There was a South African scorer in the English Premier League for the first time in over a decade, as well as host of other stars from the continent who put in match-winning performances for their clubs in Europe’s elite leagues this past weekend. We round up the top performers.
LYLE FOSTER (BURNLEY & SOUTH AFRICA)
Foster became the 10th South African-born player to score in the English Premier League when he netted for Burnley in their 3-1 home loss to Aston Villa. He continues to show that he has adapted well to arguably the best league in the world, and looks comfortable following his Man of the Match award against Manchester City on the opening day. His goal was a good one, he showed strength to hold off the defender, turn and shoot into the net past World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. He is the first South African to score in the EPL since Steven Pienaar for Everton against Hull City in October 2013.
TAIWO AWONIYI (NOTTINGHAM FOREST & NIGERIA)
The striker kept up his incredible run of scoring in the Premier League that has marked him out as one of the players to watch this season. He has now netted in seven consecutive Premier League games dating back to last season, with nine goals in all in that time. His latest was a cool finish as he was set free early on at Manchester United and showed blistering pace. With only Andre Onana to beat in the home goal, slotted it past the former Cameroon international.
WILLY BOLY (NOTTINGHAM FOREST & IVORY COAST)
Defender Boly doesn’t score many, but he put Nottingham Forest 2-0 up at Old Trafford inside four minutes as he headed in a free-kick, his first Premier League goal since scoring for Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3-2 loss to West Brom in January 2021. He was a fringe player for Forest last season, but has started all three of their games this campaign and is set to be much more influential at the City Ground.
NICOLAS JACKSON (CHELSEA & SENEGAL)
Jackson scores his first Premier League, which he hopes will open the floodgates this season, when he got Chelsea’s third in their 3-0 rout of promoted Luton Town. He had the simple task of prodding in a Raheem Sterling cross with 15 minutes to go. The Senegal forward arrived as a €37-million purchase from Villarreal, where he had scored 12 times in LaLiga last season, and will be relieved to get off the mark. Strikers are judged by goals and the 22-year-old has his first in England.
PAPE MATAR SARR (TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR & SENEGAL)
Sarr scored his first goal for Tottenham Hotspur in the win over Manchester United the previous weekend, and this time turned provider as he laid on a chance for James Maddison in the 2-0 win at Bournemouth. The Senegal star showed all his vision as he spotted the run of Maddison and slipped a delightful ball between the Bournemouth defence, allowing the latter an easy finish. It was superb play all round.
JORDAN AYEW (CRYSTAL PALACE & GHANA)
Crystal Palace claimed an excellent point at Brentford on Saturday, in no small part to a lovely assists from Ayew. Trailing 1-0 with 14 minutes remaining, the Ghana international held off his defender and slipped a perfectly weighted pass to centre-back Joachim Andersen, who finished from the tightest of angles. It was a superb bit of intelligence from Ayew.
MOHAMED SALAH (LIVERPOOL & EGYPT)
Liverpool pulled off something of a great escape at Newcastle United on Sunday as they came from a goal down to win 2-1, despite playing the majority of the match with 10 men following a red card for Virgil van Dijk. Salah did not get a goal, but he did lay on a superb assist for Darwin Nunez’s winner with a defence-splitting ball to grab the three points. Salah has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, though a deal that this stage looks unlikely, But what a loss he would be for the Anfield club.
VICTOR OSIMHEN (NAPOLI & NIGERIA)
Two games, three goals, Osimhen makes it looks so easy, though his strike against Sassuolo that gave Napoli the lead in their 2-0 win was from the penalty-spot. He won’t care though that is now 30 goals in his last 33 Serie A starts, an incredible record that highlights is status as one of the most lethal finishers in world football at present. And he is still only 24, he can get much better.
ALFRED DUNCAN (FIORENTINA & GHANA)
Alfred Duncan is a veteran of almost 300 appearances in Serie A with the likes of Inter Milan, Sampdoria, Sassuolo and now Fiorentina, but he can rarely have had more influential days with a goal and an assist in the 2-2 draw with Lecce. Now in his 13th season in Italy, he is still an important player and laid on the opener for Nicolás González, who headed in his corner. He then made it 2-0 with a stooping header as Fiorentina made a superb start. They could not hold on though and were pegged back in the second half to settle for a point.
LAMECK BANDA (LECCE & ZAMBIA)
It was in that game that Zambian youngster Banda also showed his worth with two assists to help Lecce to their unlikely away point. The 22-year-old enjoyed an excellent first season in Serie A with Lecce last season and looks to have carried on that form. His first was a driving run at the Fiorentina defence that was finished by Tunisian Hamza Rafia. Banda then put in a superb cross that was perfect for Nikola Krstovic to head home.
INAKI WILLIAMS (ATHLETIC BILBAO & GHANA)
Williams has also had an excellent start to the new LaLiga season with a goal last weekend and now an assist in a 4-2 home win over Real Betis. The visitors led 2-0 inside 10 minutes and it looked like a tough night for Athletic, but two penalties brought them level, both of them won by Williams’ brother Nico. Inaki then completed a family hattrick of assists when he laid on the third goal with a low cross into the box that was turned in by Gorka Guruzeta.