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African Players in Europe: Wissa Wonder Goal for Brentford 

Football - Premier League - Brentford v Chelsea - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - March 2, 2024 Brentford's Yoane Wissa scores their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brentford v Chelsea - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - March 2, 2024 Brentford's Yoane Wissa scores their second goal. (Reuters)
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African Players in Europe: Wissa Wonder Goal for Brentford 

Football - Premier League - Brentford v Chelsea - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - March 2, 2024 Brentford's Yoane Wissa scores their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brentford v Chelsea - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - March 2, 2024 Brentford's Yoane Wissa scores their second goal. (Reuters)

A stunning goal by Democratic Republic of Congo forward Yoane Wissa helped Premier League strugglers Brentford draw 2-2 with Chelsea in a London derby at the weekend.

The 27-year-old acrobatically hooked a bicycle kick past goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic into the roof of the net midway through the second half to put the home side 2-1 ahead.

But French international Axel Disasi equalized to leave Brentford six points above the relegation zone with 11 rounds remaining.

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

ENGLAND

Yoane Wissa (Brentford)

Chelsea scored first through Senegalese Nicolas Jackson, who atoned for an earlier missed opportunity by giving the visitors a 1-0 half-time lead. After Dane Mads Roerslev levelled, Wissa struck on 68 minutes for the Bees. The memory of his breathtaking sixth goal this season will linger for all who saw it at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)

The Ghana midfielder scored his fifth goal this season to wrap up a 2-0 win at struggling Burnley. Semenyo struck in the 88th minute, breaking down the right flank and curling his shot inside the corner with unerring precision. His goal doubled Bournemouth's lead and ensured they would win for the first time in the league in 2024.

SPAIN

Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla)

Morocco 2022 World Cup star En-Nesyri scored twice within 13 minutes of the kick-off for bottom-half Sevilla in a 3-2 La Liga win over seventh-placed Real Sociedad. The goals took his season tally to nine -- seven less than chart-topper Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid.

Munir El Haddadi (Las Palmas)

Spain-born Moroccan international El Haddadi scored the last goal in a 3-3 thriller between Getafe and Las Palmas, who twice trailed by two goals. El Haddadi levelled on 57 minutes in the mid-table clash.

GERMANY

Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart)

The Guinea international lifted his Bundesliga season goal tally to 20 by scoring twice for third-placed Stuttgart in a 3-2 win at bottom-half Wolfsburg. He is second in the Golden Boot race behind England star Harry Kane, who has netted 27 times for Bayern Munich.

FRANCE

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille)

Aubameyang, the 2015 African Footballer of the Year, triggered a second-half goal rush by sixth-placed Marseille in a 5-1 triumph at bottom club Clermont. After the losers cancelled the half-time lead Senegal international Iliman Ndiaye gave the visitors, the former Gabon captain netted to put Marseille in front a second time.

Terem Moffi (Nice)

Moffi, who was in the Nigeria squad that finished runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations won by hosts Ivory Coast last month, gave fifth-placed Nice an early lead at mid-table Toulouse. His goal was in vain, however, as the home side hit back in the second half to finish 2-1 winners.

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Djokovic Backs Australian Open 2025 'Coaching Pods' but No Mics Please

Novak Djokovic - Reuters
Novak Djokovic - Reuters
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Djokovic Backs Australian Open 2025 'Coaching Pods' but No Mics Please

Novak Djokovic - Reuters
Novak Djokovic - Reuters

Novak Djokovic wandering across the court to have a chat with coach Andy Murray mid-match has been one of the more novel sights of the 2025 Australian Open but the Serbian is keen that what is said remains between them.

On-court coaching, previously banned and punishable by point deductions, disqualification or even suspension from tournaments is being positively encouraged at Melbourne Park with "coaching pods" at court level in the corners of the main stadiums.

In a sport where players have largely depended on themselves to problem-solve on the court, the move to bring entourages even closer to the action has understandably divided opinion, but Djokovic said he supported the idea, Reuters reported.

"I think it's a great new introduction to the tournament," said Djokovic, who will be hoping for any advantage in his bid to capture a record 25th Grand Slam title at his favourite hunting ground.

"The people who are there are selected by us internally in the team. We talk about who we think can contribute the most by being on the court. I'm happy with the four people that I have there sitting.

"It probably will change in the future with the microphone and everything. I'm happy as it is at the moment."

'DISCRETION, PRIVACY'

Djokovic understands that having cameras and microphones in the pods would make for entertaining social media content, but said that some boundaries just cannot be crossed.

"I understand the fun part and stuff going viral, because there will be quite a bit of material," Djokovic added.

"The only thing I dislike is the fact that someone from your opponent's team might be watching the match, and she or he hears that and then texts the team member. Ten seconds later you have the information.

"I feel like there should be some discretion and privacy in terms of the actual on-court coaching tactics. That shouldn't be out there public, because then it endangers you during matches."

Defending women's champion Aryna Sabalenka has opted not to use on-court seating facilities, preferring to have her sizeable entourage in the stands, even if it is a tight squeeze.

"I like to see the whole team," said the Belarusian.

"I want to see all the people in my box. Even if I'm not looking at each person in my box, I always look at my coach, but I still see everyone. That's important.

"Sometimes I just want to look at my boyfriend for support. I just don't want to look at the coach first, then look in the box because I have a lot of coaches. Four seats isn't enough.

"If they would make it to eight seats (in the pod), I don't know how, but it would be much better for me. We decided to put everyone in the players' box. Maybe they were tight there and not comfortable, but I was comfortable to see all of them."

Second seed Alexander Zverev was also sceptical about the pods, saying tennis was following other sports in modernising some aspects of the game.

"There's innovation in all sports," Zverev said.

"Tennis is getting innovation as well. I'm not sure what kind of innovation that is. But we're moving forward, the world is moving forward and that's the way it is."