African stars continued their impressive performances for their clubs in Europe last weekend as the year 2015 gradually winds down. Six players in this latest installment of the African Team of the Week won the Man-of-the Match awards over the weekend. Completesportsnigeria.com's IZUCHUKWU OKOSI presents the outstanding African players over the past weekend…
GOAL
CHARLES ITANDJE
Cameroon international Charles Itandje was the Man-of-the-Match in Rizespor's 3-0 home win against Trabzonspor at the Yeni Rize Sehir Stadium. It was the goalkeeper's fourth clean sheet in 15 Turkish Lig games this season. Itandje has been in goal now for 1,350 minutes. Itandje had 72 touches of the ball and distributed well at the rate of 38.2.
DEFENCE
SERGE AURIER
Cote d' Ivoire's Serge Aurier was oustanding in PSG's 5-1 thrashing of struggling Lyon at the Parc des Princes. Aurier scored PSG's second goal in the 17th minute of the game and aside from his defensive contributions was an outlet for Laurent Blanc's team to attack from the right flank.
Aurier made three defensive tackles and seven interceptions. Lille's Djibril Sidibe gave the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations winner a fight for the right-back position. The defender was also on the scorers' chart as he scored in Lille's 3-0 win against Lorient. Sidibe made two tackles, four interceptions and three clearances. Nigerian-born Moses Odubajo was also spectacular in Hull City's 1-0 win against Bolton Wanderers at the KC Stadium on Saturday. Odubajo was the Man-of-the Match in the Tigers' win.
ELDERSON ECHIEJILE
Super Eagles of Nigeria's left-back Elderson Uwa Echiejile had a great game against Saint Etienne at the Stade Louis on Sunday. Echiejile played for 90 minutes in his 11th Ligue 1 game of the season. Echiejile made three tackles, four interceptions and two clearances in
the game.
JOHN BOYE
Black Stars of Ghana central defender John Boye scored the only goal in Sivasspor's game against Genclerbirligi at the Ankara Ondokuz Mayıs Stadium. His defensive display won him the Man-of-the-Match award in the match.
The 24th minute goal was Boye's fourth of the season in 10 league games in Turkey. His team-mate and former Nigeria international Michael Eneramo was yellow-carded in the game.
Boye made one key pass, had his only shot on target, won six aerial duels and had 33 touches of the ball. He made two tackles, three interceptions and seven clearances.
NICOLAS NKOLOU
Indomitable Lions of Cameroon defender Nicolas Nkolou was one of the best players on parade on Sunday in Marseille's 1-1 home draw against Ajaccio.
The towering defender won seven aerial duels against Ajaccio's forward players and made two of his team's 14 tackles. He made two interceptions and five clearances.
MIDFIELD
YAYA TOURE
African Footballer of the Year Yaya Toure was the Man-of-the-Match in Manchester City's 2-1 win against Swansea at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The match was heading to a 1-1 draw but Toure's shot which was going wide deflected off Nigeria's Kelechi Iheanacho to hand City all three points. Toure had two of his five shots on target. He made two key passes and won one aerial duel. The Ivorian had 97 touches of the ball and recorded 73 pass completion which was 93.2% accurate. Toure made three tackles, one clearance and one interception.
PAPE ALIOUNE NDIAYE
Senegal's Pape Alioune Ndiaye scored a brace in Osmanlispor's 4-0 away win against Bursaspor on Friday evening at the Bursa Atatürk Stadium.
Ndiaye scored in the 18th and 31st minutes to take his season tally so far to eight in 15 league games. He had 36 touches of the ball and completed 23 of his passes which were 87% accurate.
RIYAD MAHREZ
Algeria international Riyad Mahrez produced one of the best individual performances of the season so far on Monday night as Leicester City compounded the woes of Chelsea with a 2-1 win.
Mahrez assisted the Foxes' first goal scored by Jamie Vardy in the 34th minute before putting the icing on the cake 14 minutes later with a goal 9f his own to help his team go top of the Premier League on 35 points.
Chelsea did score a consolation goal through Loic Remy but the King Power Stadium stood in awe of the amazing skills of the north African who holds the record of being the first Algerian to score a Premier League hat-trick in England.
Riyad had 34 touches of the ball and made a key pass in the exciting game. He completed 15 of his passes which were 66.7% accurate.
He was however substituted in the 81st minute by Gokhan Inler. The goal was his 11th while the assist was the seventh of the current season for the midfielder.
YACINE BRAHIMI
Algeria midfeld magician Yacine Brahimi scored Porto's second goal in their 2-1 away win against Nacional on Sunday. Brahimi was inspirational in the middle of the park for his Portuguese side while the game which was suspended in the 86th minute due to fog lasted.
The goal was the fourth of the season for the midfielder in 13 games in the Portuguese league.
ATTACK
SAMUEL ETO'O
Four-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto'o scored one of Antalyaspor's three goals in their 3-2 home win against Mersin on Saturday.
The goal was Eto'o's 13th in 15 Turkish league games and his wonderful display won him the Man-of-the-Match award.
Eto'o had all four of his shots hit target. He made two key passes and had 35 touches of the ball. The former Cameroon captain completed 25 of his passes which were 84% accurate.
ODION IGHALO
Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo was once again the Man-of-the-Match in Watford's Premier League game. Last Saturday the Nigerian scored a fourth minute goal to hand Sunderland their 10th Premier League defeat of the season in a 1-0 win.
The goal was a landmark as it means he has scored 30 times for the team in 51 appearances. It was his 26th goal for Watford in the year 2015 and the 10th for the season.
Ighalo's five out of six shots were on target. He had 51 touches of the ball and completed 22 passes which were 68.2% accurate.
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