African players in Europe: Defender Hakimi’s historic hat-trick

Reigning African Footballer of the Year and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi claimed a first career hat-trick at the weekend in a 5-1 Ligue 1 rout of bottom club Le Havre.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson continued to defy critics from a difficult spell at Chelsea by scoring his eighth goal in 12 appearances for Aston Villa, who drew 1-1 with Fulham.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

FRANCE

ACHRAF HAKIMI (Paris Saint-Germain)

Morocco captain Hakimi was involved in all five goals as defending European champions and Ligue 1 leaders PSG inflicted a seventh defeat in nine matches on Le Havre. Apart from his hat-trick, he set up goals for Mika Godts and Senny Mayulu.

ENGLAND

NICOLAS JACKSON (Aston Villa)

In-form Jackson scored again, but it was not enough for Unai Emery’s men to defeat struggling Fulham. The Senegal international coolly slotted home from Johan Manzambi’s pass for a fifth Premier League goal in his last five games.

TAIWO AWONIYI (Coventry City)

Awoniyi netted his first league goal for Coventry in a 3-1 win over Sunderland that hauled the Sky Blues out of the relegation zone. The Nigerian made the most of his first start since September as he won possession himself before surging into the Sunderland box and firing into the bottom corner.

SPAIN

YAN DIOMANDE (Real Madrid)

Ivory Coast teenager Diomande completed the scoring before half-time as Real Madrid triumphed 3-0 at Racing Santander in La Liga. The record signing by the 15-time European champions lashed home from the edge of the box after 37 minutes.

ITALY

M’BALA NZOLA (Cagliari)

Angolan Nzola gave mid-table Cagliari the lead midway through the first half, but Serie A pacesetters Lazio hit back to win 2-1 in Rome. Nzola struck from the edge of the six-yard box to net in successive matches for the first time in 70 months.

GERMANY

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

His second-half goal put Borussia on track for an impressive 2-2 Bundesliga draw at leaders Bayern Munich. After Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane missed a penalty, Dortmund went to the other end of the pitch and Guirassy equalised. It brought the goal tally of the Guinea striker in all competitions to eight this season.

IBRAHIM MAZA (Bayer Leverkusen)

Leverkusen were outplayed by Stuttgart in a 4-2 defeat, but Maza left the pitch with his head held high. After the Algeria midfielder showcased his stunning dribbling, he scored after 79 minutes with an unstoppable header.

BILAL EL KHANNOUSS (Stuttgart)

El Khannouss provided the creative spark as Stuttgart snapped a run of poor form to win at Leverkusen. The Moroccan scored with a superb low shot early in the second half and helped create Stuttgart’s fourth for Ermedin Demirovic.