DR Congo’s Cedric Bakambu has become the first African to receive Spanish La Liga’s Player of the Month.
Former Spain and Sevilla star Marcos Senna gave the award to BakambuLinkahead of Sunday’s match.
The 26-year-old was given October’s award after netting six goals for the club last month.
He beat Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Valencia’s Gonçalo Guedes to the coveted monthly honour that has been awarded since September 2013.
“Very proud to be voted player of the month!,” Bakambu wrote on social media.
The in-form Bakambu scored a treble against Eibar in a 3-0 win, grabbed a double in the 2-1 away win at Girona and once in Villarreal’s 4-0 thrashing of Las Palmas.
Born in France, Bakambu began his career at Sochaux progressing from the youth ranks before he progressed to the first team in July 2010.
He scored 21 goals in 107 appearances in four seasons, which led to a move to Turkish side Bursaspor in September 2014, where he only spent a season producing 21 goals in 40 matches.
Bakambu moved to Villarreal in August 2015, scoring 22 goals in his debut season, but an injury-ravaged 2016/17 campaign saw him produce 11 goals in 34 games.
He has registered nine goals in 12 league games and thrice in the Europa League this season.
Bakambu represented France at youth levels winning the 2010 European Under-19 Championship on home soil and played as they finished fourth at the 2011 Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Colombia.
He opted for DR Congo in March 2015; he has seven goals in 14 appearances for the Leopards and played at this year’s African Cup of Nations in Gabon.
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