Menez sets scoring standard
Saturday, February 5, 2005
Article summary
A hat-trick against Cameroon makes France's Jérémy Menez the early leader in the Meridian Cup scoring chart.
Article body
French striker Jérémy Menez leads the way in the UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup scoring chart after the first round of matches, having found the net three times in his side's 7-0 success against Cameroon on Friday.
First-half hat-trick
The FC Sochaux-Montbéliard forward scored after 25, 32 and 42 minutes at the Ödemis stadium as the European Under-17 champions produced some scintillating attacking football against their African counterparts. Menez's team-mate Karim Benzema managed two goals, one early in each half, and Spanish midfield player Carlos Carmona sits alongside him in joint-second place having twice breached the Egyptian rearguard in Spain's 3-0 success.
High-scoring start
The first four matches in the competition brought 16 goals at an average of four per game, although only two of those goals were scored by African players – Egyptian pair Sherif Ashraf Okily and Ahmed El-Mohamdy both on target in their side's 3-2 defeat against hosts Turkey. The four African participants will be seeking a noticeable improvement on Matchday 2, while their European opponents will look to continue in similarly free-scoring vein.
2005 UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup top scorers:
|
