African players in Europe: Bassey helps Fulham knock out United

Nigeria's Calvin Bassey, a centre-back for Fulham, made a notable debut in the FA Cup by scoring in the match that saw the London club eliminate the reigning champions, Manchester United, over the weekend.

Bassey found the net with a header just before half-time against United's goalkeeper, Andre Onana, who represents Cameroon, during a fifth-round encounter at Old Trafford. The match concluded in a 1-1 draw, with Fulham ultimately securing victory through a penalty shootout.

Another African player, Gambian Yankuba Minteh, also made headlines in the round of 16 by scoring an equalizer for Brighton, who later won 2-1 against Newcastle United.

AFP Sport now highlights the achievements of African players in the FA Cup and prominent European leagues:

ENGLAND
CALVIN BASSEY (Fulham)

The defender contributed to Fulham's advancement by scoring as they triumphed over United 4-3 in the penalty shootout. Bassey netted from close range after Rodrigo Muniz redirected Andreas Pereira’s corner. Although Bruno Fernandes equalized in the second half, Fulham secured their place in the quarter-finals following Bernd Leno's saves against Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee during the shootout.

YANKUBA MINTEH (Brighton)

Minteh had a noteworthy return to Newcastle after being sold to Brighton for £30 million ($37 million) during the off-season, having not made a league appearance for Eddie Howe’s side. He conceded a penalty in the 22nd minute for a foul on Tino Livramento, which Alexander Isak converted. However, Minteh equalized just before half-time with his sixth goal of the season, as his shot deflected off Kieran Trippier and past Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. Following red cards for both teams, Danny Welbeck netted the winning goal for Brighton in extra time.

SPAIN
BRAHIM DIAZ (Real Madrid)

The Moroccan international Diaz started in midfield in place of the suspended Jude Bellingham and scored in the 2-1 loss to Real Betis. The former Manchester City playmaker opened the scoring with a well-placed shot from close range, but Madrid later squandered their lead due to a lackluster performance. Diaz has netted two goals in his last six matches, with the other coming in the Champions League against Manchester City.

GERMANY
SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)
Guirassy ended the stalemate with a 2-0 victory at St. Pauli. The Guinea international, who netted four goals the previous week against Union Berlin, capitalized on an assist from Karim Adeyemi and scored from close range just five minutes into the second half.

NATHAN TELLA (Bayer Leverkusen)

In a squad that includes rising star Florian Wirtz and the formidable midfielder Granit Xhaka, Tella is establishing himself as Leverkusen’s key player in crucial situations. Despite Bayer's dominance against Eintracht Frankfurt, they struggled to find the net until Tella received a perfectly placed pass from Xhaka and skillfully deceived the goalkeeper with a low shot into the left corner. Bayer ultimately secured a 4-1 victory.

FRANCE
AMINE GOUIRI (Marseille)

The Algeria forward has continued his impressive performance since joining Marseille from Rennes in January, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 triumph over Nantes. Gouiri has now recorded three goals and three assists in five matches for Roberto De Zerbi’s team, which currently occupies second place in Ligue 1.