Congolese Kumbela steals show with hat-trick

Everton's Lacina Traore (L) celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Everton and Swansea City at Goodison Park in Liverpool, northwest England on February 16, 2014. By Andrew Yates (AFP)

Paris (AFP) - Dominick Kumbela stole the show from African stars across Europe at the weekend with a hat-trick for German strugglers Eintracht Braunschweig.

The Democratic Republic of Congo-born striker needed just over 30 minutes to net three times in a 4-2 triumph against fellow battlers Hamburg.

Ivorian Lacina Traore, in his first match on loan to Everton, Ghanaian Kwadwo Asamoah for Juventus and Kenyan Dennis Oliech for Ajaccio were other scorers.

ENGLAND

LACINA TRAORE (Everton)

The 6ft 8in (2.1 metres) Ivory Coast forward, on loan from Monaco, needed just four minutes of his first start for Everton to break the deadlock in a 3-1 FA Cup last-16 win over Swansea with an elegant back-heel following a cross by Sylvain Distin

STEVEN PIENAAR (Everton)

Performed with typical industry in the same match that saw Everton book a quarter-final with Premier League title-contenders Arsenal, and the former South Africa midfielder was unlucky not to score when his well thought-out chip over Swansea goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel hit the crossbar.

YAYA TOURE (Manchester City)

The Ivory Coast midfielder nearly opened the scoring in City's 2-0 FA Cup defeat of Premier League title rivals Chelsea when Petr Cech spilled his 20-yard shot. But otherwise provided an impressive defensive shield that frustrated Chelsea.

SPAIN

NABIL EL ZHAR, SIMAO MATE, PAPE DIOP, BABA DIAWARA (LEVANTE)

Moroccan El Zhar provided the winning goal for David Barral as Levante continued their march up La Liga with a 1-0 win over Almeria. Midfielders Simao from Mozambique and Pape Diop from Senegal played the 90 minutes, while Senegalese forward Diawara made a late appearance as a substitute for a side that extended their unbeaten league run to six games.

SOFIANE FEGHOULI (Valencia)

Algeria midfielder Feghouli played the full 90 minutes as 10-man Valencia kept their outside chance of Champions League football alive with a 0-0 draw at Sevilla.

ITALY

GERVINHO (AS Roma)

Roma coach Rudi Garcia has been giving Gervinho ample time to showcase his talents, and with good reason. Although the Ivorian striker failed to score in a 3-0 rout of Sampdoria, he was instrumental in helping drive Roma's potent attack. Gervinho came closest to scoring in the 26th minute only for a deft flick to be cleared off the line.

KWADWO ASAMOAH (Juventus)

Juventus midfielder Asamoah got the ball rolling for the champions against Chievo with a fine 17th-minute strike which gave the Ghanaian his maiden league goal of the season. Claudio Marchisio and Fernando Llorente hit one apiece to give Juve a 3-1 win and a nine-point lead on Roma.

SULLEY MUNTARI (AC Milan)

With Michael Essien rested ahead of Milan's midweek clash at home to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, Muntari was given the nod for the visit of Bologna. The midfielder put in a fairly solid performance amid an overall poor display from the struggling Serie A giants. Milan were only rescued by a stunning winner from Mario Balotelli in the 86th minute.

GERMANY

ERIC CHOUPO-MOTING (Mainz 05)

The Cameroon international came off the Mainz bench after half-time for defensive midfielder Park Joo-Ho, but operated up front to net Mainz's second goal in a 2-0 win over Hanover 96. The 24-year-old struck in the 93rd minute when South Korea's Koo Ja-Cheol's put a pass through for Denmark midfielder Niki Zimling to float in a cross for Choupo-Moting to convert.

DOMINICK KUMBELA (Eintracht Braunschweig)

Democratic Republic of Congo-born striker Kumbela came off the bench to score a hat-trick as bottom-side Eintracht Braunschweig routed Hamburg 4-2 in the Bundesliga's basement battle. The 29-year-old capitalised on some poor defending from Hamburg's international goalkeeper Rene Adler to slot home his three goals in just over 30 minutes to leave him the club's top scorer with five goals in 18 matches.

FRANCE

ALAIN TRAORE (Lorient)

Burkina Faso star Traore, 26, is having his least productive season since really breaking through at Auxerre in 2010/11 and had a difficult night -- his sending-off midway through the first half for a late challenge on Abel Aguilar contributing to a 3-1 defeat for Lorient at home against Toulouse.

SOULEYMANE CAMARA (Montpellier)

Senegalese Camara, 31, has earned a reputation as something of a super-sub down the years and he proved exactly why on Saturday. Brought on after 74 minutes with Montpellier trailing 2-1 at Rennes, the 31-year-old earned his team a point in the last minute. That was his fourth goal of the season, and he might even have won it in injury time, only to see another effort tipped around the post.

STOPPILA SUNZU (Sochaux)

Zambian Sunzu has played a major role in Sochaux's recent run of improved form which has given them some hope of beating the drop. The 24-year-old scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against Nantes two weeks ago and he did it again on Saturday, netting six minutes from time to clinch a crucial 1-0 home victory against Guingamp.

DENNIS OLIECH (Ajaccio)

Kenya star Oliech has played only a bit-part in a difficult season for Corsican side Ajaccio, which sees them seemingly destined for relegation. The 29-year-old has started just four times and was restricted to the role of substitute again in a 3-1 defeat at Lyon, although he did at least score his team's goal nine minutes from time -- his first of the season.