African Players in Europe: Marmoush, Sarr Strike in FA Cup Wins

Manchester City's Egyptian striker #07 Omar Marmoush (C) shoots to score their second goal during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England on March 30, 2025. (AFP)
Manchester City's Egyptian striker #07 Omar Marmoush (C) shoots to score their second goal during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England on March 30, 2025. (AFP)
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African Players in Europe: Marmoush, Sarr Strike in FA Cup Wins

Manchester City's Egyptian striker #07 Omar Marmoush (C) shoots to score their second goal during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England on March 30, 2025. (AFP)
Manchester City's Egyptian striker #07 Omar Marmoush (C) shoots to score their second goal during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England on March 30, 2025. (AFP)

Egyptian Omar Marmoush and Senegalese Ismaila Sarr scored to help Manchester City and Crystal Palace secure FA Cup semi-finals places at the weekend.

Marmoush netted his fifth goal for City since a January move from Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth.

Back in England after Africa Cup of Nations qualifying duty, Sarr put Palace two goals ahead en route to a 3-0 London derby victory at Fulham.

Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the FA Cup and major European leagues:

ENGLAND

OMAR MARMOUSH (Manchester City)

He came off the bench to send City into the semi-finals with the second-half winner at Bournemouth. Pep Guardiola's side, who will face Nottingham Forest at Wembley in April, trailed to Evanilson's first-half strike in the quarter-final. Erling Haaland levelled in the 49th minute before Marmoush netted in the 63rd minute as he took Nico O'Reilly's flick and fired past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

ISMAILA SARR (Crystal Palace)

Sarr helped the Eagles reach the semi-finals with the second goal in their victory at Fulham. Eberechi Eze put Palace ahead in the first half before Sarr struck in the 38th minute. Eze skipped down the left and whipped an inch-perfect cross to Sarr, who evaded his marker and headed past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno for his ninth goal in all competitions this season. Palace will play Aston Villa in the semi-finals as they look to reach the final for the first time since 2016.

SPAIN

PATHE CISS (Rayo Vallecano)

Senegalese midfielder Ciss produced a brilliant header to put Vallecano ahead against Alaves in their 2-0 win. The 31-year-old made a darting run to the near post and flashed a header across goal and into the top corner. It was his third goal of the season in La Liga and he is playing an important role in Rayo's push for European football.

ITALY

ZITO LUVUMBO (Cagliari)

The 23-year-old Angola winger, in his fifth season at Cagliari, scored in injury time of his team's 3-0 win over rock-bottom Monza to help ease relegation fears. Cagliari are now six points above the Serie A drop zone. Gianluca Gaetano, who had scored the second goal, created the opportunity for Luvumbo with a long over-the-top through ball.

GERMANY

AMINE ADLI, VICTOR BONIFACE (Bayer Leverkusen)

Nigerian Boniface and Moroccan Adli scored in the second half as defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen came from behind to win 3-1 at home to relegation-threatened Bochum. Boniface converted a cross with his knee on 60 minutes and Adli slid the ball into the net with three minutes of regular time remaining.

ELIAS SAAD (St Pauli)

Tunisian Saad temporarily silenced supporters of league leaders Bayern Munich by equalizing midway through the first half of a match his club eventually lost 3-2 to lie three points above the relegation zone. Saad moved unnoticed into the Bayern area and tapped the ball into the net.

FRANCE

ABDOULAYE TOURE (Le Havre)

The Guinea midfielder scored a pair of first-half penalties as Le Havre beat Nantes 3-2 to end an eight-match winless run at home and boost their Ligue 1 survival hopes. Toure, who started both of his nation's World Cup qualifiers this month, is his club's top scorer this season with seven goals after netting four times in the past three games.



Hospital: Vonn Had Surgery on Broken Leg from Olympics Crash

This handout video grab from IOC/OBS shows US Lindsey Vonn crashing during the women's downhill event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Handout / various sources / AFP)
This handout video grab from IOC/OBS shows US Lindsey Vonn crashing during the women's downhill event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Handout / various sources / AFP)
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Hospital: Vonn Had Surgery on Broken Leg from Olympics Crash

This handout video grab from IOC/OBS shows US Lindsey Vonn crashing during the women's downhill event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Handout / various sources / AFP)
This handout video grab from IOC/OBS shows US Lindsey Vonn crashing during the women's downhill event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Handout / various sources / AFP)

Lindsey Vonn had surgery on a fracture of her left leg following the American's heavy fall in the Winter Olympics downhill, the hospital said in a statement given to Italian media on Sunday.

"In the afternoon, (Vonn) underwent orthopedic surgery to stabilize a fracture of the left leg," the Ca' Foncello hospital in Treviso said.

