Champions League: Guirassy, Jackson, Catamo, Diao and the Africans who made their mark on Matchday 1

Serhou Guirassy, the standout player of the day

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Champions League: Guirassy, Jackson, Catamo, Diao and the Africans who made their mark on Matchday 1

The first matchday of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase saw several African players stand out. Six of them found the back of the net, while three others made their mark by providing an assist.

The opening matchday of the Champions League league phase was therefore particularly noteworthy for the African representatives. Serhou Guirassy, Geny Catamo, Nicolas Jackson, Assane Diao, Abdallah Sima and Suleiman Camara all scored, with the Guinean striker netting twice.

Bryan Mbeumo, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Brahim Díaz, meanwhile, each provided an assist.

Serhou Guirassy, the standout player of the day

Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy was the most prominent African player on the opening matchday. With Borussia Dortmund, Guirassy scored twice against Villarreal, directly contributing to his side's 3-2 victory.

With the two teams still level in the final quarter of the match, the striker broke the deadlock in the 80th minute. He then struck again five minutes later from the penalty spot to give BVB a two-goal lead. Villarreal pulled one back in stoppage time through an own goal by Guirassy, but Dortmund held on for the win.

Despite that setback, the Guinean was named UEFA's Player of the Match, rewarding his brace and decisive influence on his team's victory.

🚨 OFFICIEL ✅ Serhou Guirassy 🇬🇳 est élu homme du match face à Villarreal ! 💫🏆

⚽️ L’attaquant guinéen a été déterminant dans la victoire du Borussia Dortmund (3-2) ! 🔥💪#InstantFoot pic.twitter.com/hJ52KnkgjX
— INSTANT FOOT (IF) (@InstantFoot_ht) September 9, 2026

Geny Catamo gets Sporting back on track

Mozambican Geny Catamo also impressed for Sporting CP. Against Galatasaray, the Portuguese side fell behind early before mounting a comeback.

Catamo scored the equaliser to get his team back into the game. Sporting then went on to take control and secure a 3-1 victory. His goal therefore proved to be a turning point in a match the Lisbon club had started poorly.

Nicolas Jackson scores on his Aston Villa debut

Nicolas Jackson also opened his European campaign with a goal. Making his first Champions League appearance for Aston Villa, the Senegalese striker found the net against Club Brugge.

Jackson scored his team's third goal before half-time, allowing Aston Villa to go into the break with a two-goal lead. The English side eventually held off the Belgian comeback to win 3-2. It was a successful European debut for the Senegalese forward, who made a direct contribution to the victory.

Assane Diao scores in Como's historic debut

Assane Diao enjoyed a special evening with Como. On the Italian club's historic first appearance in the Champions League, the Senegalese forward played his part in the celebrations.

Against RB Leipzig, Diao scored Como's third goal in a match largely dominated by the Italian side. Como eventually won 4-1. It was a symbolic goal for the Senegalese striker, who thus contributed to a historic victory for his club.

Abdallah Sima keeps Lens' comeback alive

In Prague, Abdallah Sima also played an important role in RC Lens' victory. Trailing Slavia Prague, Les Sang et Or were able to rely on the Senegalese striker to get back into the game.

Sima scored the equaliser, giving Lens renewed hope. The match then took a dramatic turn, with the French side eventually snatching a 3-2 victory. His goal was therefore an important step in Lens' comeback.

Suleiman Camara scores Slovan's consolation goal

Suleiman Camara, meanwhile, scored in a much less favourable situation. Facing Paris Saint-Germain with Slovan Bratislava, the Gambian international scored his team's only goal in a heavy 6-1 defeat.

With PSG already holding a commanding lead, Camara stood out with an individual effort that he finished with a well-placed shot into the top corner.

His goal did not change the outcome of the match, but it gave the Gambian a notable individual performance against the European champions.

Bryan Mbeumo provides an assist for Manchester United

Bryan Mbeumo stood out in a different role. Starting for Manchester United against Sabah, the Cameroon international contributed to the Red Devils' emphatic 4-0 victory.

Mbeumo provided the assist for Benjamin Šeško, directly contributing to United's third goal. It was a positive start to his Champions League campaign, with an offensive contribution in his first appearance.

Rayan Aït-Nouri makes an impact off the bench

Rayan Aït-Nouri did not need much time to make an impact. Coming on as a substitute for Manchester City against FC Porto, the Algeria international provided an assist for Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian took advantage of his teammate's delivery to score City's second goal in the closing stages and seal the English side's 2-0 victory. It was a particularly effective cameo from the Algerian full-back.

Brahim Díaz provides an assist against Inter

Brahim Díaz completes this selection of Africans who made a direct impact. The Morocco international contributed to Real Madrid's 2-1 victory over Inter Milan.

Highly active in the attacking third, Díaz provided the assist for Kylian Mbappé's opening goal. The Frenchman gave Real Madrid the lead in this headline clash of the opening matchday.

The Moroccan therefore made a direct contribution to his team's victory in their opening game of the competition.

The contexts of these performances were different, but they all point to the same reality: from the very first matchday, several African players had a direct impact on matches in the new Champions League league phase.