The UCL in recent years have enjoyed stellar performances from African super stars. From Abedi Pele in the early 90s with Marseille to Eto’o at Barcelona and Drogba with Chelsea in the mid 2000s and early 2010s. Salah, Mane and Mahrez took over helping top European clubs enjoy great nights in UCL.
A new dawn is here and African players are set to dazzle as usual with many enjoying minutes in the opening nights of the 2024-25 season.
On Tuesday night, PSV’s consolation goal at the Juventus Arena was scored by Moroccan International, Ismael Saibari. Burkinabe international Adamo Nagalo was a used substitute who enjoyed five minutes of action for the Eindhoven-based cub. 17-year-old Moroccan International Couhaib Driouech was an unused substitute for PSV Eindhoven.
In Bern, BSC Young Boys had 7 Africans in their matchday squad against Aston Villa. Five started in the 3-0 defeat to the English side. Mohammed Camara (Guinea), Jaouen Hadjam (Algeria), Ebrima Colley (Gambia), Cheikh Niasse (Senegal) and Silvere Ganvoula (Congo) were given the chance to start by Rahmen Patrick. Congolese forward Elia Meshack played 45 minutes from the bench while 20 year old Zambian midfielder Miguel Chaiwa didn’t get the opportunity to play.
Egyptian bona fide star Mohamed Salah enjoyed 92 minutes of action in Liverpool’s 3-1 win gainst AC Milan in Italy. Samuel Chukueze of Nigeria was an unused substitute for AC Milan.
28-year-old Moroccan defender Sammy Mmaee enjoyed the entire 90 minutes in Dinamo Zaghreb’s embarrasing 9-2 defeat in Germany.
Malian forward El Bilal Toure played 16 minutes for Stuttgart in the 3-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeau against Real Madrid after replacing David Undav in the 75th minute.
Ivorian defender Ousmane Diomande and Geny Catamo of Mozambique each played 90 minutes for Sporting Lisbon in their impressive 2-0 win against Lille. Lille started with the experienced Algerian center back Aissa Mandi and young Ousame Sahraoui of Morocco in the defeat against Portuguese side Sporting Lisabon. Guinea’s Mohammed Bayo did not play a single minute for Lille from the bench.
