African Players in Europe: In-Form Mbeumo Scores Again 

Manchester United's Cameroonian midfielder #19 Bryan Mbeumo celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 8, 2025. (AFP) 
Manchester United's Cameroonian midfielder #19 Bryan Mbeumo celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 8, 2025. (AFP) 
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African Players in Europe: In-Form Mbeumo Scores Again 

Manchester United's Cameroonian midfielder #19 Bryan Mbeumo celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 8, 2025. (AFP) 
Manchester United's Cameroonian midfielder #19 Bryan Mbeumo celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 8, 2025. (AFP) 

Manchester United striker Bryan Mbeumo notched his fourth goal in his last four appearances at the weekend, opening the scoring in a 2-2 Premier League draw at Tottenham Hotspur.

The 26-year-old Cameroon star will switch his attention to the 2026 World Cup this week as the Indomitable Lions face the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday in an African play-off.

A win for Cameroon in Rabat will take them into a final against Gabon or Nigeria three days later with a place in the inter-continental play-offs next March up for grabs.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

BRYAN MBEUMO (Manchester United)

Mbeumo bagged his sixth goal this season in a dramatic draw at Tottenham. He struck in the 32nd minute, heading past Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario from a cross by Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo. Mbeumo is starting to heat up following a slow start after his mid-year move from Brentford.

IDRISSA GUEYE (Everton)

The Senegal midfielder's goal kick-started the Toffees' 2-0 win against Fulham. Gueye netted four minutes into first half stoppage-time, prodding in his second goal of the season after Tim Iroegbunam miscued his shot from a James Tarkowski header which rebounded off the crossbar. After failing to score last season, Gueye is well on his way to beating his best return of four goals in an Everton shirt from 2023-24.

IBRAHIM SANGARE (Nottingham Forest)

The Ivory Coast midfielder notched his first goal for Forest in a 3-1 win against Leeds at the City Ground. Sangare, signed from PSV Eindhoven in 2023, fired home with a clinical finish from 10 yards to put Sean Dyche's side ahead in the 15th minute. Further goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson wrapped up second-bottom Forest's first league win since the opening weekend of the season.

GERMANY

YAN DIOMANDE (RB Leipzig)

Diomande continued his scoring streak for Leipzig, but his early goal was not enough in a 3-1 Bundesliga loss at Hoffenheim. The 18-year-old Ivorian teenager cut the ball past the home goalkeeper with nine minutes gone, scoring for the third week in a row, to go with three assists.

FRANCE

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Marseille)

Substitute Matt O'Riley delivered a pin-point cross that veteran Gabon captain and striker Aubameyang slid into the net to complete the scoring in a 3-0 home win over Brest. Victory temporarily took Marseille to the top of Ligue 1, and they finished the weekend second, two points behind Paris Saint-Germain.

MAMADOU SANGARE (Lens)

The Mali international was among the goals as Lens triumphed 4-1 at Monaco to lie third, behind Marseille on goal difference. As half-time approached, Sangare was fouled, leading to a red card for Folarin Balogun. The midfielder recovered to score in added time at the end of the half to give Lens a two-goal lead.



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.


Højlund Rescues Napoli with Dramatic 3-2 win Over Genoa in Serie A

Napoli's Rasmus Winther Hojlund celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal  during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Genoa Cfc and Ssc Napoli at the Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genoa, Italy, 07 February 2026.  EPA/LUCA ZENNARO
Napoli's Rasmus Winther Hojlund celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Genoa Cfc and Ssc Napoli at the Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genoa, Italy, 07 February 2026. EPA/LUCA ZENNARO
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Højlund Rescues Napoli with Dramatic 3-2 win Over Genoa in Serie A

Napoli's Rasmus Winther Hojlund celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal  during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Genoa Cfc and Ssc Napoli at the Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genoa, Italy, 07 February 2026.  EPA/LUCA ZENNARO
Napoli's Rasmus Winther Hojlund celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Genoa Cfc and Ssc Napoli at the Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genoa, Italy, 07 February 2026. EPA/LUCA ZENNARO

Rasmus Højlund scored a last-gasp penalty as 10-man Napoli won 3-2 at Genoa in Serie A on Saturday, keeping pressure on the top two clubs from Milan.

Højlund was fortunate Genoa goalkeeper Justin Bijlow was unable to keep out his low shot, despite getting his arm to the ball in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

The spot kick was awarded after Maxwel Cornet – who had just gone on as a substitute – was adjudged after a VAR check to have kicked Antonio Vergara’s foot after the Napoli midfielder dropped dramatically to the floor.

Højlund’s second goal of the game moved Napoli one point behind AC Milan and six behind Inter Milan. They both have a game in hand.

“We showed that we’re a team that never gives up, even in difficult situations, in emergencies, and despite being outnumbered, we had the determination to win. I’m proud of my players’ attitude, and I thank them and congratulate them because the victory was deserved,” Napoli coach Antonio Conte said, according to The Associated Press.

His team got off to a bad start with goalkeeper Alex Meret bringing down Vitinha after a botched back pass from Alessandro Buongiorno just seconds into the game. A VAR check confirmed the penalty and Ruslan Malinovskyi duly scored from the spot in the second minute.

Scott McTominay was involved in both goals as Napoli replied with a quickfire double. Bijlow saved his first effort in the 20th but Højlund tucked away the rebound, and McTominay let fly from around 20 meters to make it 2-1 a minute later.

However, McTominay had to go off at the break with what looked like a muscular injury, and another mistake from Buongiorno allowed Lorenzo Colombo to score in the 57th for Genoa.

“Scott has a gluteal problem that he’s had since the season started. It gets inflamed sometimes," Conte said of McTominay. "He would have liked to continue, but I preferred not for him to take any risks because he’s a key player for us.”

Napoli center back Juan Jesus was sent off in the 76th after receiving a second yellow card for pulling back Genoa substitute Caleb Ekuban.

Genoa pushed for a winner but it was the visitors who celebrated after a dramatic finale.

"The penalty wasn’t perfect. I was also lucky, but what matters is that we won,” Højlund said.

Fiorentina rues missed opportunity Fiorentina was on course to escape the relegation zone until Torino defender Guillermo Maripán scored deep in stoppage time for a 2-2 draw in the late game.

Fiorentina had come from behind after Cesare Casadei’s early goal for the visitors, with Manor Solomon and Moise Kean both scoring early in the second half.

A 2-1 win would have lifted Fiorentina out of the relegation zone, but Maripán equalized in the 94th minute with a header inside the far post after a free kick for what seemed like a defeat for the home team.

Fiorentina had lost its previous three games, including to Como in the Italian Cup.

Earlier, Juventus announced star player Kenan Yildiz's contract extension through June 2030.