Africans abroad made key contributions in all three matches played on Thursday in the Saudi Pro League as the Saudi top division returned to action following a month-long break.
Senegal national team superstar Sadio Mané was the star of the day after contributing two goals to help Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr to a 3-1 victory over Al Okhdood. Mané was quickest to react in the 29th minute when he applied the final touch following a scramble in front of the goal.
After a Ronaldo penalty put Nassr ahead close to halftime, Mané confirmed victory with a powerful header to for Nassr's third goal in the second half (both goals below). Mané now has 5 goals and 5 assists in 14 league matches this season.
Al Nassr move into 3rd place for the time being with other contenders set to play in the coming days. It should also be noted that Nigerian attacker Godwin Saviour opened the scoring with a surprise early goal, his third of the season, for Okhdood who remain in 14th place following Friday's result.
Saviour's countryman, Odion Ighalo, also found the net for Al Wehda in a 2-1 victory at Al Fateh in the early match. The 35-year-old Nigerian was in the right place for a trademark finish to make it 2-0 for Wehda inside thirty minutes. It has been a difficult season for Wehda but they move out of the relegation zone for now with Ighalo accumulating 4 goals in 14 matches this season.
Fateh attempted to find a way back into the match and it was a North African connection who gave home supporters hope. Moroccan attacker Mourad Batna set up Algerian creative midfielder Sofiane Bendebka for a low finish to cut the deficit in half before the hour mark. However, Bendebka's third goal of the season was not enough to inspire a comeback as Fateh continue in last place with a measly six points from fourteen games.
Last but not least, Comoros national team star Faïz Selemani continues to have an excellent season for both club and country. In the second match of the day, Selemani's corner kick service set up a stellar strike from Portuguese midfielder Tozé for Al-Riyadh to equalize against Al Khaleej in a match that ended 2-2. Selemani has two goals and three assists in thirteen matches for Al-Riyadh who leap past Khaleej into 7th position.
Action from the Saudi Pro League continues with three matches each on Friday and Saturday. With all the African stars in the league there are sure to be more notable moments and highlights from the league featuring Africans abroad.
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