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Too Good, Too Bad: How African stars performed in Europe last weekend

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There is excitement in the air as the new football season kicked off in most countries over the weekend following three months of hiatus.

While the Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga is yet to come on stream, the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, the French Ligue, the Belgium Jupiler League and the Turkish Süper Lig more than served the excitement fans were waiting patiently for.

African players were in action in some of the leagues and while some stood out and contributed to their team’s success, some could not hold the can as they failed to live up to the expectations.

AfricaNewsWatch X-rays some African stars and their performances for their clubs across Europe in the last weekend.

Too Good

Sadio Mane (Senegal/Bayern Munich)

The Senegalese AFCON winner announced his return to the Bundesliga in style as he opened his goal account with a debut goal for perennial champions, Bayern Munich, in their 6-1 thumping of 6-1 win Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayern were already 2-0 up when Mane jumped highest to nod home a cross from former Arsenal winger, Serge Gnabry at the Deutsche Bank Park.

Sadio Mane is doing great things already for Bayern Munich (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Sadio Mane is doing great things already for Bayern Munich (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The 30-year-old Lion of Teranga vice captain would go on to make a meaningful impact in the match with his hold up play and overall contribution.

Henry Onyekuru (Nigeria/Adana Demirspor)

Nigeria and Super Eagle star, Henry Onyekwuru is slowly carving a niche for himself as a journey man as he started another loan spell with Adana Demirspor in the Turkish Süper Lig on a high.

Onyekwuru who was in action for the whole duration of the match against Giresunspor on Sunday, got a well deserved goal in the 82nd minute as Demirspor ran out 3-2 winners in the pulsating game.

Onyekuru’s goal had levelled the scores at 2-2 before Rahmetullah Berisbek scored the winner as the Blue Lightnings kicked off their season on a positive note at Cotanak Sports Complex.

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/PSG)

The Morocco international picked up where he left off last season with a goal and an assist as Paris Saint Germain kicked off their 2022/2023 Ligue 1 crown with a 5-0 walloping of Clermont Foot.

Achraf Hakimi picked up where he left off for PSG (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Achraf Hakimi picked up where he left off for PSG (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The former Inter Milan defender got PSG’s second goal and went on to contribute massively for the team’s victory.

Joseph Paintsil (Ghana/KRC Genk)

Ghana international, Joseph Paintsil, was in scintillating form for KRC Genk in the Belgian Jupiler League and capped it with two goal as his team beat Eupen 4-2 win at the Cegeka Arena on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Black Star got the first goal for Genk in the 3rd minute and doubled the lead in the 9th before two goals by Patrik Hrosovsky and Mike Tresor Ndayishimiye sealed the team’s second victory of the season to take them to second position on the log after three rounds of matches.

Too Bad

Joe Aribo (Nigeria/Southampton)

Nigerian midfielder, Joe Aribo would have wished for a better debut in the English Premier League when Southampton had the misfortune of facing Tottenham Hotspur in their first match of the season.

The Nigeria international who wa given his first competitive debut by coach Ralph Hasenhuttl had only one shot on target in the 73rd as the Saints suffered 4-1 thumping.

Joe Aribo had s debut to forget (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Joe Aribo had s debut to forget (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Aribo, who moved to Southampton from Scottish giants Rangers, could not exert any influence the team which also had Ghana defender, Mohammed Salisu, score an own goal to underscore the pressure they faced against Tottenham.

Taiwo Awoniyi (Nigeria/Nottingham Forest)

If the Nigeria international striker had been expecting a dream debut in the EPL, it was quite the opposite as he endured a frustrating afternoon on his Nottingham Forest suffered a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Awoniyi who had a spectacular last season with Union Berlin in the Bundesliga with 15 goals, was brought on for Sam Surridge three minutes after the hour mark, but could not make any impact as the Reds lost courtesy of goals from Fabian Schar and Callum Wilson.

Wilfried Zaha (IvoryCoast/Crystal Palace), Jordan Ayew (Ghana/Crystal Palace)

The duo of Ivory Coast winger, Wilfried Zaha, and Ghanaian forward, Jordan Ayew, were on the losing side as Crystal Palace lost their league opener 2-0 against in form Arsenal at Selhurst Park on Friday.

A goal in each half from Gabriel Martinelli and an own goal by Marc Guehi late in the match condemned Palace to their first defeat of the season.

