African Players in Europe: Salah Takes Liverpool Back to Top

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 2, 2024 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

16:42-4 November 2024 AD ـ 03 Jumada Al-Ula 1446 AH

16:41-4 November 2024 AD ـ 03 Jumada Al-Ula 1446 AH

16:42-4 November 2024 AD ـ 03 Jumada Al-Ula 1446 AH

16:41-4 November 2024 AD ـ 03 Jumada Al-Ula 1446 AH

African Players in Europe: Salah Takes Liverpool Back to Top

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 2, 2024 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Mohamed Salah took Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League with the winning goal as the Reds came from behind to defeat Brighton 2-1 at the weekend.

It was the ninth goal of the season in all competitions for the 32-year-old Egypt captain and two-time African Player of the Year.

The goal came amid continuing speculation over the future of Salah, with his contract due to expire at the end of this season.

Here, AFP Sport highlights some African headline-makers in the major European leagues.

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

The forward struck in the 72nd minute with a superb curling finish from the edge of the area. Liverpool are two points clear of second placed Manchester City after winning eight of their first 10 league games.

JORDAN AYEW (Leicester)

The Ghana forward was the Foxes' last-gasp hero again as he rescued a 1-1 draw at Ipswich. Steve Cooper's side were in danger of losing to winless Ipswich until Ayew came off the bench to strike from close-range deep in stoppage time. Ayew's third goal this season was his first since netting a stoppage-time winner in Leicester's 3-2 victory at Southampton in October.

ANTOINE SEMENYO (Bournemouth)

Ghana winger Semenyo helped the Cherries claim a shock 2-1 win against champions Manchester City. The 24-year-old netted in the ninth minute with a composed finish from Milos Kerkez's cut-back. It was the hosts first win against City at the 22nd attempt.

SPAIN

MUNIR EL HADDADI (Leganes)

Morocco international El Haddadi scored a brilliant goal against Girona in his team's 4-3 defeat. The 29-year-old Spain-born former Barcelona forward cut in from the right and launched a shot into the top corner from distance after 77 minutes having come off the bench just moments earlier. It was his second goal in two matches after netting for Leganes against Ciudad de Lucena in the Copa del Rey.

ITALY

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (Atalanta)

The London-born Nigerian international grabbed two goals as Atalanta stunned Serie A leaders Napoli 3-0 in the sunshine at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium. Lookman's second goal, a curled shot after shaking off two Napoli defenders, was particularly memorable.

GERMANY

OMAR MARMOUSH (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Marmoush was on fire again in Eintracht Frankfurt's 7-2 demolition of Bundesliga tailenders Bochum, with the Egyptian named man of the match after scoring one goal and creating two. The 25-year-old Egyptian international curled home a free kick on 18 minutes. He has scored 10 goals this season, one less than Bayern Munich and England star Harry Kane.

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Guirassy scored the winner as Borussia inflicted a first Bundesliga defeat of the season on RB Leipzig with a 2-1 home win. Probably the only Dortmund player who can hold his head high after recent poor form, Guirassy was a constant threat up front. With the match locked at 1-1 and half an hour remaining, the Guinea international headed in Maximilian Beier's looping cross.

FRANCE

ABDOULAYE TOURE (Le Havre)

Toure played a captain's role by scoring the only goal as Le Havre defeated Montpellier 1-0 in a battle of Ligue 1's bottom two clubs. The France-born Guinea international, who was key in the club's promotion to the top flight for this season, struck from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute after Mali international full-back Falaye Sacko was penalized for handball.

Serena Williams Will Play Mixed Doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in Her Return to the US Open

Serena Williams of the United States plays Marta Kostyuk of Czechia and Peyton Stearns of the United States with Venus Williams of the United States during day seven of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 17, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)

16:26-22 August 2026 AD ـ 09 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1448 AH

Serena Williams Will Play Mixed Doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in Her Return to the US Open

Serena Williams will team up with Carlos Alcaraz to create a powerhouse mixed doubles pair in her return to the US Open.

The US Tennis Association announced Saturday that Williams and Alcaraz had been given a wild card into the tournament. The mixed doubles main draw begins Tuesday, with the winning team sharing $1 million.

It will be Williams' first time playing at the US Open since 2022. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion returned to tennis this summer.

“Let’s gooooo!” Alcaraz posted on X, with a fire emoji and tagging Williams.

Williams is not planning to play singles in New York. The USTA had been holding one women's wild card, presumably in case Williams wanted it. However, the tournament announced Saturday that it had been given to American Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion.

Williams played singles at Wimbledon but sustained a knee injury in her first-round loss. She played doubles with older sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open, and they could still opt to play together at the US Open.

Alcaraz announced this week he would return to defend his US Open singles title after being sidelined since April with a right wrist injury.

Serena Williams won a mixed doubles title at the US Open even before winning any of her six singles titles there. She teamed for the 1998 championship with Max Mirnyi, who now works with top-ranked woman Aryna Sabalenka.

The mixed doubles tournament is far different now, as the USTA revamped it last year to make it a two-day, 16-team event it hoped would draw top singles players.

Few are bigger than Williams and Alcaraz, the two-time US Open men's champion who is ranked No. 2.

The USTA also announced a number of updates to the field after some players withdrew from the competition.

Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz will team up, after their previous partners, Jack Draper and Elena Rybakina, pulled out with injuries. The teams of Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, along with Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, were given the remaining two wild cards into the main draw.

Also, Diana Shnaider remains in the field and will be given a chance to find a new partner after Daniil Medvedev withdrew.

