A week ahead of his anticipated crowning African Footballer of the Year, and on the eve of Atalanta's UEFA Champions League showdown with Real Madrid, Ademola Lookman again demonstrated why he'd be deserving of the Confederation of African Football's top individual award with a late winner against AC Milan in Serie A.
In the Premier League, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa of Brentford once again made a strong case to be considered Africa's best players in the top flight beyond Mohamed Salah, and Ghana's Tariq Lamptey and Iñaki Williams also enjoyed a weekend to remember.
Nigeria forward Lookman hardly needed to provide further evidence to the CAF voters that he ought to be named the continent's male player of the year at the awards ceremony in Marrakech next week. However, for anyone who still needed convincing of his enduring quality, his weekend showing at the Gewiss Stadium might have provided the final push.
A player for the big occasion, Lookman seemed set for frustration when denied twice by AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan inside the final 15 minutes as Atalanta sought to take maximum points; but he made the most of another opportunity three minutes from fulltime, when a corner was headed down into his path by Sead Kolasinac, and Lookman reacted quickest to score the decisive goal.
Lookman was at the heart of a vibrant Atalanta display -- no one bettered his five attempts on goal -- and he was duly named man of the match after grabbing his third winner of the season.
"We have to continue playing like this, and thinking one game at a time," Lookman said. "We believe in our work, and it's right that the fans dream. We have to keep working."
Atalanta welcome Real Madrid to the Gewiss Stadium in the Champions League on Tuesday, but they'll fancy their chances of extending their streak with Lookman -- so comfortable on the big occasion -- in good form.
After that, come the CAF Awards, at which the only African male player nominated for the Ballon d'Or should add a significant individual honour to his impressive resume.
"It's an honour to be nominated for this prestigious award," Lookman told Sky Sport. "Of course, anyone who's nominated would like to win it. It's a dream."
Wisse and Mbeumo weren't included in CAF's 10-man shortlist for the 2024 prize, but few African players have outperformed them this season.
Given both have suffered injury, and considering the shifting sands at Brentford after Ivan Toney's departure, the Africans are in excellent form as 2024 closes, and may be under the radar as potential successors to Lookman in 12 months' time.
The duo are spearheading Brentford's climb into European contention, and each scored as the Bees thumped Newcastle United 4-2 last weekend.
Mbeumo opened the scoring after eight minutes, receiving a fine pass from Christian Nørgaard in a right-hand channel, bringing the ball down nonchalantly with his left, beating the overmatched Lewis Hall, snaking along the edge of the box, cutting inside, and powering a shot into the corner of the net.
The 25-year-old has rarely looked better in the Premier League, marrying his tenacity, physical prowess and fine finishing to lead the charge for the Bees; this was his ninth goal in 15 this term, and his first since late October. He later picked out German-Nigerian wideman Kevin Schade to add Brentford's fourth at the death, while he could have had another himself only to be denied by Dan Burn.
By that point, Wissa had also got himself among the goals, adding Brentford's second in the 28th minute to restore their advantage after Alexander Isak had equalised for the visitors. He capitalised directly on a wayward pass from Harvey Barnes -- yet another lapse from the Magpies -- advanced towards the goal with the Newcastle defenders backing off, took aim, and bent a right footed-effort past Nick Pope from the edge of the box.
This was Wissa's ninth goal in 12 matchers this term, while having a direct hand in nine goals in the six home league games in which he's featured.
Only Chelsea, with Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, have an attacking duo contributing as many goals as the Brentford pair, albeit the Blues have played more fixtures; Enzo Maresca's side are the only team to have scored more goals than the Bees' 28 in the league this season.
Mbeumo and Wissa's form is proving influential as Brentford are enjoying their best start to a Premier League season; they're ninth on the ladder, on 23 points, only four points off the UEFA Champions League places.
"Wissa is great, the way he links up and goes forward, and gets in behind the back line for tap-ins," Brentford head coach Thomas Frank told the BBC after the match. "And Bryan Mbeumo today was unplayable. The way he holds the ball up and links play, like today to Kevin Schade, was very impressive."
Wissa was among eight nominees for the November Premier League Player of the Month, and expect him and Mbeumo to attract attention from clubs higher up the food chain in 2025.
Certainly, Mbeumo's opening goal wasn't dissimilar to one of Salah's trademarks, bringing down a long ball with aplomb, slaloming beyond the defenders, cutting inside, and firing beyond the opposition keeper.
If the Egypt superstar does leave Anfield in the near future, Liverpool could do a lot worse than turning to Mbeumo as a replacement. The likes of Newcastle and Arsenal have also been named as potential suitors for the ex-Troyes forward.
This has been a thoroughly wretched year for fans of Ghana, with the West African giants bombing at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast and failing to qualify for next year's edition in Morocco.
But the form of some Ghanaians in Europe's biggest leagues should offer some encouragement that brighter days are on the horizon.
Brighton & Hove Albion's Lamptey has endured a tricky start to the campaign, with familiar fitness problems again limiting him to just four league appearances (including two starts). But he's made the most of his game time, with his awesome opener against Leicester City, his first Premier League goal in four years, meaning he's scored or assisted in four of his past five outings in all competitions. Recuperating a lofted Pervis Estupiñán cross on the edge of Leicester's box on 37 minutes, Lamptey killed the ball with an excellent touch, cut inside, and, profiting from some loose marking, curled a delicious left-footed effort into the far corner.
He enjoyed the better of his tussle with out-of-sorts compatriot Jordan Ayew, and found himself through on goal soon after only to opt to pass rather than attempting another shot.
This was a confident and bright display by Lamptey, and Brighton added a second through Gambia's Yankuba Minteh before Leicester salvaged a 2-2 draw with a stirring late comeback.
"We're disappointed not to get the game over the line but we take the positives and use it as fuel for the next game," Lamptey told the BBC after the match. "It's a strong group, we'll keep tight, we know we have quality and what we can achieve. There's not panic or anything. We just need to get our head down and keep working."
In Spain, Inaki Williams was among the goals with Athletic Club's second in their 2-0 victory over Villarreal to mark a decade of first-team action with the Basque side. The one-club player scored after being played in behind the defence by Oihan Sancet, 10 years and two days after making his LaLiga debut against Cordoba.
He enjoys cult status at the club, having enjoyed a record-setting Spanish top-flight run of consecutive league appearances before winning the Copa del Rey alongside his brother Nico last season.
"10 years fulfilling a dream," Williams wrote on X. "Remember where you started and where you are. Thank you all for joining me."
Victory takes Athletic up to fourth after 17 matches, and Ernesto Valdverde's side can put further pressure on the league leaders if Williams can build on his latest goal-scoring display -- he hadn't scored in his previous five league outings.