AFRICAN GOALS IN EUROPE: 16-17 Dec

ENGLAND
Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba led the way as African footballers continued to display rich form in the Premiership with match-winning goals and excellent displays.

Drogba was in superb form for champions Chelsea in their 3-2 away win at Everton.

He not only scored a spectacular winning goal with three minutes reaming, but he
also hit a post with another fine effort and gave the Everton defence a torrid time.

In a spectacular all-action contest, Mikel Arteta opened the scoring for Everton and
then Nigerian defender Joseph Yobo headed their second to put them 2-1 up, but it
was not enough to subdue a determined Chelsea.

They fought back to level each time Everton scored with long-range strikes from
Germany's Michael Ballack, from a swerving free-kick, and fellow-midfielder Frank
Lampard before Drogba struck.

Collecting a headed pass from Andriy Shevchenko, Drogba swivelled and drove a
dipping volley over goalkeeper Tim Howard.

The Ivorian's goal lifted him back on top of the goal-scoring standings with 10
goals ahead of Portsmouth's Nigerian striker Nwankwo Kanu on nine.

Everton gave 18-year-old Nigerian Victor Anichebe his Premier League debut in the
match.

Nigeria's Obafemi Martins scored two goals on Saturday

Chelsea are now only two points behind Manchester United, the leaders having lost
1-0 at West Ham in their first game under new manager Alan Curbishley.

Togo's Emmanuel Adebayor came on as a substitute to rescue a draw for Arsenal at
home to Portsmouth.

Arsenal were trailing 2-0 when Adebayor was introduced and he scored within three
minutes when he converted a cross from Theo Walcott.

The Togo international striker then set up Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva for
the equaliser two minutes later to complete the Arsenal comeback.

Nigerian Obafemi Martins scored twice, for the second Saturday in succession, to
give Newcastle United a 2-1 victory over struggling Watford.

His first goal was a neat header four minutes into the second half and his second,
the winner, came five minutes from the end when he converted a cross from Irish
international winger Damien Duff.

South Africa's Benni McCarthy opened the scoring with a diving header in Blackburn
Rovers' 2-1 victory away to Reading.

The former Porto and Celta Vigo striker inspired a second-half revival after Reading
had taken the lead.

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SPAIN
Mali international striker Frederic Kanoute scored his 12th goal of the season to
put Sevilla top of the Primera Liga.

He scored the second in a 3-1 victory over Recreativo Huelva.

With Barcelona taking part in the Club World Cup in Japan, where they lost 1-0 in
the final to Brazil's Internacional, Sevilla took full advantage.

Real Madrid stayed third with a 1-0 win at Espanyol.

Mali's midfielder Mahamadou Diarra featured as a second-half substitute for Real.

Cameroon striker Pierre Webo scored to help Osasuna defeat Villarreal 4-1.

It was their sixth consecutive league win.

Kanoute is the leading scorer in Spain with 12 goals

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HOLLAND
Sierra Leone's Ibrahim Kragbo scored for Willem II but his side lost 2-1 to Ado Den
Haag while Ivory Coast's Sekou Cisse was on target for Roda JC in their loss 4-2 at
home to Vitesse Arnhem.

PSV Eindhoven remained top of the division with a 3-1 win over Heracles.

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FRANCE
Ivory Coast's Kanga Akale scored for Auxerre in a 2-1 victory over Lorient.

His compatriot Yaya Toure scored AS Monaco's third goal as they hammered visiting
Sochaux 3-0.

Another Ivorian Koffi Romaric Ndri was on target for Le Mans as they beat visitors
Toulouse 2-0.

Guinea's Pascal Feindouno got the second for Saint Etienne in their comfortable 3-0
win over Valenciennes.

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BELGIUM
Congo's Mohammed Tchite got a brace while Egypt's Ahmed Hassan added another as
Anderlecht defeated Mons-Bergen 4-1.

Mali's Mahamadou Dissa's goal was not enough for home side Beveren as they lost 1 -
2 to visiting Sint-Truiden.

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GERMANY
Tunisian international midfielder Joahar Mnari secured the win for his side
Nuremberg, who beat Hanover 3-1.

The 29-year-old scored the final goal of the game with only a minute remaining.

Namibia's Colin Benjamin was on target for Hamburg as they drew 3-3 with Alemannia
Aachen.

Ghana striker Isaac Boakye's 41st minute strike was not enough as his club Wolfsburg
went down 2-1 away to league leaders Werder Bremen.

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GREECE
Ghanaian midfielder Bernard Kumordzi grabbed the second goal for Egaleo Athens in
their 2-0 victory over Ergotelis.