The current field:

Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, Pegula and Fritz, Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien, two-time defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev, Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, Williams and Alcaraz, Muchova and Mensik, and Navarro and Paul.

The remaining two spots will be determined through an eight-team qualifying tournament Monday. The USTA gave wild cards to the teams of Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, and Peyton Stearns and Christian Harrison, to be part of that field. It is otherwise largely made up of the traditional doubles specialists who lost out on the chance to play in the US Open last year, with direct entry based on the players' combined singles ranking.

Sports

United’s Carrick Gets Early Reality Check at Hull

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick reacts after losing the English Premier League match Hull City against Manchester United, in Hull, Britain, 22 August 2026. (EPA)

16:22-22 August 2026 AD ـ 09 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1448 AH

United’s Carrick Gets Early Reality Check at Hull

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick reacts after losing the English Premier League match Hull City against Manchester United, in Hull, Britain, 22 August 2026. (EPA)

Manchester United arrived in Hull on Saturday riding a wave of optimism that had not washed over Old Trafford for years. They departed the east coast after a shock Premier League defeat that left manager Michael Carrick with uncomfortable questions to answer.

The 2-0 defeat by promoted Hull City was only one game, but it felt like a sudden cold shower after eight months of sunshine.

Since replacing Ruben Amorim in January, Carrick had overseen a revival, dragging a confidence-starved team from mid-table obscurity to a third-place finish.

United collected 39 points from 17 league games under their new manager, more than any other side in that span.

Carrick brought clarity, confidence and attacking intent, while signings including Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos -- with Brighton's Carlos Baleba on the way -- ‌strengthened the feeling ‌that United might finally be ready to rejoin the league's elite after ‌13 ⁠years without a ⁠title.

Hull shredded those dreams for an afternoon.

"Obviously, bits to improve on," Carrick told TNT Sports. "It was never going to be perfect today, but going behind and giving ourselves a lot to do makes it more difficult.

"Probably a typical one of those games with a newly promoted team at home. We can't give them much, they've got a lot to hold on to, and then after (their two goals), we had moments, we had opportunities.

"We just didn't have that spark to then put the chances away or create any more. So yeah, listen, we're ⁠bitterly disappointed with the result today, but it won't it won't knock us."

ORANGE ‌SMOKE

Plumes of orange smoke exploded above the MKM Stadium before ‌kickoff and black-and-orange scarves twirled in celebration of the Tigers' return to the top flight after nine years away.

By halftime, ‌the party was in full swing. Hull were quicker, stronger and more dangerous than their visitors, ‌racing into a two-goal lead through Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy as United twice crumbled at set-pieces.

United finished with 72% possession, but it felt like possession without purpose. Center-back Harry Maguire was among their most threatening attacking outlets.

Bryan Mbeumo forced one of the few meaningful saves from Konstantinos Tzolakis, but Hull's goalkeeper was otherwise little more than a ‌spectator.

Even Marcus Rashford's long-awaited return could not spark a comeback. Making his first United appearance since December 2024 after his exile under Amorim and loan ⁠spells at Aston Villa and ⁠Barcelona, Rashford showed flashes of sharpness but received precious little service.

"I'm not going into areas now (that need improvement)," Carrick said. "It's for us to know. He'll keep improving through the week and through the games, and when we keep getting stronger as a group, that will come. Today is a game we can't ignore. We have a lot to learn from it. But we will."

As Hull fans taunted the away support with chants of "You're getting mauled by the Tigers", the humiliation was complete.

When the stadium announcer informed United's travelling fans that two trains back to Manchester had been cancelled, home fans quickly found a punchline. "You're going home in a taxi."

For Hull, it was a first league victory over United in 52 years. For Carrick, it was a reminder that momentum is fragile.

"It is one game. First game of the season. It is disappointing enough, it hurts, of course it does," he said. "But it doesn't change the whole course of direction the team is going in or the football club. We will stay calm, stay in the bubble and focus on next week."

Sports

Mercedes Driver George Russell Wins Dutch GP Sprint Race

Mercedes' British driver George Russell gestures as he celebrates after winning the sprint race ahead of the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort, western Netherlands, on August 22, 2026. (AFP)

11:50-22 August 2026 AD ـ 09 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1448 AH

Mercedes Driver George Russell Wins Dutch GP Sprint Race

Mercedes driver George Russell powered to victory in the Dutch Grand Prix sprint race Saturday, making the most of his pole position to claw back some ground on teammate Kimi Antonelli in the driver's championship.

Russell got away cleanly at lights out and never looked challenged over the 24-lap sprint race, outpacing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who finished second, by 1.36 seconds.

Leclerc's battle with current world champion Lando Norris was the highlight of the race, the Ferrari overhauling the McLaren in a thrilling overtake on the straight in the 18th lap.

Norris, who complained of problems with the rear of his McLaren, came in third, just managing to hold off teenage sensation Antonelli.

Antonelli started fifth on the grid after running into the gravel during qualifying and damaging the floor of his Mercedes.

He did manage to jump McLaren's Oscar Piastri at the start to gain a place, coming in fourth with the Australian finishing fifth.

Home favorite Max Verstappen, on a high after extending his Red Bull contract until 2030, failed to improve on his grid place, ending up sixth.

He had an enjoyable tussle with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the battle between two legends of the sport exciting the Zandvoort crowd.

African Players in Europe: Salah Takes Liverpool Back to Top

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Serena Williams Will Play Mixed Doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in Her Return to the US Open

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