Paris // African football stalwarts Didier Drogba and Andre Ayew made emotional farewells at the weekend from clubs they have served with distinction, as most European leagues ended.
Veteran Ivory Coast striker Drogba was carried off the Stamford Bridge pitch by teammates after retiring injured during a 3-1 win for English champions Chelsea over Sunderland.
Ayew, a son of former Ghana international Abedi Pele, said goodbye to French outfit Marseille as a nearly 10-year spell at the club ended with a 3-0 home triumph over Bastia.
ENGLAND
DIDIER DROGBA (Chelsea)
Drogba’s final Chelsea game ended in memorable fashion as he was carried off by his teammates during their 3-1 Premier League victory over Sunderland. The 37-year-old Ivory Coast striker had announced prior to kick-off that the English champions’ last competitive match of the season would be the final appearance of his second spell at the club. And after only 30 minutes at Stamford Bridge, and with Chelsea trailing 1-0, he was chaired off the pitch by his colleagues, having apparently succumbed to injury, in what transpired was a pre-planned send-off.
MAME BIRAM DIOUF (Stoke City)
The Senegal forward scored twice to inspire his side’s shock 6-1 demolition of Liverpool at the Britannia Stadium. Diouf’s 12th and 13th goals of the season came in the 22nd and 26th minutes, the first a tap-in after Simon Mignolet failed to handle a Stoke shot and the second a powerful long-range effort that the Liverpool goalkeeper could not keep out. Diouf’s heroics helped Stoke end the campaign with their best Premier League points haul of 54 and condemned Liverpool to their biggest Premier League defeat.
MAROUANE CHAMAKH (Crystal Palace)
The Morocco striker bagged his first league goal since August to seal a 1-0 win over Swansea City at Selhurst Park. Chamakh has struggled to break into the team since Alan Pardew took charge, but he made the most of a rare start to remind the manager what he can offer. He struck in the 57th minute, steering home just his fourth goal of the season in all competitions after Scott Dann knocked down Jason Puncheon’s cross.
YAYA TOURE (Manchester City)
The Ivory Coast midfielder made what could prove to be his final appearance for City in their 2-0 home win against Southampton. With Toure’s agent claiming his client is “90 percent certain” to leave in the close-season and Inter Milan and Paris Saint-German said to be interested in his signature, Toure played for 66 minutes and delivered a dynamic display before being substituted.
AHMED ELMOHAMADY (Hull City)
Hull succumbed to relegation after drawing 0-0 at home to Manchester United, but Egyptian winger Elmohamady – one of only five ever-present players in the Premier League this season – came closer than any of his teammates to breaking the deadlock at the KC Stadium. During a flurry of first-half pressure in which Hull had two goals chalked off for offside, Elmohamady met Robbie Brady’s left-wing cross with a thumping downward header, only for United goalkeeper Victor Valdes to produce a stunning save.
SPAIN
SOFIANE FEGHOULI (Valencia)
Feghouli played a vital role as Valencia sealed their place in next season’s Uefa Champions League with a 3-2 win at relegated Almeria. The Algerian midfielder tapped home his sixth goal of the season from close range to level at 2-2 just before half time and then played the through ball from which Paco Alcacer secured all three points.
THOMAS PARTEY (Almeria)
Ghanaian midfielder Partey had given Almeria the perfect start with a free kick from distance that surprised Diego Alves, but it was not enough for the Andalusians as defeat consigned them to relegation.
MEHDI LACEN (Getafe)
Algerian midfielder Lacen teed up Sergio Escudero for Getafe’s first and then fired in just his second goal of the season at the Santiago Bernabeu, but they were blown away by Real Madrid in the second half as the hosts ran out 7-3 winners.
ITALY
KWADWO ASAMOAH (Juventus)
Having missed most of this season through a combination of injury and being left out of Juventus’s starting XI, Asamoah made his return to the fray in time for a 3-1 victory over Napoli that preceded the double winners’ Serie A and Coppa Italia celebrations. Given his time out, it was a positive performance from the Ghanaian international, who on one notable occasion showed great skill to round his man on the edge of the area before firing a promising shot over Mariano Andujar’s crossbar.
SAMUEL ETO’O (Sampdoria)
A last-gasp equaliser from Eto’o helped secure a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Empoli in Sampdoria’s penultimate match of the season, but the Cameroonian’s goal was worth more than just a point. Thanks to Eto’o, the club’s hope of snatching a place in next season’s Europa League are still alive, although the Genoa-based side will have to win next weekend’s final game at home to Parma and hope results elsewhere go their way if they are to qualify for Europe’s second-tier competition.
FRANCE
ANDRE AYEW (Marseille)
Ghana forward Ayew had an emotional night on Saturday as he played his final game with his boyhood club. The game ended 3-0 for Marseille over Bastia. But the 25 year old, who is out of contract, could not hide his emotions and his tears as he waved goodbye to the home fans who had made him a cult hero after nearly 10 years with the Ligue 1 giants.
MAX-ALAIN GRADEL (Saint-Etienne)
The Ivory Coast winger has been on fire since coming back from his victorious trip to Equatorial Guinea, where he won the Africa Cup of Nations. Since February, the former Leeds United man has found the back of the net 13 times, helping Saint-Etienne secure their return to European football next season. The 27 year old reportedly played his final game with Saint-Etienne, bagging a brace in their 2-1 win over Guingamp before heading out as Premier League sides are looking at the former Elland Road favourite.
MODOU SOUGOU (Evian)
There were mixed feelings for the Senegal winger, who made up for his second-half own goal with a late strike as Evian lost their final game of the season 3-2 against Caen. The Marseille loanee’s future is uncertain as he is unlikely to follow Evian to Ligue 2 but remains a fringe player with the southern side. His three assists and two goals in 24 games this season will not help attract interest.
GERMANY
PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Borussia Dortmund)
The Gabon striker netted Dortmund’s second in a 3-2 win over Werder Bremen to leave him as the club’s top scorer with 23 goals for the season. The 25 year old finished off a chance created by Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa to put Dortmund 2-0 up at the Westfalenstadion as coach Jurgen Klopp bowed out of his last home game with a win. Aubameyang can add to his impressive tally in the season finale on Saturday, when Dortmund take on Wolfsburg in the German Cup final.
SEREY DIE (Stuttgart)
The Ivory Coast defensive midfielder took a central role with a topless dance in Stuttgart’s celebrations after their 2-1 win at Paderborn guaranteed top-flight survival. Stuttgart earned their third straight league win with goals by Daniel Didavi and Daniel Ginczek after bottom side Paderborn, who were relegated by the defeat, had taken an early lead.
ANTHONY UJAH (Cologne)
Nigeria striker Ujah apologised to Cologne fans on his tearful farewell with a 2-2 draw at home to Wolfsburg, having been photographed with his future club Werder Bremen three weeks ago. The 24 year old Super Eagles forward was booed and whistled by home fans after being substituted in the second half of his final appearance for the club before joining Bremen next season. “The fact my own fans whistled and booed me really got to me,” said Ujah, who has scored 10 goals for mid-table Cologne this season. “I apologise for how things turned out, that wasn’t good,” he added, referring to the Bremen picture.
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