African players in Europe: History maker Mahrez wins top English award

Algeria and Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez crowned a wonderful weekend when he was voted Player of the Year by fellow English Premier League professionals. The 25-year-old, a key figure in the transformation of Leicester from perennial strugglers to league leaders, is the first African winner of the title. Hours before the lavish awards ceremony in London, Mahrez opened the scoring for Leicester in a 4-0 drubbing of Swansea City.ENGLAND    RIYAD MAHREZ (Leicester City) Mahrez’s 17th goal of the season teed leaders Leicester up for a 4-0 win over Swansea City that left them needing five points to claim the title. The Algerian star opened the scoring in the 10th minute, coolly beating Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski with his trusty left foot after visiting captain Ashley Williams had played the ball straight at him.KELECHI IHEANACHO (Manchester City) Nigerian teenager Iheanacho scored a brace, and won a penalty, as City warmed up for their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid by breezing past Stoke City 4-0. The 19-year-old won the penalty from which Sergio Aguero scored City’s second goal and then scored twice in the space of 10 second-half minutes to take his tally for the season to 11 goals, first side-footing home a cut-back from Pablo Zabaleta and then rounding goalkeeper Shay Given to score from Ivorian team-mate Wilfried Bony’s pass.   …

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