PARIS, January 17- African Footballer of the Year and Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o increased his goal haul to 23 this season with a weekend brace as Inter Milan crushed Bologna 4-1 in Serie A.
Eto’o has averaged almost a goal a game in all competitions for the reigning World, European and Italian champions and is not the only African setting Europe alight.
Senegalese Papiss Cisse is the leading Bundesliga marksman with 15 goals after striking twice for Freiburg and compatriot Moussa Sow netted for leaders Lille to remain top of the French Ligue 1 scoring charts.
ENGLAND
ASAMOAH GYAN (Sunderland)
The Ghanaian international had been largely anonymous for long periods of Sunderland’s derby with north-east rivals Newcastle, but was in the right place at the right time to steer home an injury-time equaliser.
DIDIER DROGBA (Chelsea)
The Ivory Coast captain and striker failed to get on the scoresheet as Chelsea recorded a 2-0 win over Blackburn, although he increased in confidence after the champions had made certain of victory.
YAYA TOURE/KOLO TOURE (Man City)
The Ivorian brothers got on the scoresheet with City’s first and third goals in a 4-3 win over Wolves. Kolo scored from close range to equalise and Yaya guided home a well-worked third.
EMMANUEL EBOUE/ALEX SONG (Arsenal)
The Ivory Coast and Cameroon midfielders had little to do as Arsenal strolled to a 3-0 victory over West Ham at Upton Park where the home side rarely tested the visitors.
FRANCE
MOUSSA SOW (Lille)
The France-born Senegalese striker took his season’s league tally to 15, comfortably the leading scorer in the championship, when he scored the second goal in the 2-0 win at Nice which kept Lille top of the table. The goal came four days before Sow turns 25.
GERVINHO (Lille)
Ivory Coast star Gervinho, a strike partner of Sow at Lille, scored the opener in the 2-0 win over Nice for his eighth of the campaign. The win also kept Lille on course for their first French title since 1954.
LAMINE SAKHO (PSG)
The Senegalese midfielder scored the equaliser in a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Sochaux at the Parc des Princes to keep PSG second in the standings. Sakho has been credited with helping the team become more resistant this season and has been made vice-captain for his efforts.
GERMANY
PAPISS DEMBA CISSE (Freiburg)
The Senegal striker scored twice to go top of the league scoring list with 15 goals as he helped Freiburg sneak a 2-2 draw at St Pauli which keeps them sixth.
DIDIER YA KONAN (Hanover)
The Ivory Coast striker scored the third goal in his side’s impressive 3-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt. A couple of first-half goals put Hanover in control before Ya Konan added a third in the 89th minute. The victory allowed Hanover to leap-frog Leverkusen and Mainz into second place.
DEMBA BA (Hoffenheim)
Senegal striker’s future at Hoffenheim looks uncertain after his transfer to Stoke City fell through because he failed a medical after a 7.1-million-pound fee had been agreed. Ba, 25, who needed knee surgery last summer, has now returned to Germany and Stoke have refused to divulge what the problem was. Ba fell out with Hoffenheim after refusing to attend a training camp last week.
ITALY
SAMUEL ETO’O (Inter Milan)
Having scored a brace in the Coppa Italia in midweek, Eto’o had his scoring boots on again in a 4-1 weekend defeat of Bologna. The Cameroon captain scored another double, taking his season’s tally to a remarkable 23 goals in 26 matches in all comeptitions. He also teed up Dejan Stankovic for the first goal of the game. He then extend Inter’s lead to 3-0 when playing a one-two with Diego Milito and finishing first time into the bottom corner. And Eto’o put the icing on the cake with the fourth as he curled home a free-kick before being afforded a standing ovation when substituted by coach Leonardo.
MCDONALD MARIGA (Inter Milan)
The Kenya midfielder had scored the winner against Genoa in the Coppa Italia in midweek but was afforded only a short run out in the win over Bologna. The game was already won by the time he came on but Mariga played with typical energy and industry and even got forward to have a shot blocked in the area.
MOHAMED SISSOKO (Juventus)
The Mali midfielder but behind him his frustrations with the club as he played a rare full game in the 2-1 win over Bari. Sissoko has been described as a rebel and recently claimed Juve are trying to force him out. But in the absence of the suspended Felipe Melo, he showed Juve what they have been missing this season with a powerful display full of commitment and energy. He was perhaps shaded only by scorer Alessandro Del Piero as Juve’s best player.
DJAMEL MESBAH (Lecce)
The Algerian had a fairly quiet game in the 1-1 draw with Serie A leaders AC Milan as the Rossoneri failed to put their hosts under sustained pressure. What he did have to do Mesbah did well, but on the down side he picked up a booking and will be suspended for Lecce’s next match.
HASSAN YEBDA (Napoli)
The Algeria midfielder came off the bench to add some muscle to the Napoli team but could have no positive effect on the game as the southerners put in a listless display in a 0-0 draw with Fiorentina.
KWADWO ASAMOAH (Udinese)
Having been immense in the Udinese midfield while the team was struggling earlier in the season, the Ghana international has been less visible as his team have improved and climbed the table. Asamoah was tidy and involved in the first half but less so in the second as his team won 4-2 at Genoa to push themselves within sight of the Champions League positions.
SPAIN
CARLOS KAMENI (Espanyol)
Espanyol are riding high in a Europa League place and their good start to the season has been due in part to a strong defence and the commanding presence of goalkeeper Carlos Kameni, one of the best shot-stoppers in Spain. Facing an improving Sevilla side, Espanyol were on the back foot for much of the game and Kameni was forced to make important saves, notably against Luis Fabiano and former Mali striker Frederic Kanoute. Kameni was finally beaten in injury time through an Alvaro Negredo lob but it was too late for Sevilla, who lost 2-1 to Espanyol.
MODESTE M’BAMI (Almeria)
The powerful Cameroonian has become a key player in Almeria’s midfield and his battling performance against Real Madrid helped his side pull off a shock 1-1 draw. Sitting bottom of the table, Almeria were given little hope against Real but they worked hard and M’Bami and Hernan Bernardello did well to stifle the opposition. The one blemish on his performance was when he blocked a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick in the final minutes with his arm which earnt a yellow card.