By MICHAEL MIYOBA
AFTER his stellar performance for Leicester City against Spartak Moscow saw him score a double brace including a records breaking nine-minute hat-trick, Chipolopolo striker Patson Daka has scooped the UEFA Europa League player of the week award.
Daka beat off competition from Toko Ekambi who scored two goals as Lyon beat Sparta Prague 4-3 on Thursday.
Other stars who were shortlisted for the award include Issa Diop of West Ham and Italian striker Lorenzo Insigne of Napoli who were also exceptional on match day three of the Uefa Europa League.
Diop and Insigne scored a goal apiece to help West Ham and Napoli beat Genk and Legia 3-0 respectively.
Daka becomes the first Zambian to win the award previously won by German’s Mario Gotze and Giorgos Masouras who won the award on match day one and two respectively.
The Chipolopolo striker relaunched Leicester’s Europa League ambitions with four expertly
taken goals in Moscow to become the first Zambian to score in the Uefa Europa League.
After his £23m transfer from Red Bull Salzburg, Daka has proven to be
a great addition to the Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes.
The Zambia international announced himself as a striker who could thrill Leicester for years after he scored a goal in the 4-2 thumping of Manchester United to become the first Zambian to score in the EPL before he scored the double brace in Russia.
With the Foxes trailing 2-0 in a group C fixture in Moscow, they looked to be on course for a result that would have made progress out of a difficult group highly improbable, Daka rescued them with a demonstration of precision that will live long in the memory of both Zambian and Leicester City fans.
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