Ligue 1 Recap: Godo and Koffi continue strong form; Boufal and Soumaré lead Le Havre to victory

Ligue 1 Recap: Godo and Koffi continue strong form; Boufal and Soumaré lead Le Havre to victory

Angers and Burkina Faso goalkeeper Hervé Koffi. Photo: Angers SCO

Ligue 1 Recap: Godo and Koffi continue strong form; Boufal and Soumaré lead Le Havre to victory

The contributions from Africans were a bit muted in the 21st round of France’s Ligue 1 with the main highlights being Burkina Faso goalkeeper Hervé Koffi’s excellent form as well as a few notable performances from Le Havre’s 2-1 victory over Strasbourg on Sunday.

Ivorian international forward Martial Godo did not take part at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with the Elephants but he utlilized his time away from national team duty to enjoy a fruitful start to 2026 with Strasbourg.

His team fell to defeat after a first half red card issued to Ismaël Doukouré, but Godo gave the visitors brief hope with an equalizer soon after. He now has 6 goals and 1 assist in 7 matches since the new year began, and now has 8 goals in 19 matches between league and Coupe de France matches. The 22-year-old is finding his stride following a move from Fulham ahead of the current season.

On the other end of Sunday’s match, former Morocco national team winger Sofiane Boufal made his first goal contribution for Le Havre since joining on a free transfer from Belgian Pro League side Union Saint-Gilloise.

Boufal’s 26th minute corner kick found 17-year-old defensive phenom Stephan Zagadou, who headed in his first professional goal for the club.

After Godo’s equalizer left the match 1-1 at the half, a Senegalese connection allowed the hosts to capitalize on their numerical advantage. Central defender Arouna Sanganté exploited space given to him and his pass into the penalty area found Issa Soumaré, who turned and unleashed a low shot that snuck past goalkeeper Mike Penders.

It was a big week for Le Havre, who move nine points ahead of the relegation zone after ending a 3-match winless streak with their latest result. Sanganté and Boufal were recognized for their contributions by being named to the Best XI by the Ligue 1’s fantasy game account.

Also recognized was Burkina Faso national team goalkeeper Koffi, who was honored as the best goalkeeper of the week. On loan at Angers after struggling to establish himself at Lens, the 29-year-old has been exceptional.

He led Les Noirs et Blancs to a second consecutive 1-0 victory against Toulouse on Sunday. His impressive performances are a major reason why Angers are in 9th place on the table after finishing just above the relegation zone last season.

Ligue 1 Fantasy Team of the Week

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Burkina Faso
Ivory Coast
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