African stars returned to top-flight football action as the German Bundesliga became the first European league to resume. Football leagues were halted all across Europe in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Moroccan wingback Achraf Hakimi played for 90 minutes as Borussia Dortmund stayed in second place with a 4-0 win over rivals Schalke 04 in the Ruhr Derby.
In surreal conditions at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park, Norweigian sensation Erling Braut Haaland continued his goalscoring run, converting Thorgan Hazard’s cross in the 29th minute. Raphael Guerreiro also bagged a brace either side of Hazard’s finish to give Dortmund a comfortable win. Meanwhile Senegalese central defender Salif Sane and Moroccan midfielder Amine Arit were also in action for Schalke during the loss.
The conditions were surreal as every shout and kick echoed around the cavernous 80,000 capacity arena. Strict hygiene protocols saw the Dortmund and Schalke players arrive on multiple buses, use several changing rooms and then enter the pitch by different routes.
Warm-ups were staggered and the coaching staff and substitutes wore masks and were all separated by two metres on the sidelines. Coaching staff and substitutes wore masks and were all separated by two metres as they took their place on the sidelines. The match balls were also disinfected by the ball-boys before the game kicked off.
Elsewhere, Ivorian attacker Salomon Kalou was missing from Hertha Berlin’s 3-0 win away at Hoffenheim. Kalou is currently serving a suspension after breaking the club’s social distancing rules put in place for the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 34-year-old posted a Facebook video of himself shaking hands with his Hertha team-mates and interrupting a medical check-up of another. He has since deleted the video. Hoffenheim’s Togolese striker Ilhas Bebou couldn’t add to his three-goal tally for the season, failing to score in the match and was substituted at half time.
Nigerian international fullback Jamilu Collins was also a key member of the Paderborn defence that held hosts Fortuna Dusseldorf to a goalless draw. The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medallist has the remarkable distinction of starting and completing 22 games for the bottom club this season. Ghanaian teammate Christopher Antwi-Adjei was replaced late on.
Algeria’s AFCON winning defender Ramy Bensebaini was also a vital member of Borrusia Monchengladbach’s 3-1 away win at Eintracht Frankfurt. Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi got one of the goals as his Mainz side came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with FC Koln.