African players in Europe: Diallo delivers for Red Devils

There were cup winners, vital assists and no shortage of high-quality goals from Africa’s overseas contingent in the best leagues in Europe this past weekend.

We round up the best of the performers.

AMAD DIALLO (MANCHESTER UNITED & IVORY COAST)
Diallo had a moment in Manchester United’s epic 4-3 FA Cup quarterfinal victory over Liverpool that perhaps summed up his topsy-turvy stay at Old Trafford.

The 21-year-old Ivory Coast international has had a difficult time since moving to United from Atalanta in Italy in 2020, failing to win a regular place and having loans out to Glasgow Rangers and Sunderland.

However, he came off the bench to score a superb winner right at the end of extra-time, drilling a low shot into the far corner of the net following a lightning United break. It was his best moment in a United shirt, but then he ruined it slightly by taking off his jersey in celebration, earning himself a second yellow card and ultimately the first red card of his career. Still, he will hope that when he can play again, this is the start of better days at the club.

MOHAMED SALAH (LIVERPOOL & EGYPT)
Salah had put Liverpool ahead in the game with a goal just before halftime as they took a 2-1 lead into the break. He reacted quickest when United’s Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana could only parry a shot and fired into the back of the net with typical precision.

While he was on the pitch Liverpool looked in complete control of the tie, but once he went off on 77 minutes, and his threat was gone, United could get back into the game. Salah took his tally of goals this season to 21 in all competitions. 

RAYAN AIT-NOURI (WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS & ALGERIA)

Ait-Nouri has really come into his own this season at Wolves and is having a purple patch of form. He had netted in the 2-1 Premier League victory over Fulham last time out and turned his team’s FA Cup tie in their favour against Championship Coventry City, though it would ultimately end in defeat.

With his team trailing 1-0, Ait-Nouri rifled the ball into the net on 83 minutes to equalise, before a defence-splitting ball five minutes later provided an assist for Hugo Bueno. That should have been that, but Coventry equalised in the 97^th minute and found a winner on 100 minutes in a dramatic end to a tie that had 12 additional minutes added to it at the end. 

NICOLAS JACKSON (CHELSEA & SENEGAL)
Jackson continues to be a leading star for Chelsea in a rollercoaster season and helped them into the semifinals of the FA Cup with an assist in their 4-2 victory over Leicester City that required another ‘late show’.

Jackson’s contribution came early as he made a super run down the right, beat his defender before laying a goal on a plate for Marc Cucurella with a tap-in at the back post. Leicester fought from 2-0 down to level at 2-2, but a pair of Chelsea goals in injury-time at the end of the game secured a semifinal meeting with Manchester City. 

DAVID DATRO FOFANA (BURNLEY & IVORY COAST)
There was also Premier League action this weekend as Burnley claimed only a fourth win of the season and a potentially precious three points in their bid to stay in the topflight.

They beat struggling Brentford 2-1 and the scorer of their second goal was Ivorian Fofana, who netted in back-to-back games and now has four since his arrival at the club from Union Berlin in January. Fofana missed a tap-in in the first half but made up for it with a strike just past the hour-mark as he clipped the ball past the goalkeeper. He will have been more relieved than anything to score that goal.

YOUSSEF EN-NESYRI (SEVILLA & MOROCCO)
It has been a difficult season for Sevilla, but not their Moroccan forward, who continues to shine having taken his tally of LaLiga goals to 10 this campaign, and 14 in all competitions.

He opened the scoring early on against Celta Vigo, thought the match would end in a 2-1 defeat that keeps Sevilla just two places above the relegation zone. His goal was a fine finish, he took advantage of some hesitant defending to race clear and slide the ball past the goalkeeper.

JONATHAN BAMBA (CELTA VIGO & IVORY COAST)

Celta Vigo had already equalised when Bamba provided the assist for what would be the winning moment against Sevilla. His superb cross from the left was perfect for Jorgen Strand Larsen to apply almost a backheeled finish on the volley – a strange but superb goal. It was a second assist of the season for Bamba to go with two goals and could be a crucial three points for Celta as they also battle against the drop.

ILAIX MORIBA (GETAFE & GUINEA)
Moriba made a fourth LaLiga start following his loan move from Leipzig in Germany in January and provided the winning moment for his side. The 21-year-old slipped in a superb pass for Yellu Santiago and the latter finish with aplomb as Getafe won 1-0 against high-flying Girona. It was a first goal contribution for Moriba in Spain, and he will hope the first of many between now and the end of the campaign.

SAMUEL CHUKWUEZE (AC MILAN & NIGERIA)
Chukwueze made the game safe for AC Milan as he scored a third goal five minutes after coming off the bench in their 3-1 victory at Verona as they consolidated second place in LaLiga.

Milan are 14 points behind rivals Inter in the table so there is no real chance of them taking home the Scudetto, but second would be a statement from Stefano Pioli’s side. Nigeria star Chukwueze took his goal superbly as a corner was cleared as far as Chukwueze, who smashed a volley from the edge of the box into the bottom corner. It was his first goal of the Serie A season since his move from Villarreal in Spain.

WALID CHEDDIRA (FROSINONE & MOROCCO)
Frosinone lost 3-2 at home to Lazio, but Morocco forward Cheddira gave them hope in the final 20 minutes when he scored his fourth goal of the season to bring his side to within a single strike of their opponents.

It was a super finish too as he acrobatically produced an overhead kick to get the ball into the net from four yards. Unfortunately it was not enough and they remain in the bottom three. It is a third goal in four games for a player in his very first season in Serie A after knocking around the second and third divisions in Italy previously in his career.