(A dummy post with an old article of mine to start my blog)
The European soccer season has seen a lot of African
talents who, apart from trying to win laurels for themselves, also help to
enrich the various competitions they find themselves in.
From the flagship UEFA Champions League to the
Europa Cup as well as the English Premiership, Spanish La Liga, German
Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, among other top European competitions, African
presence has always been felt, be it fully blooded Africans or other nationals
who originated from Africa.
The just ended 2012-2013 season saw a lot of African
soccer legion making strides and winning laurels in various competitions as we
recap the exploits of Africans who won titles in European soccer this season.
Europa
Cup Success
English side Chelsea won the UEFA Europa Cup after a
scintillating 2-1 victory over Portuguese side Benfica with the help of
Nigerian duo John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses.
The Nigerians did not play a apart in the final but
were part and parcel of the party right from the beginning of the season till
the end.
The two Nigerian stars, therefore ended the season
with gold medals from the Europa Cup.
Meanwhile, Chelsea were magnanimous enough to hand a
winners medal to Senegalese striker Demba Ba, albeit, the former Newcastle
United striker was unqualified to play for Chelsea in the Europa Cup due to his
earlier involvement in the competition for Newcastle.
English
FA Cup
Ivorian international Arouna Koney was the cynosure
of relegated English side Wigan FC. Despite their condemnation to the English
second tier soccer league next season, the Ivorian and his teammates crown
their efforts with the FA Cup trophy after defeating highly rated Man City 1-0
in the final.
Arouna Koney therefore ended the season with a
coveted FA Cup medal ahead of compatriot Yahaya Toure whose Man City failed to
win a trophy this season.
Spanish
La Liga
Cameroonian international Alex Song may not have
enjoyed a good spell at Barcelona but the former Arsenal man ended the season
with a medal from the revered Spanish League.
Paradoxically, the Cameroonian international’s
consistent form in Arsenal never won him a medal but a move to the Spanish
giants which rendered him a bench warmer has turn around his fortunes as far as
trophies are concerned.
He is now a proud winner of the 2012-2013 gold medal
in the Spanish League with Barcelona not withstanding his lack of playing
times.
Italian
Serie A success
Ghanaian international Kwadwo Asamoah has been
touted as a hugely talented soccer player even in his formative years with
Udinese.
It came as no surprise when Italian giant Juventus
captured him before the commencement of the 2012-2013 season. He never
disappointed the ‘Italian Old Ladies’ as he quickly adapted to life in Juve and
quickly settled in his new position as a left full back.
Asamoah has crowned his efforts with a winners medal
in the Italian Serie A with Juventus.
French
League 1 success
Paris Saint German (PSG) has finally secured the
French title after a long wait and they did that with the help of Ivorian
international Siaka Tiene.
Siaka Tiene is largely used a as left full back in
the Ivorian national team but he was sometimes seen playing a midfield role for
the new French champions. Life has been good for the big Ivorian defender
especially playing alongside the likes of David Beckham and Ibrahimovic.
Turkish
League success
Former Chelsea hit man Didier Drogba made a quick
return to Europe after a short stint in China and landed in the Turkish League
where he played alongside fellow Ivorian Emmanuel Eboue.
Defender Eboue has been in consistent for Galatasaray
within a season or two until his country man Drogba joined him during the
winter window. And the two played major roles in Galatasaray’s annexation of
the Turkish League from bitterest rivals Fenabahce.
Dutch
League success
South African international Thulani Serero and Ajax
won the Dutch League under the tutelage of coach Frank de Boer.
Born in South Africa’s popular town of Soweto, Serero, a product of the Ajax Cape Town's
youth academy was drafted into the Dutch giants and he has grown to be a
promising midfielder for them.
He contributed
immensely to Ajax’s successful defense of the Dutch topflight soccer league.
Scottish League success
Nigerian defender Efe
Ambrose would be remembered for his role in the Super Eagles’ successful
capture of the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa but the talented
defender will not end the year with just the African title.
Ambrose was a key
member of Scottish champions Celtic during the 2012-2013 season alongside
another African, Victor Wanyama from Kenya.
Wanyama who became the
first Kenyan ever to have scored in the UEFA Champions League when he scored
the first goal in Celtic’s historic 2-1 win over Barcelona on November 7, 2012
plays as centre back and a defensive midfielder for the Scottish giants and he is
well known for his strength and pinpoints accurate tackles.
Belgian Cup success
Ghana’s Bennard Yao
Kumordzi has remained a fringe member of the senior national side, the Black
Stars for a while, but the young midfielder has made series of headlines in
Belgium already in his first season with KRC Genk.
Kumordzi scored when
Genk defeated Cercle Brugge 2-0 in the Belgian Cup final. He was not the only
African legion in the KRC Genk set up as the likes of Derick Tshimanga of D. R.
Congo, Senegal’s Kara Mbodji, Calvin Anele Ngcangca of South Africa, Ayub Timbe
Masika of Kenya and Nigeria’s Kim Ojo were all part of the Belgian Cup success
for KRC Genk.
Belgian League Success
Belgian giants
Anderlecht won their 32 league trophy after the six top finishers of the season
entered a 10-round with the points of the regular league table halved at the
start of the playoffs. And Anderlecht shrugged off opposition from the other
teams to end the season as champions.
This means strikers
Cyriac Zoro Sede and Dieudonne Mbokani of Cote d’Ivoire and D.R. Congo
respectively ended the season as proud winners of the Belgian top flight
league.
Ghana’s new sensation
Christian Atsu and Abdoulaye Ba of Senegal also ended the season with winners
medals in the Portuguese League after FC Porto defied all odds to win their
third straight league trophy after a hard fought victory over rivals Benfica in
the penultimate stage and a final victory over Pacos Ferreira.
PS: This article did not make mention of other
medal winners who find their rout in Africa but have naturalized for other
European countries whiles at press time, there were more African players who
were on the bridge of winning trophies in the climax of their various leagues.
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