It was a wonderful week for East Africans trading abroad starting with the towering Uganda Cranes keeper Dennis Onyango who helped his club Mamelodi Sundowns win the ABSA Premiership in style. In the Sportpesa Premier League Rwandan Jacques Tuyisenge continued to shine for reigning champions Gor Mahia.

Dennis Onyango

Onyango kept a clean sheet as Mamelodi Sundowns handed University of Pretoria a 3-0 drubbing to clinch the 2015/16 ABSA Premiership title with two games to spare at TUK’s Stadium on Thursday 5.

The “Brazillians” came into the tie needing just two points to reach an assailable maximum of 65 to lock out closest rival Bidvest.

Liberian Anthony Laffor scored a hat trick to become the hero of the night and seal the crucial three points, blowing away Bidvest’s title dreams.

Sundowns march to the crown has been outstanding, winning 20 games, drawing five and losing just three.

Onyango has owned the number one jersey for Mamelodi, relegating Zambian Kennedy Mweene to the bench; he has been a core part of the team’s impeccable run in the domestic league and continental front where they are on the verge of reaching the lucrative CAF Confederations Cup group stage.

He was however rested on Saturday when the Pitso Mosimane’s side thrashed Medeama of Ghana 3-1 in the Confederations cup playoffs on Saturday; the return leg will be staged in the West African state on Wednesday 18.

Jacques Tuyisenge

Rwanda’s CHAN 2015 captain Jacques Tuyisenge took his goals tally to five as he helped reigning Sportpesa Premier League champions beat Muhoroni Youth 2-0 in Kisumu on Saturday.

George Odhiambo “Black Berry” opened the scoring for the Ze Maria men in the seventh minute against a run of play before Tuyisenge doubled the lead in the 72nd minute with a well taken left foot strike.

Nicknamed “Ja Usenge) ( a man from Usenge) by Gor Mahia faithfuls, the mercurial striker has managed to shake off a knee injury which kept him off the field since crossing over to Kenya in February after guiding Rwanda to the quarter final of CHAN; and quickly cemented himself as one of the most lethal poachers in the league, at times carrying his club almost single handedly.

Tuyisenge scored the lone goal when K’Ogalo dumped Ushuru FC out of the Kenyan Premier League Top 8 Tournament to reach semi final for the fifth time in a row on Labour Day.

Farouk Miya

Uganda forward Farouk Miya clocked 90 minutes as his side Standard Liege beat Waasland Beveren 2-0 in the Belgium Pro League, Europa League Playoffs at Stade Mourice Dufrasne on Saturday.

Liege finishes behind Kortrijk with 10 points, four less than the leaders after six matches.

Ivan Santini gave the home side an early lead with just eight minutes played, burying Matthieu Dossevi’s assist for a 1-0 scoreline heading into the half time. On resumption, Junior Edmilson produced a fine solo effort to double the lead in the 75th minute.

Mbwana Samatta

The Tanzania skipper has continued to grow into the KRC Genk’s squad and for the umpteenth he was handed a starting berth against SV Zulte Waregem in the Belgium Pro League, Championship round at Cristal Arena on May 6.

Samatta lasted the entire length of the match which they won 2-0 nil to come within eight points reach of Club Brugge at position four – the leaders (Brugge) have amassed 44 points with a game at hand.

Neeskens Kebano scored two minutes from half time to hand the Peter Maes’s charges the lead. Yoni Buyens then assisted Wilfred Ndidi’s goal to make it 2-0 three minutes after the hour mark.

Brian Mandela

The Kenyan international defender stood tall at the heart of Maritzburg United’s defense as they picked a valuable point against Orlando Pirates in the ABSA Premiership at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

The “team of choice” remains rooted at the bottom of the log with two rounds of matches to the end of the 2015/16 season, but all is not lost for them. Six points from the remaining fixtures could save them the chop if the other relegation candidates; Jomo Cosmos and Amatuks stubble.

Mandela, formerly of Tusker FC has had a good outing with Marirtzburg this season, starting in almost all their matches; he has also managed a couple of goals for them mostly from set pieces. He is rumored to be on his way out of the club with big wigs like Kaizer Chiefs, Orland Pirates salivating for his signature.

Michael Olunga

The Kenya international and former Gor Mahia danger man was introduced in the 85th minute for Sam Johnson in Djurgardens IF’s 3-0 win over Ostersunds FK at the Tele 2 Arena on May 2.

Olunga also called “the engineer” is yet to score a league goal for the Swedish side since joining them this season and has lately been used sparingly with Sam Johnson being preferred in attack.

Djurgardens assumed the driving seat through Seon Min Moon in the 17th minute, assisted by Daniel Berntsen, before Johnson doubled the lead in the 18th minute for a comfortable 2-0 lead at the interval. Mathias Ranegie stretched the scoreline to 3-0 in the 69th minute to guarantee the three points.

They sit third on the table standings with 12 points, three points less than leaders Norrkoping. The Pelle Olsson side will this evening travel to eighth placed IFK Goteborg to play their game at home.

Victor Wanyama

“The lion of Muthurwa” produced another virtuoso performance as his side Southarmpton FC pipped Tottenham 2-1 in the Barclays Premier League at the White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Wanyama was the shield in front of defense,foiling attack after another to make sure the effect of Tottenham’s prolific forward line is neutralized. Occasionally, the Kenya’s Harambee Stars skipper ventured forward to assist in the hunt for goals.

The Saints had to fight from a goal down after Heung – Min Son’s 16th minute goal to bag all the three points courtesy of Steven Davis’s brace in the 31st and 70th minutes and extend their unbeaten run to five matches.

The Ronald Koeman’s side equaled their record Barclays Premier League points tally (60) at sixth position.

Allan Wanga

Wanga who has found it hard to break into Azam FC’s starting eleven, came on a sub in the 73rd minute for Didier Kavumbagu in a 2-1 triumph away to Kagera Sugar in the Tanzania’s Vodacom Premier League on Sunday.

Despite the win, the title race is over for the ice cream makers with just three rounds of fixtures to the end of the current season; they are placed second on the log with sixty points, eight a drift of champions Yanga SC.

Adam Kingwende scored for Kagere in the 24th minute, with Kipre Tchetche leveling for the visitors a minute into the second stanza; Hamid Mao grabbed the winner a minute to the hour mark to ease pressure on Coach Stewart Hall who is rumored to be on his way out the 2015 Kagame Cup champions.

Thomas Ulimwengu

Thomas Ulimwengu’s TP Mazembe of DR Congo has one foot into the lucrative group phase of the CAF Confederation Cup after a first leg 1-0 win against Stade Gabesien of Tunisia in the playoffs at Stade Fredric Kibassa Maliba, Lubumbashi on Sunday.

The Tanzania winger played the entire match. 22-year old DR Congo international Jonathan Bolingi headed in the lone goal from a corner kick in the 94th minute to hand the Hubert Velud’s side the slim advantage heading into the second leg away in two weeks time.

@bonfaceosano

Bonface Osano

African Football Writer contributing @Soka25east | Commentator; appeared on @MySoccerAfrica, @KweseSports, @ntvkenya, others | Keen follower of African Football. E-mail: bonfaceosano@gmail.com