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It was a week of ups and downs and a roller-coaster of emotions for several African players who were in action this week in Europe. Serge Aurier was applauded after he decided to take to the field following the murder of his younger brother while Musa Barrow and Franck Kessie continued finding the back of the net in Italy.

We bring you some of the highlights of African footballers’ performances across Europe.

ENGLAND

Senegalese forward Sadio Mane scored his 17th league goal as Premier League champions slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat at Arsenal. Côte d’Ivoire defender Serge Aurier was in action for Tottenham just days after his younger brother, Christopher, 26, was shot dead in the French city of Toulouse. Spurs defeated Newcastle 3-1.

After what must have been an incredibly difficult week, we have the utmost respect for Serge Aurier who starts for @SpursOfficial this afternoon.

Our most sincere condolences go out to Serge and his family. #NUFC ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/pol7NRoyLO

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 15, 2020

In the Championship, Ghana’s Andre Ayew scored a first half penalty for Swansea whose slim hopes of making the playoffs were dented by a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest.

ITALY

For a third successive game, Côte d’Ivoire midfielder Franck Kessie scored as AC Milan came from behind to defeat Parma 3-1 and stay in the hunt for a Europa League place. Bologna salvaged a 1-1 draw against Napoli with Gambian Musa Barrow netting the equalizer, his fifth goal in six games.

Algerian midfielder Rachid Ghezzal scored his first goal since the Serie A restart as Fiorentina outclassed lowly Lecce 3-1

SPAIN

Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey rounded off the scoring as Atletico Madrid defeated Getafe 2-0 to take a step closer to securing third place in a game in which Cameroonian defender Allan Nyom was sent off for the second time in two games for Getafe. Côte d’Ivoire striker Roger Assale scored in injury-time as struggling Leganes breathed life into its relegation battle by defeating 10-man Athletic Bilbao 2-0.

ACROSS EUROPE

In Denmark, Nigerian Ogochukwu Onyeka scored one goal and set up another as Midtjylland ran riot in a 6-3 win over 10-man Nordsjaelland in the Danish Superliga.

In Greece, Super League leaders Olympiacos defeated OFI Crete 3-1 with Morocan Yousseff El Arabi setting up one of the goals.

In Latvia, FK Liepaja ended a four-game losing streak against bottom-placed Tukums 2000 with a 2-2 draw thanks to goals from Ghana’s Seidou Yahya and Nigeria’s Richard Emeka.

Ugandan striker Edrisa Lubega scored the only goal for 10-man Paide in their 3-1 defeat to Kalju in Estonia‘s Meistriliiga.

In Lithuania, goals from Ghanaian Alex Kyeremeh and Guinean Ibrahim Sory Soumah saw Vilniaus Vytis advance to the Lithuanian Cup quarterfinals with a 4-0 thumping of Viltis Vilnius.

Second-placed Molde stayed in touch with leaders Bodo/Glimt thrashing struggling Viking 5-0 in Norway‘s Eliteserien with Nigerian James Leke scoring twice.

Malian striker Moussa Marega sealed a 2-0 win for Primeira Liga leaders F.C. Porto against rivals Sporting Lisbon edging them closer to the title in Portugal.

DR Congo’s Elia Meshack and Cameroon’s Jean-Pierre Nsame were on target as Young Boys remained in the hunt for Switzerland‘s Super League title with a 4-2 win against Servette, who scored one of their goals through Côte d’Ivoire’s Koro Kone.

In Belarus, Nigerian Godfrey Bitok Stephen’s strike was not enough for mid-table Isloch who went down 2-1 at Slutsk in the Vysshaya Liga.

Cameroon’s Daniel Kamy scored the opener for Prva Liga leaders Olimpia Ljubljana in their 1-1 draw against Mura in Slovenia and in Sweden, veteran Eritrean forward Henok Goitom’s goal earned AIK a 1-0 win against mid-table Sirius.