Cyrille Bayala scores hat-trick in FC Sheriff’s 1st leg win from UEFA Europa League qualifying

The early qualifying stages are underway in UEFA interclub competition and Moldovan powerhouse FC Sheriff Tiraspol jumped out to a strong start led by Burkina Faso national team forward Cyrille Bayala and the team’s large group of African players. Bayala scored a hat-trick on Thursday in Sheriff’s 4-0 first leg victory over Kosovar side Prishtina from Europa League qualifying.

Two goals inside the opening twenty minutes from the former RC Lens and Ajaccio attacker got the hosts off to a strong start. All four of Sheriff’s goals came from contributions by African players with Mauritania national team winger Papa Yade setting up Bayala’s opener before Malian forward Mamady Diarra’s free kick found Bayala for the second.

Bayala needed no assistance on the third goal in the 74th minute when he won the ball off a Pristina defender before moving in to finish with a low shot. Nigerian teenager Elijah Odede completed the scoring five minutes later with a looped finish over the goalkeeper after being played behind the Prishtina defense.

Sheriff have a league match over the weekend against FC Bălți on Sunday before turning their attention to the second leg against Prishtina in Kosovo. Bayala, who has 4 goals in 47 appearances with the Burkina Faso national team, now has 4 goals in 4 games early in the 2025-26 campaign for Sheriff.