UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Performance of Africa players in the final group stage games

 The group stage of the 2023-24 Uefa Champions League games ended during the midweek with some exciting performances of Africa players to their respective clubs.






Maiwasanni.com take a cursory look at how the players performed for their clubs after the last round of matches.


GROUP A


Andre Onana from Cameroon kept the post for Manchester United's 1-0 lost to FC Bayern Munich at the Old Trafford tallying six out of six starts in the group stage keeping only one clean sheet.

Sofyan Amrabat from Morocco lasted the entire game for the red side of Manchester making 4 out of 6 appearances in the UEFA Champions League. 

Their effort was not enough to save Manchester United from making it out of the group.

On the other end, Noussair Mazraoui of Morocco help his side FC Bayern Munich to complete a 16 points campaign to top the group where he lasted only 45 minutes.





GROUP B

Nampalys Mendy from Senegal and Ghana's Salis Abdul Samed mashalled the midfield for RC Lens to defeat Seville 2-1 at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis which secured them a playoff game in the Uefa Europa League.

The Senegalese was substituted on the 23rd minute through an injury for Neil Aynaoui but Salis Abdul Samed played the full throttle. 

Ismael Saibari of Morocco enjoyed a 74 minutes of football in PSV Eindhoven's one all draw game against Arsenal at the Phillips Stadium in the Netherlands. 

British-born Ghanaian Eddie Nketiah made good use of Gabriel Jesus' absence to score the goal for Arsenal on the 42nd minute. He last the entire game.

Egyptian star Mohamed Elneny made his first start in the UCL this season against PSV but could not end the game. He was replaced by captain Martin Odegaard on the 61st minute.





GROUP C

Reigning Africa Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen was on the score sheet for SSC Napoli in their 2-0 victory against Braga at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples.

Cameroonian midfielder, Andre-Frank Zambo Nguissa made his fifth start in the competition in five games he's played and lasted the entire duration. 

Chelsea's on loan strike David Datro Fofana was a unused substitute for Union Berlin's 3-2 defeat at home to Real Madrid.





GROUP D

Sadiq Umar of Nigeria played only 61st of Real Sociedad's barren score line with Inter Milan at the Guisseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan whereas Hamari Traore of Mali made his fourth start in five matches for Sociedad playing the entire game. 

Seiko Koita of Mali came on as a substitute on the 55th minute for Salzburg in their final fixture against Benfica in a game they lost 3-1 in Austria. 

Ghanaian, Forson Amamkwah, Malian Mamady Diambou and Ivorian attacker Karim Konate were unused substitute for Salzburg. 





GROUP E

Ramiz Zerrouki from Algeria enjoyed 90 minutes of football in his side, Feyenoord Rotterdam's 2-1 lost to Celtics at the Celtics Stadium in Glasgow. 

Feyenoord finished 3rd in their group and have dropped to the playoffs of the Uefa Europa League.


GROUP F

Ramy Bensebaini played 90 minutes for BVB Borussia Dortmund in their 1-1 draw with PSG which confirmed their top spot in the group whereas Achraf Hakimi lasted the entire game for PSG, with the only points gained, giving them a place in the Round 16.

In the other game in England, Samuel Chukwueze came off the bench to steal the winner for AC Milan against Newcastle United in their 2-1 victory but the win was not enough to push them through to the next round but dropped to the Europa League. Chaka Traore of Cote D'ivoire was an unused substitute for AC Milan.


GROUP G

Serbian side, FK Crvena Zvezda presented five Africa player in their 3-2 lost to defending champions Manchester City at the Rajko Mitic Stadion.

Only Osman Bukari of Ghana, amongst them played 90 minutes but Nasser Djiga of Burkina Faso, Guelor Kanga of Gabon, Cherif Ndiaye of Senegal and Peter Olayinka of Nigeria were substituted in the game. 

Kings Kangwa of Zambia and Jean-Phillipe Krasso of Ivory Coast were unused substitute in the game which left FK Crvena Zvezda bottom of the group. 

In the other fixture, Young Boys of Switzerland also presented five players in their slim lost against RB Leipzig. 

Meschak Elia of DR Congo and Jean-Pierre Nsame last only 62 minutes in the game for Young Boys with the former honouring six out of six games starting all and the latter, four out of four starting two.

23-year-old Gambian midfielder Ebrima Colley enjoyed 82 minutes in the game in his second game of the season but could not help his side succumb to a 2-1 defeat together with his fellow countryman Saidy Janko playing all the minutes putting his season tally to starting four out of five games. 

Senegalese international, Cheikh Niasse, 23, lasted the entire game for Young Boys having started all the six games in the group stages for his side. 

Mohamed Aly Camara of Guinea and Mamadou Haidara of Mali were unused substitute for Young Boys and RB Leipzig respectively.


GROUP H

Nigeria's 26-year-old left back, Zaidu Sanusi was not substituted for FC Porto's last group game fixture against Shakhtar Doneski at the Estadio Do Dragao which ended in a 5-3 victory for the home side.

Sanusi started 7 out of 8 games for Porto in this season's UCL. 

Novatus Miroshi of Tanzania was left on the bench throughout the game having played only one game in the group stages of the UCL. 

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