Misery for African stars in Premier League

Paris: Congolese Youssouf Mulumbu was red-carded in the English Premier League and the defensive frailties of Ivorian Kolo Toure brutally exposed during an unhappy weekend for African stars. 

Substitute Mulumbu got sent off as West Bromwich Albion slumped 4-1 at home to lowly Queens Park Rangers and Toure was in a Liverpool team beaten by the same score at Arsenal.

Senegalese Cheikhou Kouyate and Nigerian Victor Anichebe scored for West Ham and West Bromwich respectively, but both goals were in losing causes.

ENGLAND

CHEIKHOU KOUYATE (West Ham United)

Midfielder Kouyate scored his fourth West Ham goal, but it came in a losing cause as his side lost 2-1 at bottom club Leicester City. Kouyate struck in the 32nd minute, cancelling out Esteban Cambiasso`s opener by chesting down a lofted pass from Cameroonian team-mate Alex Song and firing home. He then hit the post in the second half, before an 86th-minute strike by Andy King gave Leicester victory.

VICTOR ANICHEBE (West Bromwich Albion)

Anichebe came off the bench to score as West Brom went down 4-1 at home to relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers. He headed in a cross from Saido Berahino in the 58th minute after coming on at half-time, but West Brom had already conceded three times by then and would fall further behind when Joey Barton scored in stoppage time.

YOUSSOUF MULUMBU (West Bromwich Albion)

West Brom`s efforts to haul themselves back into the game were not helped by Mulumbu, who was sent off just 13 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute. The Democratic Republic of Congo midfielder led with his arm in an aerial challenge on Barton and was shown a straight red card by referee Lee Probert.

KOLO TOURE (Liverpool)

Former Ivory Coast defender Toure endured a torrid afternoon against his old club Arsenal as Liverpool were routed 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium, which left their Champions League qualification hopes hanging by a thread. Drafted in for the suspended Martin Skrtel, the 34-year-old centre-back struggled throughout and was left floundering as Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud scored Arsenal`s third and fourth goals.

SPAIN

MANUCHO (Rayo Vallecano)

The Angolan striker scored the winner as Rayo moved into the top half of the table by defeating Eibar 2-1 for a third consecutive win. The former Manchester United man headed home from close range just before half-time to register just his third goal of an inconsistent campaign.

FRANCE

CLINTON NJIE (Lyon)

The 21-year-old Cameroon international started Lyon`s game at Guingamp and scored his fourth league goal of the season in a 3-1 victory that keeps OL right in the hunt for the Ligue 1 title.

EDSON MEXER (Rennes)

The Mozambique defender scored his fourth goal since moving to French football from Nacional of Portugal last summer to set Rennes on the way to a 3-0 Brittany derby win at Lorient.

KOSSI AGASSA (Reims)

The veteran Togolese goalkeeper saved a first-half Divock Origi penalty in Lille, but could not prevent Reims slipping to a third successive 3-1 defeat that leaves them hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone.

MODIBO MAIGA (Metz)

Malian international striker Maiga was the hero for relegation-threatened Metz as he became the first player to score a top-flight hat-trick for the club since Toifilou Maoulida in April 2004, his goals securing a 3-2 win against fellow strugglers Toulouse. It was a first win in 19 matches since early November for Metz, who remain eight points adrift of safety. Maiga, who is on loan from West Ham United, now has seven goals this season.

DANY NOUNKEU (Evian)

The Cameroon defender got Evian`s first goal in a 2-2 draw with Nice. It was the first time the 28-year-old former Toulouse stopper had scored since returning to France in January on loan from Turkish giants Galatasaray

GERMANY

DIDIER YA KONAN (Hanover 96)

The Ivory Coast striker rescued a point for Hanover in their 2-2 comeback draw against Eintracht Frankfurt to claim his first German league goal since his six-month sojourn in Saudi Arabia. It was Ya Konan`s first goal for Hanover since returning from Al Ittihad Jeddah in January having previously scored 39 goals for Hanover in 125 league games. 

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Borussia Dortmund)

The Gabon winger failed to add to his tally as he squandered a second-half chance in Dortmund`s 1-0 defeat to league leaders Bayern Munich. Aubameyang blasted his clear 65th-minute chance far over the bar.

SALOMON KALOU (Hertha Berlin)

The Ivory Coast striker weighed in with an assist as Hertha Berlin claimed a 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Paderborn, which looks to have secured his side`s place in Germany`s top flight next season. The ex-Chelsea forward was involved in the final build-up as Swiss international Valentin Stocker gave Hertha the lead on 68 minutes. Kalou has scored six goals with two assists for Hertha this season.