KONAN N’DRI (Lecce)
After Angolan defender Kailonda Gaspar conceded a 60th-minute own goal to give Torino the lead in a clash of bottom-half Serie A clubs, Niger international N’Dri scored to salvage a 1-1 draw for visiting Lecce. The architect of the equaliser was Mali international Lassana Coulibaly.
GERMANY
EZECHIEL BANZUZI (RB Leipzig)
Banzuzi’s goal proved the turning point as he kick-started Leipzig’s recovery to beat Augsburg 5-2 at home in the Bundesliga after conceding inside the opening minute. Anton Kade put Augsburg in front after 36 seconds, but Banzuzi levelled in the 33rd minute when he turned a Brajan Gruda pass into the bottom-right corner. The 21-year-old Democratic Republic of Congo international now has two goals and two assists in the league this season.
UCHENNA OGUNDU (Augsburg)
Ogundu’s first goal in Augsburg colours was a mere consolation as his side crashed to defeat at Leipzig. With Leipzig 5-1 up, Augsburg’s Alexis Claude-Maurice intercepted the ball and sent his side on the counter-attack. Fabian Rieder latched on to Claude-Maurice’s pass before finding Nigerian forward Ogundu, who slid the ball into the bottom corner.
FRANCE
LASSINE SINAYOKO (Paris FC)
Ligue 1’s leading scorer, Sinayoko, netted after 63 minutes to give third-placed Paris FC a 1-0 win at lowly Auxerre. It was the Mali striker’s ninth goal of the campaign in just 10 matches.
