Paris (AFP) – Former African Footballer of the Year Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice in the final round of the English Premier League, but missed out on winning the Golden Boot.
He netted 22 times this season in the league after a brace in a 3-2 win over Watford at the weekend, but had to settle for second place behind 23-goal Jamie Vardy of Leicester City.
The Gabon star also bagged 22 goals last season and shared first place in the top scorers’ competition with Liverpool pair and fellow Africans Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
ENGLAND
PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Arsenal)
He opened the scoring from the penalty spot before hooking in a spectacular overhead kick to take his tally for the season to 22 league goals. Defeat condemned Watford to second division football next season.
SADIO MANE (Liverpool)
Mane started on the bench for Liverpool’s 3-1 win at Newcastle as Jurgen Klopp made a series of changes for the first time since sealing the Premier League title last month. However, the Senegalese still came on to round off a brilliant season by curling home the Reds’ third goal late on for his 22nd goal in all competitions.
RIYAD MAHREZ (Manchester City)
Mahrez also had to make do with an appearance off the bench as he came on in the second half of City’s 5-0 thrashing of Norwich and scored his side’s fourth goal with a powerful strike on the Algerian’s weaker right foot.
ITALY
MUSA BARROW (Bologna)
Barrow inspired mid-table Bologna to a 3-2 win which pushed Lecce closer to the second division next season. Barrow had a hand in the first two goals which Rodrigo Palacio and Roberto Soriano scored within the first five minutes. The 21-year-old Gambian forward then struck the winner three minutes into injury time for his ninth goal since joining Bologna on loan from Atalanta in January.
HAMED JUNIOR TRAORE (Sassuolo)
Traore’s offside position accounted for one of four goals ruled out for his side in a 2-0 defeat to Napoli. The Ivory Coast midfielder, on loan from Empoli, had forced a save from Napoli keeper David Ospina when he was wrongly positioned as teammate Filip Djuricic blasted in the follow-up.
