AFRICAN GOALS IN EUROPE: 19-20 May

England
Ivory Coast captain and African Player of the Year Didier Drogba supplied a decisive match-winning strike in the English FA Cup final.

Striker Drogba, always a threat in a tense and closely-contested match, hit the only goal as Chelsea beat their great rivals and newly-crowned Premier League champions Manchester United 1-0 in the first final to be played at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium. Drogba, the leading goal-scorer in English football this season, claimed his 33rd goal after a clever one-two combination with England midfielder Frank Lampard, deftly steering his shot past Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar.

Spain

Mali striker Frederic Kanoute kept Sevilla's hopes of a first Primera Liga title in 60 years alive with a late match-winning goal at Deportiva Coruna.

Sevilla fell a goal behind in the 72nd minute, but produced a late surge to claim victory.

Brazilian midfielder Renato headed in a free-kick and then Kanoute, running on to an astute pass from Jesus Navas, steered the ball into the net with six minutes remaining.

The goal was the Malian's 20th of the season.

Barcelona, responding to the loss of top spot in defence of their title, kept their challenge alive by demolishing Atletico Madrid 6-0 on their own ground - the heaviest home defeat ever suffered by Atletico.

Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o was on the score-sheet as he poked home the third goal after Madrid goalkeeper Cuellar had fumbled a cross by Eto'o's team-mate Deco.

The result kept Barca in second place in the standings, trailing Real Madrid only because Real have a superior record in their head to head encounters this season.

Real appeared to be cruising to victory at Recreativo Huelva when Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy converted a second-half penalty to make it 2-0.

However the introduction of Nigerian substitute Ikechukwu Uche in the last quarter of the game sparked a comeback by the home side.

Firstly, he was brought down in the box and Jesus Vazquez converted a penalty.

Then, Uche grabbed the equaliser four minutes from time when he headed in a corner.

But there was still time for Brazilian Roberto Carlos to snatch a late winner for Real with an injury-time finish.

Italy

Asamoah Gyan scored the opening goal for Udinese as they beat their hosts AC Milan 3-2.

The Ghana striker has now scored eight goals in Serie A this season and helped Udinese climbed to 10th in Serie A.

France

It was not such a good weekend for African goal-scorers as five different players ended up on the losing side.

Ivorian Abdul Kader Keita scored an equalising goal in Lille's match away to Auxerre, but Ireneusz Jelen hit the winner 11 minutes from time to deny Keita's side a precious point.

Marseille secured their place in next season's most highly-prized European competition with a 2-1 win over St Etienne.

Guinean Pascal Feindouna grabbing St Etienne's goal, his ninth of the season. Defeat meant the 1976 European Cup finalists will not play in European competition next season.

Burkina Faso's Moumouni Dagano grabbed an injury-time consolation strike as Sochaux were humbled 5-2 away at AS Nancy and Congo's Oscar Ewolo was also on the receiving end of a heavy loss despite a goal as his FC Lorient side lost 4-1 at Stade Rennes.

Germany

Mainz, with four Africans in their squad have been relegated to the second tier of German football after finishing third from bottom.

Their slim chances of surviving the drop were ended as they lost 5-2 to Bayern Munich.

Algeria's Chadli Amri scored one of the consolation goals for Mainz.

The other Africans to be relegated with Mainz are Ghana's Otto Addo, Moroccan Moimoun Azaouagh and the club's top scorer Mohamed Zidan with 14 goals.

The Egyptian is now a subject of speculation for moves to newly crowned champions Stuttgart, Hamburg and Hannover.

Stuttgart sealed the championship after beating Energie Cottbus 2-1 to finish two points ahead of Schalke 04.

Ivory Coast defender Arthur Boka was unable to play against Cottbus as he served the final game of a five-game suspension.

He is now available to to play in Saturday's German Cup final against Nuremberg.