Serhou Guirassy scored twice as several African players made decisive contributions on the opening night of the Champions League league phase.
The Guinea striker was the standout performer, scoring two goals in five minutes to help Borussia Dortmund beat Villarreal 3-2, while Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson was also on target for Aston Villa in their 3-2 win over Club Brugge.
Algeria’s Rayan Aït-Nouri and Morocco international Brahim Díaz each provided an assist, making four direct attacking contributions from African players across Tuesday’s six matches.
Guirassy produced the most significant performance of the night in Dortmund’s victory.
With the German side and Villarreal level, the Guinea international struck in the 80th minute to restore Dortmund’s advantage before adding another five minutes later from the penalty spot.
His evening ended on an unusual note when he scored an own goal during stoppage time. Despite the late setback, Dortmund held on to secure the three points.
The two goals made Guirassy the most influential African player on the opening night of the competition.
Jackson also began his European campaign in impressive fashion after starting for Aston Villa against Club Brugge in Bruges.
The Senegalese striker scored Villa’s third goal as the English side claimed a 3-2 victory. Jackson took advantage of an opportunity before half-time to give Villa a two-goal advantage.
He was later substituted, but his goal had already given him a significant role in the victory.
Aït-Nouri made his contribution in a different way after coming on as a substitute for Manchester City against Porto.
The Algeria international needed only a short time on the pitch to influence the match, providing the assist for Erling Haaland to score City’s second goal late in the game.
City went on to win 2-0 in Portugal, with Aït-Nouri’s limited appearance still producing a direct contribution to the result.
Díaz was another African player to make an attacking impact.
The Morocco international started for Real Madrid in their meeting with Inter Milan and supplied the pass that allowed Kylian Mbappé to open the scoring.
Díaz remained active in attack as Real Madrid eventually secured a 2-1 victory at home, giving the Moroccan a positive start to the European campaign.
Other African players also had notable roles, although not all enjoyed victory.
Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye completed the entire match for Villarreal against Dortmund. He worked hard in midfield but could not prevent his side from losing in Germany.
Algeria’s Nabil Bentaleb started for Lille against Real Betis and produced an encouraging first-half display before being replaced at the interval. Ngal’ayel Mukau came on in his place.
In Athens, Cameroon defender Harold Moukoudi and Aboubakary Koïta helped AEK Athens beat LASK 1-0. Moukoudi played an important role in a defensive performance that resulted in a clean sheet.
Nigerian Moses Usor started for LASK but was unable to help the Austrian side avoid defeat.
There was also mixed fortune for the African players involved in Manchester City’s match.
Ghana international Antoine Semenyo started against Porto before being replaced by Senegal’s Iliman Ndiaye, who subsequently played a part in City’s 2-0 victory.
Porto introduced Ivory Coast midfielder Seko Fofana during the match, but his arrival could not change the outcome.
Villarreal also brought on Ivorian Nicolas Pépé and Senegalese player Alassane Diatta, but neither could help the Spanish side recover from Dortmund’s late comeback.
At the Santiago Bernabéu, Andy Diouf started for Inter Milan but ended the evening on the losing side after Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory.
Mamadou Diakhon also featured, coming on for the final stages of Aston Villa’s win over Club Brugge.
The opening round therefore produced contrasting results for the continent’s representatives.
While some African players were on winning teams and others suffered defeat, several immediately established themselves as important contributors to their sides.
Guirassy’s two goals put him at the head of that group, while Jackson’s goal provided another significant moment for an African forward.
Aït-Nouri and Díaz also made their influence count with assists, despite playing different roles in their respective matches.
The performances provide an encouraging start for the continent’s players as the new Champions League league phase gets under way.
For Guirassy in particular, the opening night could hardly have been more eventful. His brace proved decisive in Dortmund’s victory, even though his late own goal briefly threatened to change the outcome.
Jackson also made an early statement with Aston Villa, while Aït-Nouri demonstrated how a substitute can quickly influence a major European match.
Díaz’s assist completed a group of four African players who registered direct goal contributions on the first night.
With the competition now under way, the continent’s representatives have already made their presence felt, although their opening results underline the mixed fortunes that lie ahead.
For now, Guirassy stands out as the leading African performer after a night in which goals, assists and strong individual displays provided an early showcase of the talent coming from the continent.
