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Drogba livens mood at Chelsea
22/10/2007 14:34 - (SA)
London - Didier Drogba has shrugged off speculation about his Chelsea future to score in his team's 2-0 Premier League victory at Middlesbrough on Saturday, one of many notable goals from Africans playing in Europe.
In an interview with France Football magazine last week the
powerful Ivorian striker suggested that he had been unhappy at
Stamford Bridge for some time and would like a transfer to one
of the leading continental sides.
However, Chelsea manager Avram Grant put his faith in Drogba
on Saturday and he was rewarded with a typically strong run and
composed finish in the eighth minute.
Elsewhere in the Premier League Nigerian striker Benjani
Mwaruwari continued his excellent form for Portsmouth with their
first goal in a 2-0 win at Wigan Athletic.
Benjani broke the deadlock in the 81st minute, volleying
home a cross from Ghanaian Sulley Muntari to move to the top of
the goalscoring charts with seven league strikes.
Ivory Coast international defender Kolo Toure scored his
first goal of the season for Arsenal with a powerful low
long-range free-kick in the 68th minute of their 2-0 home win
over Bolton Wanderers.
And South African forward Benni McCarthy scored twice as
Blackburn Rovers cruised to a 4-2 home win over Reading.
In Spain, the two leading African players, Samuel Eto'o of
Cameroon and Frederic Kanoute of Mali, both sat out injured as
their teams managed contrasting results over the weekend.
Kanoute's struggling Sevilla ended their run of four
consecutive league defeats with a 2-0 win at Levante but
Barcelona missed Eto'o as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat at
Villarreal.
In France, Algerian striker Rafik Saifi scored twice for
Lorient but could not prevent his side sinking to defeat in a
5-3 thriller at Auxerre.
Nice moved up to seventh after two well taken goals from
Ivory Coast striker Bakari Kone helped them to a 3-1 home win
over rock bottom Metz.
French-Senegalese forward Bafetimbi Gomis scored twice in
six first-half minutes to give St Etienne a 2-0 win at Toulouse.
In Germany, Nigerian marksman Solomon Okoronkwo scored a
last minute consolation in Hertha Berlin's 3-2 defeat at second placed Werder Bremen on Saturday.
In the Netherlands, Moroccan striker Samir El Gaaouri scored
a consolation goal as VVV-Venlo went down 3-1 at second placed
PSV Eindhoven.
Despite El Gaaouiri's best efforts things look increasingly bleak for VVV who are bottom of the Dutch top division with just three points from their eight games.
In Italy, Ghanaian striker Gyan Asamoah scored a terrific
goal to save a home draw for Udinese as they were held 1-1 by
fifth placed Palermo.
There looked to be little danger when Asamoah picked up the
ball but a combination of some excellent quick feet and a deadly
low finish earned Udinese a point.
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