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The African stars hit their mark as Franck Haise’s side claimed a crucial away win at Stade de la Meinau.
Ivory Coast forward Seko Fofana and Mali defender Massadio Haidara each scored a goal in Lens’s 2-1 win over Strasbourg in a Ligue 1 match on Sunday.
After their 2-2 draw with Metz last Sunday, the African stars secured the Sang et Or sit in a spot at the UEFA Europa League qualifying venue just before the international break.
Haidara opened the scoring for the visitors in the fifth minute, but his effort was nullified by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde in the 20th minute.
With five minutes before the break, Fofana restored Lens’s lead and his goal sealed his second consecutive victory in the French top flight.
Haidara’s effort was his first goal in Ligue 1 after 65 appearances for Nancy and Lens, while Fofana’s goal was his second in the league this campaign after 24 games.
Democratic Republic of Congo striker Gael Kakuta and Mali’s Cheick Doucoure also paraded alongside Franck Haise, while Ignatius Ganago of Cameroon and Cape Verdean Steven Fortes were substitutes.
Strasbourg, on the other hand, had a slew of African players in action, including the Ivory Coast duo Lamine Kone and Jean-Eudes Aholou, Senegal’s Habib Diallo and Mali’s Kevin Zohi, but South Africa’s Lebo Mothiba fell short of the call of the day due to a knee injury. .
The victory brought Lens to fifth place in the Ligue 1 table with 48 points after 30 games, 11 points behind fourth-placed Monaco, while Strasbourg is in 15th place after scoring 33 points in the same amount. of games.
Fofana is among the 30 players invited by Patrice Beaumelle for the final qualifying matches of the Ivory Coast’s Africa Cup of Nations against Niger and Ethiopia on March 26 and 30, respectively.
Thanks to the quarantine exemption granted by the French government to international players, the 25-year-old forward is expected to join the rest of the Elephants before his trip to Niamey.
After the international break, Lens will host Lyon, third in Ligue 1, on April 3, while Strasbourg will travel to Bordeaux a day later.
