Mama Balde strikes twice in a goal dry weekend for Africans in Europe 

Guinea-Bissau midfielder Mama Balde was the top performing African over the weekend after scoring a brace for Ligue 1 outfit Troyes when they beat Clermont 3-1 on Saturday.

It turned out to be a goal-dry weekend for most Africans in the top European leagues.

FARPost gives a round-up of how African players plying their trade in Europe performed over the weekend.

Assan Ceesay [Leece]

Gambian Assan Ceesay was on target for Seria A side Leece when they narrowly beat Salernitana 2-1 on Friday to register their first victory of the season.

Ceesay notched home two minutes before the break and his teammate Joan Gonzàlez turned a hapless corner kick into his own net to level matters for Salernitana. 

But Gabriel Strefezza put the game to rest when he scored in the 83rd minute to ensure the much-awaited victory.

Dango Quattara and Terem Moffi [Lorient]

The exciting Burkina Faso star Dango Quattara and Nigerian forward Terem Moffi were on target on Friday when Lorient outsmarted Auxerre to keep their fine form since the season started.

Last season Lorient survived relegation by a whisker, but they have hit gears so hard that they are flirting in the top three with Paris Saint-Germain.

It’s the same script for the Burkinabe, Quattara, who has scored in his last two games for Lorient. So far, the 20-year-old has provided four assists and scored four goals.

He deservedly thrust his team ahead in the 15th minute before the evergreen Nigerian striker Terem Moffi and Enzo Le Fée scored to give Lorient a comfortable 3-0 lead at half-time.

Gauthier Hein scored the consolation for Auxerre as the match ended 3-1.

Taiwo Awoniyi [Nottingham Forest]

Gangly Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi scored for Nottingham Forest, albeit on a 3-2 losing cause at the hands of Fulham.

Awoniyi’s 11^th-minute strike gave Forest a narrow lead going into the second half, but Tosin Adarabioyo equalised with a powerful header after 54 minutes, with Joao Palhinha putting the cottagers ahead three minutes later.

Harrison Reed extended their lead on the hour mark, and Lewis O’Brien pulled one back in the 77th minute, but Forest failed to equalise in the final stages of the match, where they got several gilt-edged opportunities.

Ramy Bensebaini [Borussia Monchengladbach]

Algerian defender Ramy Bensebaini joined the party with a clever goal when Borussia Monchengladbach outclassed RB Leipzig 3-0 on Saturday.

Germany international Jonas Hofmann scored the other two goals to sink their opponent beyond their reach.

Habibou Diallo [Strasbourg]

Senegalese international found the back of the net as his side Strasbourg narrowly lost 2-1 to Montepellier in Saturday’s Ligue 1 game.

Diallo scored the equalising goal for Strasbourg, who were visiting following Arnaud Nordin’s first-half strike.

In the 85th minute, Diallo restored parity and seemed to have sealed an all-important point away from home, but Tedy Savanier inflicted pain on the visitors when he restored Montepellier’s lead in the 90 minutes.

Montpellier held on until the final whistle to collect maximum points.

M’bala Nzola [Spezia]

Angolan forward M’bala Nzola was on target for Serie A side Spezia when they narrowly beat Sampdoria on Saturday.

Nzola scored the winning goal for Spezia as they bounced back to winning ways at home.

In this one, they found themselves trailing behind after 11 minutes when Abdelhamid scored for Sampdoria.

But the lead was short-lived as Jeison Murillo restored parity a minute later and Nzola scored what turned out to be their winning goal at the 72-minute mark.

Mama Balde [Troyes]

Mama Balde of Guinea-Bissau accounted for his first brace of the season as Troyes secured a comfortable win over Clermont on Sunday.

The home side, Clermont, started brightly, and they deservedly scored first after three minutes, courtesy of Johan Gastien.

The lead, however, did not last until the break, with the gangly Balde equalising for Troyes twenty minutes later.

Troyes took the lead when Balde completed his brace 54 minutes before Renaud Ripart put the game beyond Montepellier’s reach with an 83^rd-minute goal.

Nabil Bentaleb [Angers]

Algerian midfielder Nabil Bentaleb scored the only goal Angers needed to beat Nice on Sunday evening.

Angers, though, finished the match with 10 players after Moroccan midfielder Sofiane Boufal was sent off in the second half.

However, Nice were ineffective as they failed to cancel out Bentaleb’s fine 20-meter strike for Angers on the stroke of halftime.