Africans Abroad: Sulemana Finds Scoring Form with Atalanta While Lookman and Guirassy Shine

A weekend of triumph for African football stars unfolded across Europe’s premier leagues, showcasing both standout performances and mixed results.

England

Beto netted a goal for Everton, who claimed a decisive 3-1 victory against Fulham in a captivating match at Craven Cottage.

The Guinea-Bissau forward entered the fixture riding high from his goal in the Toffees’ recent 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town.

Beto substantiated that previous effort wasn’t mere chance, replicating it in London to secure all three points for David Moyes’ squad.

Raul Jimenez had given Fulham an early lead in the 17th minute, but the visitors equalised just before half-time thanks to Vitalii Mykolenko.

Michael Keane scored to give Everton the lead in the 70th minute, before Beto sealed the win four minutes later with an assist from Carlos Alcaraz.

Italy

Ademola Lookman was instrumental in leading Atalanta to a gritty 2-1 win over AS Roma in a fiercely contested Serie A clash.

Fresh off his goal against Monza in the previous match, the reigning African Player of the Year was pivotal in Atalanta’s attack against Claudio Ranieri’s squad.

Lookman opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a superb assist from Belgian international Charles De Ketelaere.

However, Bryan Cristante levelled the scoring for Roma in the 32nd minute with a well-timed strike.

Super-sub Ibrahim Sulemana came off the bench to net the winner in the 76th minute, lifting Atalanta into a Champions League qualifying position for next season.

Meanwhile, Keita Balde found the back of the net with a late winner for Monza, leading to a 2-1 away victory against Udinese.

After a scoreless first half, Gianluca Caprari put Monza ahead in the 52nd minute, reacting quickly to a rebound after Samuele Birindelli hit the woodwork.

Lorenzo Lucca equalised for Udinese in the 75th minute, but it was Balde who clinched the win. He scored from close range after a beautifully directed cross from Patrick Ciurria.

Germany

Serhou Guirassy maintained his remarkable goal-scoring form in the Bundesliga, netting in Borussia Dortmund’s thrilling 4-2 triumph at Bayer Leverkusen.

The Guinean striker scored his team’s last goal, marking his 20th goal of the 2024-25 season, equalling the record for the most goals scored in a debut Bundesliga season by a Dortmund player, a record previously shared by Friedhelm Konietzka, Norbert Dickel, and Stephane Chapuisat.

In other Bundesliga news, St Pauli edged closer to safety with a 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, which included a goal from Manolis Saliakas.

Rasmus Kristensen gave the home side a sensational 24-second lead, but Saliakas equalised moments later with a curling shot past Kevin Trapp.

Guinea’s Guilavogui then shocked the hosts by scoring a surprise second goal, but the match concluded in a 2-2 stalemate as Eintracht’s Michy Batshuayi found the net midway through the second half.

Spain

Celta Vigo triumphed over Sevilla with a 3-2 victory in La Liga, featuring a goal from Ilaix Moriba, who opened his account for the Sky Blues.

The Guinea international put Celta ahead in the 19th minute after receiving a pass from Williot Swedberg.

Although Nemanja Gudelj equalised for Sevilla, goals from Oscar Mingueza and Borja Iglesias sealed the win for Claudio Giraldez’s side.

In another La Liga fixture, Cameroonian midfielder Karl Etta Eyong emerged as the hero for Villarreal, scoring the decisive goal in their 1-0 victory at Girona.

The 21-year-old netted the winner in the 89th minute, just minutes after coming on as a substitute for Ayoze Perez, stunning the host fans with a stunning finish set up by Alfonso Pedraza.

Leganes ended their eight-match winless streak with a thrilling 3-2 win over Espanyol, thanks in part to goals from Guinea’s Seydouba Cisse and Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande, both of whom scored in the first half.