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.
In a 4-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach that ensured that VfB Stuttgart finished above Bayern Munich at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Guinea international Serhou Guirassy contributed significantly with two goals and one assist, finishing his and his side's league season on a very positive note.
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The 28-year-old broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, displaying everything a top-level striker should have in their locker in order to be successful in the game with his first goal. He received the ball in the penalty area, showing a great first touch while doing so, and held the ball up by shielding it from a defender before giving it to teammate Enzo Millot. The Guinean striker then turned as Miliot put the ball in the air to find the striker who leaped and got his head onto it to put it in the back of the net and hand his side the advantage.
Almost 10 minutes later, Guirassy proved himself an unrelenting problem for the Monchengladbach defence once more. This time, he showed off some of the other sides to his game. He received the ball side-on, just outside the box, and a rapid turn towards the goal got rid of the defender who attempted to close him down. He then took another touch that shifted the ball on to his left foot and then slotted home in emphatic fashion.
He was right in the thick of things once again when Stuttgart extended their lead to three goals. He was in the box, in front of goal, when he got a touch on a ball that was hammered in. It fell in favour of Jeong Woo-yeong, who cushioned the ball into the back of the net.
Speaking after the game, per the club's official website, Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness highlighted the importance of Guirassy's first goal, saying: "It was important for us to score the first goal. It was an open game, but that goal really got us in the groove. We had to survive some dangerous situations."
The striker's double also ensured that he secured second place on the Bundesliga scoring chart with 28 goals for the season, behind only Harry Kane, who has scored 36 goals this season despite his side's third-place finish.
The African attacker also set a new record by becoming the highest-scoring Stuttgart player in a single league campaign.
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In total, Guirassy took three shots at the opponent's goal, and also took 39 touches throughout the game. While showing off his ability on the ball, the forward also illustrated how he is able to defend from the front by winning six of the 10 tackles he made. His athleticism also prevailed as he was able to cover a distance of 8.9km during the tie, sprinting on 13 occasions.
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