African star of the weekend: The Ghanaian goal-getter!

African stars are not only shining on the continent but all over the world too, and one individual rose as a giant among them with his performance on the weekend.

Jordan Ayew was the star of the show as Crystal Palace secured a much-needed three points with a 3-0 win over Burnley on Saturday to help them jump to 13th position on the table, marking a positive start to life at Selhurst Park for newly-appointed manager Oliver Glasner. 

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Palace seem to be strutting around with a spring in their step that usually comes from a new manager looking to implement new ideas through a fresh perspective. That certainly seemed to be the case as the Eagles got off to a bright start, playing on the front foot right from the get-go.

Despite going into half-time without breaking the deadlock, the side's relentless energy paid off in the 35th minute when the Clarets' Josh Brownhill received his marching orders. Goalkeeper James Trafford played a ball to Brownhill who was just outside the penalty box, but relinquished possession amid pressure from Jefferson Lerma. Brownhill brought the midfielder down when he was through on goal and, as a result, received a red card. 

When the deadlock was finally broken in the 68th minute, Ayew had a lot to do with his side taking the lead. The 32-year-old received the ball on the right-hand side of the field before whipping in a delicious cross that found the head of Chris Richards, who was lurking at the far post when he put the ball into the back of the net. 

The Ghanaian, however, did not stop there. Just three minutes later, he struck, this time finding the onion bag himself. As Matheus Franca burst into the box, Ayew made sure to sneak his way to the far post where he was on hand to score off of Franca's low, driven ball across the penalty area. His celebration was as cold as his performance as the winger showed no emotion after adding to his goal tally for the season. 

The result was then wrapped up in the 79th minute by Jean-Philippe Mateta, who converted a spot-kick that was awarded the way of the Eagles after Franca's trickery resulted in him being brought down in the opposition box, winning a penalty for the home side. 

While there were other noteworthy performances, it was Africa's Ayew who was head and shoulders above the rest. With a goal and an assist, the forward made it 10 contributions (four strikes, six assists) in 24 appearances this season. His performance against the Clarets also enthralled the Eagles' faithful, who voted him their Man of the Match. 

Given that he made five key passes leading to shots, recorded three successful dribbles, won three fouls, and completed seven crosses (the most of any player on the pitch), it is no surprise that those in attendance were enchanted by his display. 

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