Wilfred Zaha had a bad opening EPL day (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Wilfred Zaha had a bad opening EPL day (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Nigerian eligible player, Eberechi Eze and Mali international, Cheick Doucoure, were also part of the Palace squad, while Arsenal duo of Mohamed Elneny and Nicholas Pepe were unused substitutes.

Sports

Controversy as US-based former Kenyan football star Joseph Asuza commits suicide

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A US-based former Kenyan football star, Joseph Asuza, has reportedly committed suicide in what has been described as tragic circumstances,
sparking controversy.

Asuza, a former FKF Premier League star who played for Red Berets before transitioning to a different career path in the United States where he worked as a security officer with the United Nations, reportedly took his own life by jumping out of a moving vehicle on Sunday afternoon before being crushed to death by another vehicle as he struggled to come to terms with his mother’s recent death.

According to former Harambee Stars striker and Asuza’s close friend, Boniface Ambani, the former star player fondly called “Asuu”, jumped out of a moving cab on Thika Road before an oncoming vehicle crushed him to death.

Ambani said Asuza’s untimely demise comes at a time of profound grief as he was making arrangements for his mother’s burial who had passed away just a week prior due to cardiac arrest.

“Despite being miles away from his homeland, Asuza remained deeply connected to his roots, as evidenced by his swift return upon hearing of his mother’s passing,” Ambani said.

“Asuza was in deep distress as he came to terms with his mothers’ death.

“On Friday evening I paid a courtesy call on his family at Lusui, Chanda Village. He looked so distressed and so disturbed.

“The mum’s death really hit him hard. I gave him company till midnight and we planned to meet the next day, but he told me he is traveling to Nairobi early morning of Saturday to go make arrangements on how the mum’s body would be ferried back home for burial this coming Saturday.

“I told him it’s okay, but asked his young bro to make sure he (Asuu) doesn’t drive. I talked to him in length.

“Asuza and his brother arrived safely on Saturday, but he lost his life the next day

“Asuza accompanied by his younger brother, embarked on the journey to Nairobi early Saturday morning to oversee the arrangements for his mother’s final rites.

“However, the journey ended in an unimaginable tragedy as Asuza’s life was abruptly cut short in a fatal road accident along Thika Road.

“It has taken me a lot of courage since yesterday, to pen this down. Why Asuu? Why? Mum and son gone,” Ambani added, before sending condolences to the family.

“God give this family strength to overcome this…. How do I start tying Rest well bro? How? How? Asuu, Asuu,” he lamented.

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Sports

Kenyan world champion Zablon Ekwam cries out over alleged neglect from govt

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Kenyan World Indoors Championships record holder, Zablon Ekwam, has expressed frustration over alleged neglect of athletes by the government even after performing so well and bringing honour to the country.

Ekwam who recently shattered the African record at the World Indoor Championships held in the UK, expressed his frustration about receiving no recognition from the government even when his performance had put the country on the world map.

Ekwam who spoke to sports journalists on Friday, lamented that they (athletes)
had to put in all the work to bring honour to the country, yet the government has continuously failed to recognise them.

Ekwam said he was particularly frustrated that as he had never been to an indoor championship and breaking an African record is a feat that should be recognised.

At the tournament, the quartet of Ekwam, Wiseman Were, Boniface Mweresa, and Kelvin Tauta shattered an existing African record by clocking an impressive 3:06.71 to finish fourth in the tight race that was won by Team Great Britain with the USA and the Netherlands taking the second and third spots.

Ekwam feels that the hard work the quartet should have been recognised and they should also receive a token of appreciation for the effort.

“Breaking the African record has motivated me; however, the government has not done anything and we have not received any appreciation but we are content with what we did and we ask God to give us more courage,” Ekwam lamented.

“If we are given another chance to run anywhere, we shall continue breaking records because in other countries, when someone breaks a record it’s a big thing.

“Here, people have taken it very lightly and no one is even talking about it but it is okay and we shall continue working hard,” Ekwam said.

He added that as they prepare for the Africa Senior Athletics Championships and the continental tour in South Africa, they hope to continue breaking more records.

He added that if for anything, the fact that the African record had been in place for more than five years and the quartet put in all their effort and shattered it twice in one day was something that the government should have recognized and appreciated.

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