PARIS: Nigerian Taiwo Awoniyi's hot goalscoring form could not have come at a better time as his club Nottingham Forest battle to retain their place in the Premier League.
A second successive double secured a valuable point in a 2-2 draw against Chelsea at the weekend.
Promoted to the most watched domestic league in the world this season, Forest are three points above the danger zone with two matches remaining.
Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:
ENGLAND
TAIWO AWONIYI (Nottingham Forest)
Awoniyi put Forest ahead in the 13th minute with a towering header after Chelsea and Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy needlessly came off his line. After Raheem Sterling struck twice for Chelsea, Awoniyi levelled in the 62nd minute. A cross caused chaos in the Chelsea defence and once again Awoniyi headed home.
YOANE WISSA (Brentford)
The Democratic Republic of Congo forward scored his sixth goal of the season to clinch Brentford's 2-0 win against West Ham after Cameroon international Bryan Mbeumo had broken the stalemate. Wissa netted just before half-time with a glancing header after Ben Mee flicked on Mathias Jensen's long throw.
SPAIN
NICOLAS JACKSON (Villarreal)
The Senegalese striker continued his goal glut with a brace to take his tally to six in his last four league games as Villarreal romped to an emphatic 5-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao. Jackson fired home a rebound at the far post to put Villarreal 2-0 ahead. Then, the 21-year-old international kept his nerve in front of goal five minutes into the second half to finish again in similar circumstances.
EZ ABDE (Osasuna)
On loan from Barcelona, Moroccan winger Abde is developing nicely at Osasuna and proved it again with a fine individual goal. The 21-year-old drove inside from the left, and fired into the top corner from just inside the box to give Osasuna a two-goal lead over Almeria. Abde's fourth league goal of the season helped Osasuna secure a 3-1 victory and stay in the fight for European football next season.
GERMANY
SEBASTIEN HALLER (Borussia Dortmund)
Haller had his best game in a Borussia Dortmund shirt, dominating as his side kept pace with league leaders Bayern Munich with a 5-2 home win over Borussia Moenchengladbach. The Ivory Coast star scored twice and assisted in two more goals in the first 32 minutes, setting up a 4-0 lead which would carry Dortmund to victory, leaving them one point behind Bayern with two games to play. Haller has seven goals and five assists in 17 Bundesliga games since recovering from testicular cancer.
NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI (Bayern Munich)
Morocco full-back Mazraoui scored his first goal in Bayern Munich colours, slotting in his side’s last in a 6-0 demolition of Schalke. Mazraoui moved from Ajax in the middle of last year and has complained about a lack of match time. Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has backed the defender, saying “he’s played well in the last few weeks and repaid the coach’s trust. We are very happy to have him here.” - AFP
