Even while the World Cup heads to a dramatic finish, the new season in Europe is already underway - and African players have been showing their spurs.

The Inter-Toto Cup, which affords the opportunity of back door entry to the Uefa Cup, got underway last weekend with African strikers Kanga Akale and Alex Tachie-Mensah stealing the limelight.

Both are expected to be back in action this coming Saturday in the first round, second leg matches to be played across the European continent.

Akale, 20, scored four times for FC Zurich as they beat Bosnia-Herzegovnian challengers NK Bornjo 7-0 last weekend.

Guinea's Alhassen Keita contributed a further two goals in the game at the Letzigrund.

Zurich are not expected to be troubled in the return match on Saturday and will most likely play Portugal's Uniao Leiria in the next round earlier next month.

Meanwhile Tachie-Mensah, a member of Ghana's squad at the African Nations Cup finals earlier this year, grabbed a hat-trick as his Swiss club St Gallen romped to a 5-1 win over B68 Toftir of the Faroe Islands.

And Burkinabe striker Patrick Zoundi scored for Lokeren of Belgium in their 3-1 win over WIT Tbilisi from Georgia.

The return leg between the two clubs will be played in the Georgian capital on Saturday.