They developed into the surprise team at the Africa Cup of Nations: After going through the group stage, Burkina Faso with Leverkusen player Edmond Tapsoba first knocked Gabon out of the competition (2-1 in the Round of 16) and that was followed a few days later by a 1-0 victory against favoured Tunisia in the quarter-finals. On Wednesday evening, they faced Senegal in the semi-finals with Tapsoba and Co. having to accept defeat in the end. The Werkself player was on the pitch for the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 defeat.
Odilon Kossounou, who was also at the Africa Cup of Nations, went out in the Round of 16 when Ivory Coast lost 1-0 against Egypt. Senegal's opponents in the final will be decided tonight in a game between Egypt and Cameroon – winners of Burkina Faso's Group A. Tapsoba and Co. will play the losers of the semi-final in the third-place play off on Sunday 6 February at 17.00 CET. Tapsoba will then return to Leverkusen as Kossounou already has.
Sardar Azmoun, the winter signing from Zenit Saint Petersburg, arrived in Germany on Thursday afternoon. The 27-year-old was met by a small Bayer 04 delegation at Düsseldorf Airport and they accompanied him to Leverkusen.
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk has shared his views of the Iran international in the Bild Zeitung. The 42-year-old played for Bayern Munich from 2009 to 2013 and he knows the Bundesliga as well as the new member of the Werkself squad: Tymoshchuk has been the assistant coach at Zenit since 2017 and he has coached Azmoun for the past three years. "He's a bit like Klose (World Cup record goalscorer and former player at Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich, ed.). Miro was also quick, strong in the air and clever with his movement," said the Ukrainian in drawing a comparison.
In the interview, Tymoshchuk also spoke about Sardar Azmoun away from the pitch. The new Leverkusen player is very communicative and is also a "funny, but calm and respectful bloke. I was very close to him." The former Bayern player also revealed a special hobby pursued by the centre forward: Azmoun is mad about horses and he has a large number at home in Iran. They regularly take part in competitions and races.
The game turned round, a derby win – and the cup lifted. It was a successful Wednesday evening for the Bayer 04 Women's U17 team. The team coached by Aleksandar Vukicevic beat FC Köln in the final of the district cup. Playing at home at the Performance Centre, the Black and Red youngsters went behind on 15 minutes but hit back in the second half as they showed what they could do. Paula Dziallas scored on 62 minutes and Estrella Gonzalez netted the second ten minutes later to secure a 2-1 win. Congratulations!
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 2-1 win at SC Freiburg on Matchday 5 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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Calling Bayer 04 families – this matchday is all yours! As part of the Family Matchday on Sunday 20 September, not only will the Werkself take on RB Leipzig at 15:30 CEST but there will also be a variety of activity zones for young and old alike be set up around the BayArena. What’s more, genuine Bayer 04 rarities await Black and Red fans at the Fantrödel flea market. By taking part in the fan travel survey, Leverkusen supporters can help the club gather important information and even win a jersey before the Werkself hit the ground running against Leipzig on the pitch. The matchday news for RB Leipzig game.
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It has been a mixed start to the season for RB Leipzig. The team from Saxony have a flawless record at home but are less successful on the road to date. RBL are looking to change that in their away fixture at the BayArena on Sunday, 20 September (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). However, head coach Martin Demichelis will have to manage without a number of key players. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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With a flawless away record under their belts, the Bayer 04 women’s team travel to SC Freiburg. On Sunday 20 September (16:00 CEST), coach Roberto Pätzold’s side will be aiming for three points again, six days after their narrow defeat to Bayern Munich. The Werkself have emerged victorious from both of their away fixtures so far this season.
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