Weekend Review: Africans In Europe

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UEFA Cup Newcastle's Obafemi Martins (AFP)

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ENGLAND

Nigerian strikers Obafemi Martins and Yakubu Aiyegbeni were both on target for their respective clubs at the weekend.

Martins fired an unstoppable left-footed shot to put Newcastle in front only for Wigan to force a draw at St James' Park late on, while Yakubu's header earned Everton a draw at home to his former club Middlesbrough. It was The Yak's first goal since September.

Gabon international striker Daniel Cousin cashed in on a terrible mistake by Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim to send Hull City ahead only for Manchester City to hold the home team to a 2-2 draw. Guinea's Kamil Zayette's blunder gifted City their first goal.

SPAIN

Cameroon international Achille Emana has remained a consistent goal scorer even from the middle of the park for Real Betis and netted again in his team's 3-1 victory over Racing Santander.

Almeria beat Real Mallorca 2-1 with the Guinean Alhassane Keita grabbing the consolation goal for the losing team in stoppage time.

Mail's Seydou Keita put the finishing touches on Barcelona's 2-0 win away at Recreativo.

FRANCE

Senegal star Mamadou Niang scored from the penalty spot on the hour and Algeria's Karim Ziani was also on the score sheet but it was not enough as Olympique Marseille lost 3-2 at home to Lorient and thus lost ground to the league front runners.

Senegalese defender Guirane N'Daw netted from a free kick for Nantes but Nice battled back to win 2-1 with Gabon striker Eric Mouloungui grabbing a late winner. Nice are now fourth in the standings on 25 points from 14 matches.

Franco-Mauritanian Amadou Alassane scored for Le Havre, who though go on to lose 3-1 at home to Paris Saint-Germaine.

GERMANY

TSG Hoffenheim continued their fairy-tale run in the Bundesliga with their exciting Nigerian forward Chinedu Ogbuke-Obasi among the goals in a 3-2 home win over Wolfsburg.

NETHERLANDS

Blaise Nkufo, Switzerland international but originally from DR Congo, opened the scoring from the penalty spot for Twente in their 1-1 draw with visiting Feyenoord while Ivory Coast's Sekou Cisse was also quick off the mark as Roda JC thrashed NEC 3-0.

Dutch-Moroccan Ali Boussaboun cracked a sixth minute goal but his club Fc Utrecht still lost 3-2 at Heerenveen.

ITALY

Algerian striker Abdelkader Ghezzal's 22nd minute go-ahead goal was enough to earn Siena a 1-1 draw at Bologna.

BELGIUM

Nigeria's Azubuike Oliseh was again on the score sheet as his club KSV Roeselare drew 1-1 at Genk. Genk's goal was netted by Ndabashinze Dugary, who is from Burundi.

Cameroon's Bertin Tomou was on song for Westerlo as they won 3-2 at home against Gent while little known Nigerian striker Jaycee Okwunwanne, who stars for the Bahrain national team, scored in Mouscron's 2-1 victory over Sporting Charleroi.

Morocco's Moubarak Boussoufa scored for Anderlecht in the high profile clash with Club Brugge. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

It was African goals all the way when Lokeren hosted champions Standard Liege. Niger's on-form striker Moussa Ouwu Maazou was on target for the home team while Dieumerci Mbokani netted for Standard.

TURKEY

Things have gone from good to bad for former Nigeria international Julius Aghahowa. A couple of weeks after he cracked a hat-trick for Kayserispor, but this time around he was getting sent off as his club were held to a goalless draw at home by Antalyaspor.

Samm Audu