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African Players in Europe: Defender Hakimi’s Historic Hat-Trick

Ligue 1 - Le Havre AC v Paris St Germain - Stade Oceane, Le Havre, France - October 30, 2026 Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Ligue 1 - Le Havre AC v Paris St Germain - Stade Oceane, Le Havre, France - October 30, 2026 Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
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African Players in Europe: Defender Hakimi’s Historic Hat-Trick

Ligue 1 - Le Havre AC v Paris St Germain - Stade Oceane, Le Havre, France - October 30, 2026 Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Ligue 1 - Le Havre AC v Paris St Germain - Stade Oceane, Le Havre, France - October 30, 2026 Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Reigning African Footballer of the Year and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi claimed a first career hat-trick at the weekend in a 5-1 Ligue 1 rout of bottom club Le Havre.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson continued to defy critics from a difficult spell at Chelsea by scoring his eighth goal in 12 appearances for Aston Villa, who drew 1-1 with Fulham.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

FRANCE

ACHRAF HAKIMI (Paris Saint-Germain)

Morocco captain Hakimi was involved in all five goals as defending European champions and Ligue 1 leaders PSG inflicted a seventh defeat in nine matches on Le Havre. Apart from his hat-trick, he set up goals for Mika Godts and Senny Mayulu.

ENGLAND

NICOLAS JACKSON (Aston Villa)

In-form Jackson scored again, but it was not enough for Unai Emery's men to defeat struggling Fulham. The Senegal international coolly slotted home from Johan Manzambi's pass for a fifth Premier League goal in his last five games.

TAIWO AWONIYI (Coventry City)

Awoniyi netted his first league goal for Coventry in a 3-1 win over Sunderland that hauled the Sky Blues out of the relegation zone. The Nigerian made the most of his first start since September as he won possession himself before surging into the Sunderland box and firing into the bottom corner.

SPAIN

YAN DIOMANDE (Real Madrid)

Ivory Coast teenager Diomande completed the scoring before half-time as Real Madrid triumphed 3-0 at Racing Santander in La Liga. The record signing by the 15-time European champions lashed home from the edge of the box after 37 minutes.

ITALY

M'BALA NZOLA (Cagliari)

Angolan Nzola gave mid-table Cagliari the lead midway through the first half, but Serie A pacesetters Lazio hit back to win 2-1 in Rome. Nzola struck from the edge of the six-yard box to net in successive matches for the first time in 70 months.

GERMANY

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

His second-half goal put Borussia on track for an impressive 2-2 Bundesliga draw at leaders Bayern Munich. After Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane missed a penalty, Dortmund went to the other end of the pitch and Guirassy equalized. It brought the goal tally of the Guinea striker in all competitions to eight this season.

IBRAHIM MAZA (Bayer Leverkusen)

Leverkusen were outplayed by Stuttgart in a 4-2 defeat, but Maza left the pitch with his head held high. After the Algeria midfielder showcased his stunning dribbling, he scored after 79 minutes with an unstoppable header.

BILAL EL KHANNOUSS (Stuttgart)

El Khannouss provided the creative spark as Stuttgart snapped a run of poor form to win at Leverkusen. The Moroccan scored with a superb low shot early in the second half and helped create Stuttgart's fourth for Ermedin Demirovic.

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Sports

Superstitious Antonelli to Shun F1 Champion’s Number One Next Year

Mercedes’ Italian driver Kimi Antonelli celebrates after being crowned the new Formula 1 world champion, having finished third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, 01 November 2026. (EPA)
Mercedes’ Italian driver Kimi Antonelli celebrates after being crowned the new Formula 1 world champion, having finished third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, 01 November 2026. (EPA)
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Superstitious Antonelli to Shun F1 Champion’s Number One Next Year

Mercedes’ Italian driver Kimi Antonelli celebrates after being crowned the new Formula 1 world champion, having finished third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, 01 November 2026. (EPA)
Mercedes’ Italian driver Kimi Antonelli celebrates after being crowned the new Formula 1 world champion, having finished third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, 01 November 2026. (EPA)

Kimi Antonelli will ‌not have the number one on his car next year out of superstition and humility, the 20-year-old Italian explained after becoming Formula One's youngest champion on Sunday.

The Mercedes driver took the title in Mexico City with racing number 12 on his car and he will keep that when he starts his reign.

"I'll stay with number 12 because, obviously, it's a very special number for me, but also it's a way for me to stay grounded, to stay humble," said the first Italian champion in 73 years.

"I feel like by keeping number 12 it allows me ‌to have a ‌new point where to start and build on ‌everything ⁠again and try ⁠to improve. And also, to be honest, I'm very superstitious, and number one has never been a good number for me.

"Whenever I put it (on), it went extremely badly. So one more reason to stay with number 12."

Antonelli is the first F1 driver to win a championship with the number 12 since the late Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna did so ⁠with his first for McLaren in 1988.

Senna, who ‌died racing for Williams at Italy's Imola ‌circuit in 1994, is also an idol for Antonelli, who comes from nearby ‌Bologna and Antonelli said he would be wearing a special tribute ‌helmet at next weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said Antonelli's humility made him a new kind of driver, one that other youngsters should emulate.

"This notion of win at all costs -- selfish, opportunistic, ruthlessness ‌for your own benefit -- that model of racing driver has died," said the Austrian.

"We have a new ⁠champion that represents ⁠values like humility, like integrity, loyalty, respect, believing in himself.

"He should be a role model for many other young drivers in junior formulas. He should be a role model for the few entitled ones in Formula One, the endless moaners on the radio, the ones that complain, the ones that crash.

