SENEGALESE HITMAN SCORES WONDER GOAL SUPER STUFF…Senegalese international forward Moussa Sow hammers home his overhead kick into the nets, during Fenerbahce’s Europa Cup tie against Manchester United in Istanbul last night, giving the Turkish giants the lead in a match they eventually won 2-1 – The Mirror
SUPER STUFF…Senegalese international forward Moussa Sow hammers home his overhead kick into the nets, during Fenerbahce’s Europa Cup tie against Manchester United in Istanbul last night, giving the Turkish giants the lead in a match they eventually won 2-1 – The Mirror

SUPER STUFF…Senegalese international forward Moussa Sow hammers home his overhead kick into the nets, during Fenerbahce’s Europa Cup tie against Manchester United in Istanbul last night, giving the Turkish giants the lead in a match they eventually won 2-1 – The Mirror

Sends warning to the Warriors

Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor

SENEGALESE international forward, Moussa Sow, gave the Warriors a timely reminder of the quality that awaits them at the 2017 Nations Cup finals in Gabon with a wonder goal, an outrageous overhead kick which stunned Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, in a Europa Cup tie in Istanbul last night.The 30-year-old Fenerbahce striker is part of the awesome attacking arsenal in the Lions of Teranga team which won all their six qualifying matches for the 2017 AFCON finals and also boasts quality in the form of Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, the most expensive African footballer in history, and Stoke City forward Mo Diouf.

Senegal are captained by gangly West Ham midfielder Cheikhhou Kouyate whose teammate at the London club is countryman Diafra Sakho who has battled injuries, in recent times, which resulted in a proposed move to West Bromwich Albion in August this year collapsing after he failed a medical just a month after the Hammers had rejected an £11 million bid for his services from Southampton.

Sakho didn’t play at the last Nations Cup finals after West Ham bombarded Senegal with 18 letters threatening them that using the striker could worsen his injury issues.

But, even in Sakho’s absence, the Teranga Lions have found a way to hunt and were the best team during the qualifiers for the 2017 Nations Cup finals as they won all their six games with their impressive strikerforce destroying defences along the way.

Big forward Sow was one of those forwards and, barring injuries, he is set to play against the Warriors in Gabon where Callisto Pasuwa’s men will also take on Algeria and Tunisia in a tough group.

Last night Sow sent Twitter into a frenzy after scoring a beauty, less than two minutes into Fenerbahce’s game against Manchester United, at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.

Fenerbahce, who crashed to a 1-4 defeat in the reverse tie at Old Trafford, struck early in their backyard with one of the goals of this season’s Europa Cup campaign so far.

When Hasan Ali Kaldirim swung the ball into the Manchester United area, there appeared to be very little danger for the Red Devils with Sow isolated and sandwiched by two defenders at the edge of the box.

With his back towards goal, Sow somehow flung his huge frame into the air and connected sweetly, with an overhead kick, generating a lot of power with the ball arrowing into the top corner as Spanish goalkeeper De Gea, one of the best, if not the best goalminder in the world today, remained rooted to his spot – blinded by the purity of the strike and beaten by the beauty of the flight.

And the goal sent Twitter into overdrive with Sow reminding the Warriors, as if they needed any reminder, of the quality that awaits them in Gabon.

“What A Goal!. You don’t need an excuse to watch Moussa Sow’s outrageous bicycle kick,” BT Sport said on their Twitter account, while British newspaper, The Guardian, in their live commentary of the match said: “An outrageous overhead kick from 16 yards by the Senegalese striker!

“Ali crossed from the left and Sow stunned everyone by falling backwards and hooking the over his head and into the net! De Gea was taken utterly by surprise by an extraordinary finish.

“Moussa Sow’s goal was the earliest scored in Europe against Man Utd since Christian Giménez scored for Basel in November 2002. Manchester United have conceded in seven consecutive European away games for the first time since February 1965.”

Dan Ripley, covering the match for Mailonline through live text, also conceded it was a beautiful goal.

“WHAT A GOAL! Hasan Ali Kaldirim swings in a decent enough cross from the left, and with a looping overhead kick, Moussa Sow fires past David de Gea from around 16 yards out. Stunning stuff.”

Alistair Tweedle, for the Daily Telegraph, said the striker had shown great flexibility.

“Oh WOW! What a start! United have some early possession and the first time Fenerbahce get on the ball, a rather hopeful cross is turned toward goal acrobatically by Moussa Sow and he beats De Gea with a stunning effort! Bicycle kicks barely get any better than that!”

Graham Wray, for the mass circulating tabloid The Sun, wrote: “Wow from Sow! That was a truly breathtaking overhead kick. Think Trevor Sinclair for QPR against Barnsley all those years ago. United look shell-shocked.”

Rory Bridgstock-Barron for The Mirror described it as a “a wonder goal from Moussa Sow after 66 seconds Fenerbahce have scored after just 66 seconds, and what a goal it was, Mousa Sow with a casual yet brutal overhead kick, leaning back to find the top corner from the edge of the box.”

Although United eventually lost 1-2, after Wayne Rooney scored a spectacular late goal, Sow’s goal remained the talking point with the Senegalese forward being given the nod to start ahead of Robin Van Persie before being pulled out, to a standing ovation, with four minutes left in the contest.

Sow returned to Fenerbahce this season after having been sold to United Arab Emirates side Al Ahli, last year, for Dh70m (around US$19 million), making him the biggest signing in the history of the Gulf League.

He scored 13 times in 24 games as his team won the championship in the UAE.

Pasuwa, though, will also be happy that his ace in the pack, Khama Billiat, scored his fourth goal of the campaign as African champions Mamelodi Sundowns beat Polokwane City 2-0 in a South African Premiership tie on Wednesday night.

Billiat, considered by many as the best footballer plying his trade in Africa, was introduced from the bench by coach Pitso Mosimane, with the score goalless, and his arrival turned the tide for the Brazilians with man-of-the-match Percy Tau pushing them into the lead before he found the Zimbabwean ace, who finished cooly, in the 81st minute to settle the issue.

The 26-year-old forward will be rested by Pasuwa when the Warriors play an international friendly against Tanzania in Harare next week with the coach arguing his star forward is at risk of burn-out after playing, non-stop, since August last year.

Billiat scored three goals as the Warriors ended 10 years of waiting for a place at the Nations Cup finals.

Another key Warriors’ player, defence pillar Costa Nhamoinesu, was part of the action last night as Sparta Prague hosted Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva at the Generali Arena in Prague in the Europa Cup.

Nhamoinesu, who plays as a centreback for the Warriors, was used as a fullback in a four-man defence of a 4-4-2 formation with the hosts taking a 2-0 lead at the break.

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