AFRICANS ABROAD: Jackson, Salah back among the goals

Two strikers who have had a tough time of late found form at the weekend as they were among the goals and assists in the Premier League, with several other African stars boosting their teams in Europe’s elite leagues. We have a round-up of the top performers.

NICOLAS JACKSON (SENEGAL & CHELSEA)

Jackson has come in for criticism from Chelsea fans for some indifferent displays of late, but he was on fire against West Ham United in the Blues’ 5-0 success. The Senegal forward netted two goals and provided an assist to take his goal contributions in the Premier League to 18 this season (13 scored, five assists), not at all bad at all for a 22-year-old in his first season in England.

It was his blocked shot that rebounded back for Cole Palmer to get the opener, before he had a tap-in for Chelsea’s fourth when Chukwunonso Madueke laid the ball square to him. He was played through on goal for his second, and provided a cool finish into the bottom corner with only the goalkeeper to beat. They were a pair of perfect poacher’s goals.

MOHAMED SALAH (EGYPT & LIVERPOOL)

Salah is another who has not hit the heights he may have expected in recent months and his touchline fracas with manager Jurgen Klopp the previous weekend did not help matters. But he was back in the starting lineup and among the goals and assists as Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 at Anfield to keep their very slim hopes of the Premier League title alive.

Despite the perception that his form has dipped, Salah is still up to 28 goal contributions this season (18 goals + 10 assists) and that is an excellent number for a player who was also sidelined and missed six games. His goal was a rare header at the back post and he stooped unopposed to score, before he provided the assist for Harvey Elliot to score the fourth with a flicked pass into his path.

WILLY BOLY (COTE D’IVOIRE & NOTTINGHAM FOREST)

Nottingham Forest took a giant step towards safety when they came from behind to beat bottom side Sheffield United, with Boly providing an assist for the second goal scored by Ryan Yates. Boly provided the perfect cushioned header in the box for Yates to blast the ball into the back of the net. It has been a tough season for the Ivorian but he registered his first assist to go with a single goal scored.

INAKI WILLIAMS (GHANA & ATHLETIC BILBAO)

Williams took his tally of goals into double-figures this season with a brace that left him on 11 for the LaLiga campaign as Athletic Bilbao defeated Getafe 2-0 on Friday. His first was a superb strike as he picked up the ball 25 yards from goal and curled a shot into the far corner of the net, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

The second was more of a tap-in at the far post after a defence-splitting ball from his brother Nico. The pair had been subjected to racist abuse the week before at Atletico Madrid, so this was the perfect way to respond.

YOUSSEF EN-NESYRI (MOROCCO & SEVILLA)

En-Nesyri has been in excellent form in the second half of the LaLiga season and he netted again as Sevilla thumped Granada 3-0 to end any faint suggestion they could be relegated this season.

He has now netted three in his last four games and has 13 goals for the season, to go with two assists, the second-best scoring campaign of his LaLiga career after he netted 18 times in 2020-21. His strike against Granada was a well-constructed move that ended with him firing home at the back post as he laid the ball off to Lucas Ocampos, and then side-footed in the return ball.

CALEB EKUBAN (GHANA & GENOA)

Genoa played to a thrilling 3-3 draw at AC Milan this weekend with their second goal scored by Ghana striker Ekuban, a fourth of the season for the 30-year-old. It was a superb header at the near post as he connected with Alessandro Vogliacco's deep cross from the right. That put Genoa 2-1 up, but they could not hold on and, after trailing 3-2, they rescued a point late on.

SAMUEL CHUKWUEZE (NIGERIA & AC MILAN)

Nigeria forward Chukwueze also started the game for AC Milan and provided the assist for Alessandro Florenzi to net the home side’s first goal. It was a lovely run and pinpoint cross from the right that laid it on a plate for Florenzi to score. It was a third assist of the season for Chukwueze to go with a single goal and he will hope for more influence in his second season in LaLiga following a move from Villarreal.

M’BALA NZOLA (ANGOLA & FIORENTINA)

Fiorentina saw their hopes of European football next season dashed as they lost 2-1 at Verona, with Nzola providing an assist for their goal scored by Gaetano Castrovilli. Nzola had a strong run where he held off several defenders before he passed to Castrovilli to blast the ball into the back of the net. It is a third assist of the Serie A season for the Angolan, to go with two goals scored.