"Look at this kid of 20 years and then think what you can do in order to improve."

Wolff said that was how he, the governing FIA and Formula One wanted to see racing drivers in future.

"He (Antonelli) represents the modern Formula One driver because of those values, not only because of his talent," he added. "He has demonstrated that you can beat everyone out there by being a good person."

Sports

Ten Hag Says Relegation a Real Possibility for Man Utd

Premier League - Chelsea v Manchester United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - October 31, 2026 Manchester United manager Michael Carrick looks dejected during the match. (Reuters)
Premier League - Chelsea v Manchester United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - October 31, 2026 Manchester United manager Michael Carrick looks dejected during the match. (Reuters)
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Ten Hag Says Relegation a Real Possibility for Man Utd

Premier League - Chelsea v Manchester United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - October 31, 2026 Manchester United manager Michael Carrick looks dejected during the match. (Reuters)
Premier League - Chelsea v Manchester United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - October 31, 2026 Manchester United manager Michael Carrick looks dejected during the match. (Reuters)

Former Manchester United manager ‌Erik ten Hag said relegation is a real possibility for the club due to the strength of the Premier League, after a 2-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday left them one spot above the drop zone.

United are 17th with seven points from nine games, above Crystal Palace in the final relegation spot on goal difference, and are winless in their last nine ‌matches, their ‌longest run without a victory since ‌1984, ⁠according to data ⁠firm Opta.

The United board decided to stick with current manager Michael Carrick for the Chelsea game despite a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth and a 4-1 drubbing at Como in the Champions League in the lead-up to the ⁠match.

Asked about the possibility of United ‌being relegated for the ‌first time in over half a century, Ten Hag ‌told ESPN: "In the Premier League it's certainly ‌possible, because all the teams are simply strong.

"They're all strong squads, all good managers. And if you end up on the wrong side once and you ‌really get into that vicious circle -- yes, then it can become very, ⁠very difficult."

Ten ⁠Hag arrived at United in 2022 and guided them to an FA Cup and League Cup trophy during his tenure before being sacked in 2024.

"Before we arrived, six years without winning a trophy," said the Dutch manager, who was named FC Twente's technical director ahead of the 2026-27 season. "Look where they are now."

United next host AS Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday, before facing Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.

Sports

African Players in Europe: Defender Hakimi’s Historic Hat-Trick

Ligue 1 - Le Havre AC v Paris St Germain - Stade Oceane, Le Havre, France - October 30, 2026 Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Ligue 1 - Le Havre AC v Paris St Germain - Stade Oceane, Le Havre, France - October 30, 2026 Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
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African Players in Europe: Defender Hakimi’s Historic Hat-Trick

Ligue 1 - Le Havre AC v Paris St Germain - Stade Oceane, Le Havre, France - October 30, 2026 Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Ligue 1 - Le Havre AC v Paris St Germain - Stade Oceane, Le Havre, France - October 30, 2026 Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Reigning African Footballer of the Year and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi claimed a first career hat-trick at the weekend in a 5-1 Ligue 1 rout of bottom club Le Havre.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson continued to defy critics from a difficult spell at Chelsea by scoring his eighth goal in 12 appearances for Aston Villa, who drew 1-1 with Fulham.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

FRANCE

ACHRAF HAKIMI (Paris Saint-Germain)

Morocco captain Hakimi was involved in all five goals as defending European champions and Ligue 1 leaders PSG inflicted a seventh defeat in nine matches on Le Havre. Apart from his hat-trick, he set up goals for Mika Godts and Senny Mayulu.

ENGLAND

NICOLAS JACKSON (Aston Villa)

In-form Jackson scored again, but it was not enough for Unai Emery's men to defeat struggling Fulham. The Senegal international coolly slotted home from Johan Manzambi's pass for a fifth Premier League goal in his last five games.

TAIWO AWONIYI (Coventry City)

Awoniyi netted his first league goal for Coventry in a 3-1 win over Sunderland that hauled the Sky Blues out of the relegation zone. The Nigerian made the most of his first start since September as he won possession himself before surging into the Sunderland box and firing into the bottom corner.

SPAIN

YAN DIOMANDE (Real Madrid)

Ivory Coast teenager Diomande completed the scoring before half-time as Real Madrid triumphed 3-0 at Racing Santander in La Liga. The record signing by the 15-time European champions lashed home from the edge of the box after 37 minutes.

ITALY

M'BALA NZOLA (Cagliari)

Angolan Nzola gave mid-table Cagliari the lead midway through the first half, but Serie A pacesetters Lazio hit back to win 2-1 in Rome. Nzola struck from the edge of the six-yard box to net in successive matches for the first time in 70 months.

GERMANY

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

His second-half goal put Borussia on track for an impressive 2-2 Bundesliga draw at leaders Bayern Munich. After Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane missed a penalty, Dortmund went to the other end of the pitch and Guirassy equalized. It brought the goal tally of the Guinea striker in all competitions to eight this season.

IBRAHIM MAZA (Bayer Leverkusen)

Leverkusen were outplayed by Stuttgart in a 4-2 defeat, but Maza left the pitch with his head held high. After the Algeria midfielder showcased his stunning dribbling, he scored after 79 minutes with an unstoppable header.

BILAL EL KHANNOUSS (Stuttgart)

El Khannouss provided the creative spark as Stuttgart snapped a run of poor form to win at Leverkusen. The Moroccan scored with a superb low shot early in the second half and helped create Stuttgart's fourth for Ermedin Demirovic.