Vonn, 41, was flown to Treviso after she was strapped into a medical stretcher and winched off the sunlit Olimpia delle Tofane piste in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Vonn, whose battle to reach the start line despite the serious injury to her left knee dominated the opening days of the Milano Cortina Olympics, saw her unlikely quest halted in screaming agony on the snow.

Wearing bib number 13 and with a brace on the left knee she ⁠injured in a crash at Crans Montana on January 30, Vonn looked pumped up at the start gate.

She tapped her ski poles before setting off in typically aggressive fashion down one of her favorite pistes on a mountain that has rewarded her in the past.

The 2010 gold medalist, the second most successful female World Cup skier of all time with 84 wins, appeared to clip the fourth gate with her shoulder, losing control and being launched into the air.

She then barreled off the course at high speed before coming to rest in a crumpled heap.

Vonn could be heard screaming on television coverage as fans and teammates gasped in horror before a shocked hush fell on the packed finish area.

She was quickly surrounded by several medics and officials before a yellow Falco 2 ⁠Alpine rescue helicopter arrived and winched her away on an orange stretcher.


Meloni Condemns 'Enemies of Italy' after Clashes in Olympics Host City Milan

Demonstrators hold smoke flares during a protest against the environmental, economic and social impact of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, February 7, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs
Demonstrators hold smoke flares during a protest against the environmental, economic and social impact of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, February 7, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs
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Meloni Condemns 'Enemies of Italy' after Clashes in Olympics Host City Milan

Demonstrators hold smoke flares during a protest against the environmental, economic and social impact of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, February 7, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs
Demonstrators hold smoke flares during a protest against the environmental, economic and social impact of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, February 7, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned anti-Olympics protesters as "enemies of Italy" after violence on the fringes of a demonstration in Milan on Saturday night and sabotage attacks on the national rail network.

The incidents happened on the first full day of competition in the Winter Games that Milan, Italy's financial capital, is hosting with the Alpine town of Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Meloni praised the thousands of Italians who she said were working to make the Games run smoothly and present a positive face of Italy.

"Then ⁠there are those who are enemies of Italy and Italians, demonstrating 'against the Olympics' and ensuring that these images are broadcast on television screens around the world. After others cut the railway cables to prevent trains from departing," she wrote on Instagram on Sunday.

A group of around 100 protesters ⁠threw firecrackers, smoke bombs and bottles at police after breaking away from the main body of a demonstration in Milan.

An estimated 10,000 people had taken to the city's streets in a protest over housing costs and environmental concerns linked to the Games.

Police used water cannon to restore order and detained six people.

Also on Saturday, authorities said saboteurs had damaged rail infrastructure near the northern Italian city of Bologna, disrupting train journeys.

Police reported three separate ⁠incidents at different locations, which caused delays of up to 2-1/2 hours for high-speed, Intercity and regional services.

No one has claimed responsibility for the damage.

"Once again, solidarity with the police, the city of Milan, and all those who will see their work undermined by these gangs of criminals," added Meloni, who heads a right-wing coalition.

The Italian police have been given new arrest powers after violence last weekend at a protest by the hard-left in the city of Turin, in which more than 100 police officers were injured.


Liverpool New Signing Jacquet Suffers 'Serious' Injury

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - RC Lens v Stade Rennes - Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France - February 7, 2026  Stade Rennes' Jeremy Jacquet in action REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - RC Lens v Stade Rennes - Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France - February 7, 2026 Stade Rennes' Jeremy Jacquet in action REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
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Liverpool New Signing Jacquet Suffers 'Serious' Injury

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - RC Lens v Stade Rennes - Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France - February 7, 2026  Stade Rennes' Jeremy Jacquet in action REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - RC Lens v Stade Rennes - Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France - February 7, 2026 Stade Rennes' Jeremy Jacquet in action REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Liverpool's new signing Jeremy Jacquet suffered a "serious" shoulder injury while playing for Rennes in their 3-1 Ligue 1 defeat at RC Lens on Saturday, casting doubt over the defender’s availability ahead of his summer move to Anfield.

Jacquet fell awkwardly in the second half of the ⁠French league match and appeared in agony as he left the pitch.

"For Jeremy, it's his shoulder, and for Abdelhamid (Ait Boudlal, another Rennes player injured in the ⁠same match) it's muscular," Rennes head coach Habib Beye told reporters after the match.

"We'll have time to see, but it's definitely quite serious for both of them."
Liverpool agreed a 60-million-pound ($80-million) deal for Jacquet on Monday, but the 20-year-old defender will stay with ⁠the French club until the end of the season.

Liverpool, provisionally sixth in the Premier League table, will face Manchester City on Sunday with four defenders - Giovanni Leoni, Joe Gomez, Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley - sidelined due to injuries.