The 2023-24 UEFA Champions League is in the midst of the qualifying stages and there are plenty of European clubs eager to make an impression by achieving a run to the group stage, many with the aid of African players. Bulgarian champions Ludogorets are one of those clubs and thanks to two goals from Ghanaian attacker Bernard Tekpetey, Ludogorets were able to avoid an upset at the hands of Kosovar club FC Ballkani.
Meanwhile in Hungary local champions Ferencváros were left stunned at home after a goal from Ivorian Luc Kassi put the champions of the Faroe Islands, Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag, beyond reach for the most unexpected result of the round. Watch Tekpetey and Kassi’s goals below as well as all the goal contributions from African players this week in the Champions League.
Jerome Ngom Mbekeli (Cameroon) and Peter Ademo (Nigeria) score in extra time to lift Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol past Romanian club Farul Constanta
Bernard Tekpetey (Ghana) scores two first half goals to spur Ludogorets to an aggregate victory over Kosovo’s FC Ballkani
Luc Kassi (Ivory Coast) completes a shocking victory for Faroese club Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag to eliminate Hungarian champions Ferencváros
Ousmane Camara (Guinea) gives Dinamo Tbilisi the lead against FC Astana with a calm finish
FC Astana rally in the second half against Dinamo Tbilisi with Dembo Darboe (The Gambia) scoring the winning goal
Swedish champions BK Häcken advance without trouble against Welsh club TNS thanks to a first half strike from Right to Dream graduate Ibrahim Sadiq (Ghana)
Leandro Andrade (Cape Verde) provides two assists in a dominant second leg victory for Azeri club Qarabağ over Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps
