African players round up: Awoniyi punishes former paymasters 

Former Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi returned to Anfield Stadium to inflict pain on his ex-bosses when he scored the only goal Nottingham Forest needed to slay the Jurgen Klopp-coached side.

The 25-year-old scored in a goal-dry weekend for most African players plying their trade in top European leagues.

Bafana Bafana forward Lebo Mothiba was on target for Strasbourg, while Stephanie Diarra scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Lorient.

FARPost rounds up how Africans based in Europe performed over the weekend.

Taiwo Awoniyi [Nottingham Forest]

Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi was the toast of the day for Nottingham Forest on Saturday after scoring the solitary goal that helped them account for the scalp of Liverpool.

Awoniyi stunned his former paymasters throughout the encounter, and his goal came in the second half. 

The lanky striker scored after collecting the ball from a pin-point pass from Steve Cook before drilling it home beyond the Liverpool goalkeeper. 

The Reds tried hard to come back into the game, but Forest remained resolute in defence.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting [Bayern Munich]

Cameroonian Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was on target as German giants Bayern Munich beat Hoffenheim 2-0 on Saturday.

Jamal Musiala scored the first goal in the 18th minute, and Choupo-Moting doubled their scores twenty minutes later courtesy of a Serge Gnabry assist.

The stylish forward, Choupo-Moting, has now scored in Bayern Munich’s last three matches in all competitions.

Victor Osimhen [Napoli]

Evergreen Nigerian Victor Osimhen scored an 80th-minute goal to seal a hard-fought win for Napoli over Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the Italian Seria A on Sunday.

The win ensured Napoli’s 11th consecutive win across all competitions.

The in-form Super Eagle showed endurance and strength when he received the ball on the right flank before muscling his way past centre-back Chris Smalling and unleashing a powerful shot that was too powerful to stop for the Roma goalkeeper.

Wilfred Kanga [Hertha Berlin]

Ivorian defender Wilfred Kanga scored the winning goal for Hertha Berlin when they narrowly beat Schalke 2-1 on Sunday evening.

Frenchman Lucas Tousart broke the deadlock for Hertha Berlin after 49 minutes, but Schalke responded when they thought they would hold on to the narrow lead.

Florent Mollet equalised in the 85th minute, but Kanga delivered the killer blow two minutes from when he broke into the box before hitting the top corner with a well-taken shot.

Lebo Mothiba [Strasbourg]

South African striker Lebo Mothiba was on target for French Ligue 1 side Strasbourg when they forced a 2-2 draw against Toulouse.

Anthony Rouault opened the scores for Toulouse in the 43rd minute, and Brecht Dejaegere doubled the scores ten minutes after the break.

However, Strasbourg turned on their screws after the hour mark, and the roving Mamelodi Sundowns academy product reduced arrears in the 65th minute with a goal from close range.

And Kevin Gameiro, who had initially failed to convert from a penalty spot, made sure they shared the spoils when he scored from a very close range to the top right corner.

Stephanie Diarra [Lorient]

Ivorian Stephanie Diarra scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Lorient when they were held to a 2-2 stalemate by Troyes on Saturday.

Troyes were thrust ahead early in the first half courtesy of an own goal by Julien Laporte, who collided with the ball from Thierno Balde’s attempted pass to Mama Balde in the box.

Lorient restored parity five minutes after the restart as Diarra weaved past three defenders before thumping the ball home to record his first Ligue 1 goal.

Goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo was to blame when Troyes restored their lead after he failed to deal with a hapless cross which Rony Lopes tapped home easily.

With 10 minutes to go, Quentin Boisgard scored for Lorient following a neat build-up that involved Diarra to level the game at 2-2.

M’baye Niang [Auxerre]

M’Baye Niang’s goal was not enough to salvage a point for Auxerre as they fell 2-1 at the hands of Reims on Sunday. 

The Senegalese midfielder scored in the 33rd minute with a header from the centre of the box after receiving a delightful cross from Hamza Sakhi.

Reims got their goals from Folarin Balogun and Junya Ito in either half of the match.