African ALL Stars: Diahkhaby gets vital goal for Valencia, Semenyo on target for Cherries

It was another good week for Africa’s stars in the elite competitions in Europe with goals and assists to help their teams to victories.

Here is a round-up of the best of the performers.

MOUCTAR DIAHKHABY (GUINEA & VALENCIA)

Valencia made it back-to-back victories, and three wins in their last four LaLiga games, as they moved to within a point of safety with a 2-0 victory over Leganes. Valencia have been surprise strugglers this year and this victory was vital in moving them to within a point of 17th-placed Leganes.

Diahkhaby played his part with the second goal, his first of the season having recently returned to the team after not played at all for the side since March 2024.

He turned the ball into the goal from close-range after it fell to him in the box from a saved shot, and made sure he struck it low and hard. It was a fine finish from the defender, and an eighth LaLiga goal since he joined Valencia in 2018.

INAKI WILLIAMS (GHANA & ATHLETIC BILBAO)

Athletic Bilbao cemented fourth place in LaLiga with a routine 3-0 home win over Girona, which came thanks to a Oihan Sancet hat-trick. His third goal was laid on by an assist from Williams, who took his tally for the campaign to seven to go with four goals in 21 starts.

It was a superb pass from Williams into the feet of Sancet that allowed the forward to turn and lift the ball into the back of the net for his treble. The result is the continuation of an excellent season for Bilbao and Williams, with high hopes of Uefa Champions League qualification at the end of it.

ANTOINE SEMENYO (GHANA & BOURNEMOUTH)

Semenyo is another player in red-hot form and he both won and converted a penalty as Bournemouth defeated Everton 2-0 to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The Cherries quickly got over their league loss to Liverpool the week before and confirmed they are among the leading teams in the English top flight this season, though they did have a dollop of good fortune as Everton struck the post three times in a five-minute spell. Semenyo has seven goals and three assists in the league this season and has now scored twice in the FA Cup too as Bournemouth march on.

HANNIBAL MEJBRI (BURNLEY & TUNISIA)

Second-tier Burnley completed one of the surprise results of the FA Cup fourth round when they won away at Southampton, though perhaps the latter’s lowly position at the foot of the Premier League makes this less of an upset.

New signing Marcus Edwards scored the only goal of the game for Burnley, but he was teed up by Mejbri, whose superb touch and pass into the six-yard box was controlled by the debutant and smashed into the back of the net. It is a second assist of the season for Mejbri, who joined Burnley from Manchester United at the start of the season.

FISAYO DELE-BASHIRU (NIGERIA & LAZIO)

Lazio crushed bottom side Monza 5-1 to keep their grip on fourth place in Serie A and substitute Dele-Bashiru found himself on the scoresheet with their fifth. It is a third goal in 15 appearances (eight starts) for the Nigerian this season following his move from Turkish outfit Hatayspor.

It was a fine finish too as he was played into space on the left-hand side of the box, took a touch with his right foot and crashed the ball into the back of the net with his left. He will hope it is the start of a run of goals as he looks to help Lazio qualify for the Champions League.

TEBOHO MOKOENA (SA & MAMELODI SUNDOWNS)

Mamelodi Sundowns laid down their title credentials in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 defeat of Orla do Pirates in their top-of-the-table Betway Premiership clash in Pretoria on Saturday. The victory moves Sundowns nine points clear of Pirates, though the latter do have a game in hand.

Central to their success, as he often is, was midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who finished the game with an assist and a goal. It was his tenacious tackling in his own half that allowed Lucas Ribeiro to run 70 yards and score to make it 2-0 to Sundowns, before Mokoena crashed home a typically fierce drive from 25-yards to score the fourth for The Brazilians.

He remains a huge asset for club and country. That is now two goals and two assists in nine appearances (seven starts) in the league for Mokoena this season.