African players in Europe: Pepe stars in Villarreal romp

Former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe starred as Villarreal trounced Levante 5-1 at the weekend in a LaLiga derby.

The 30-year-old Ivory Coast international created two goals before scoring his eighth of the league campaign on 90 minutes to complete the rout.

Villarreal lie third in the table, five points above Atletico Madrid, and will compete in the Champions League next season.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

SPAIN

NICOLAS PEPE (Villarreal)

Pepe was on fire as his team defeated Levante in a derby clash. He scored one and set up two more in the east coast romp. His goal was the fifth, cutting in from the right wing and smashing home from just inside the area.

What a performance from Nicolas Pepe. pic.twitter.com/qNmCDAv8sH — Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) May 4, 2026

RANDY NTEKA (Rayo Vallecano)

The Angola international scored a sensational goal to help Vallecano secure an impressive 2-0 win at Getafe. Rayo attacker Nteka, 28, walloped home from outside the box, in off the bar, to seal his team's victory and net his second goal of an injury-hit season.

ENGLAND

LOUM TCHAOUNA (Burnley)

The Chad-born winger scored his second goal of the league season for relegated Burnley in a 3-1 loss at Leeds United. His other goal, seven months ago, also came against Leeds in one of only four matches Burnley have won during the campaign.

⚽️ @BurnleyOfficial have a goal back!

Loum Tchaouna's powerful strike makes it 3-1 pic.twitter.com/MQQsOftoeP — Premier League (@premierleague) May 1, 2026

ITALY

LAMECK BANDA, WALID CHEDDIRA (Lecce)

Zambian Banda and Moroccan Cheddira scored in the second half, either side of a Pisa equaliser, to give visiting Leece a 2-1 victory as they try to avoid relegation. Both scored with close-range shots to move Leece four points above third-last Cremonese, who play on Monday.

GERMANY

NATHAN TELLA (Bayer Leverkusen)

Tella was the perfect sidekick to hat-trick star Patrik Schick in Leverkusen's 4-1 Bundesliga win over RB Leipzig. Just before halftime, the Nigerian tapped in an Aleix Garcia assist to put Bayer two up.

BAZOUMANA TOURE (Hoffenheim)

Toure continued an impressive first Bundesliga season, scoring and laying on an assist as Hoffenheim drew 3-3 with top-four rivals Stuttgart. The 20-year-old Ivorian put Hoffenheim 2-1 ahead in the opening half for his fourth goal of the campaign.

ABDOULIE CEESAY (St Pauli)

A first Bundesliga goal from the Gambian was not enough as Saint Pauli fell 2-1 at home to Mainz and slipped into the relegation zone. With Mainz leading 2-0 in the closing stages, Ceesay turned in a Martijn Kaars pass.

FRANCE

IBRAHIM MBAYE (Paris Saint-Germain)

The 18-year-old Senegal international put a virtual second-string PSG side ahead after only six minutes with a fortuitous goal in a 2-2 Ligue 1 draw against Lorient. An attempted clearance by Lorient's Cameroon-born goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo struck the teenager and rebounded into the net. PSG rested their first choices ahead of their Champions League semifinal second leg at Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

AIYEGUN TOSIN (Lorient)

Benin international Tosin earned ninth-placed Lorient an away point at leaders PSG when he scored on 78 minutes. A mistake by teenage debutant Pierre Mounguengue allowed the 27-year-old to run through and score.