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African Players in Europe: Osimhen, Salah Open Goal Accounts 

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 19, 2023 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 19, 2023 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
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African Players in Europe: Osimhen, Salah Open Goal Accounts 

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 19, 2023 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - August 19, 2023 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)

African stars Victor Osimhen and Mohamed Salah opened their goal accounts for the season as they helped Napoli and Liverpool to league victories at the weekend.

Osimhen, the leading Serie A scorer last season, netted twice in a 3-1 win at Frosinone while Salah atoned for having a penalty parried by tapping in the rebound in a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth.

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

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

The Egyptian, who has been voted African Footballer of the Year twice, netted in the 36th minute for a 2-1 Premier League lead as he fired the penalty rebound past Bournemouth captain and goalkeeper Neto.

PAPE SARR (Tottenham)

The Senegal midfielder netted his maiden goal for the north Londoners in their impressive 2-0 win against Manchester United. Sarr steered home from close range in the 49th minute to end the stalemate. The 20-year-old has been given a chance in the heart of midfield by new Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, and responded with a dynamic display.

YOANE WISSA (Brentford)

The Democratic Republic of Congo forward produced the key moments as the Bees won 3-0 at London rivals Fulham. Pouncing on a mistake from Issa Diop in the 44th minute, Wissa rounded goalkeeper Bernd Leno to score. In the 64th minute, Wissa was pushed by Tim Ream in the area as he attempted to shoot. Ream was given a second yellow card and sent off, and Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo netted the penalty and scored again in added time.

SPAIN

INAKI WILLIAMS (Athletic Bilbao)

The Ghana international broke the deadlock in Athletic's 2-0 La Liga win at Osasuna with a finish from close range after being set up by his younger brother Nico Williams. Inaki scored 10 league goals last season, his second best career tally in the Spanish top flight.

ITALY

VICTOR OSIMHEN (Napoli)

Nigeria forward Osimhen started his season where he left off in the last campaign with a super double in Napoli's 3-1 win at promoted Frosinone. The 24-year-old crashed in a rocket shot off the crossbar to put the champions in the lead shortly before the break and sealed the points with a simple finish past Stefano Turati after being sent clear by captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

GERMANY

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Stuttgart)

Guinean Guirassy, Stuttgart's top scorer last season, netted twice in a 5-0 home demolition of Bochum. Alongside DR Congo striker Silas Mvumpa, who also scored twice, Guirassy spearheaded a fine attacking display from Stuttgart, who needed a playoff win over Hamburg to avoid relegation last season.

FRANCE

MARSHALL MUNETSI (Reims)

An early headed goal from the Zimbabwean set up Reims for a 2-0 Ligue 1 win over Clermont -- their first of the season after an opening-round defeat. After the visitors failed to clear a corner, Munetsi beat Senegalese goalkeeper Mory Diaw from close range.

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Sports

Barcelona Back Top of La Liga with Levante Win

FC Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez celebrates after scoring the 3-0 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Levante UD in Barcelona, Spain, 22 February 2026. EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ
FC Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez celebrates after scoring the 3-0 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Levante UD in Barcelona, Spain, 22 February 2026. EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ
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Barcelona Back Top of La Liga with Levante Win

FC Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez celebrates after scoring the 3-0 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Levante UD in Barcelona, Spain, 22 February 2026. EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ
FC Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez celebrates after scoring the 3-0 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Levante UD in Barcelona, Spain, 22 February 2026. EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ

Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 victory over Levante to reclaim pole position in La Liga on Sunday.

After Real Madrid fell to a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna on Saturday Hansi Flick's side moved a point clear of their bitter rivals with a comfortable victory at Camp Nou against the team in 19th.

Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong gave Barca a commanding first-half lead and Fermin Lopez wrapped up the win with a sensational drive late on.

Barcelona were glad to get back to winning ways after a 4-0 thrashing by Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg last week and then a 2-1 defeat by Girona on Monday in La Liga.

Despite Flick's calls for improvement in defence, Barca were as open as ever, although Levante's poor finishing meant they could not capitalize, AFP reported.

Bernal sent Barca ahead after good work by Joao Cancelo, who impressed on a rare start after his arrival on loan in January, and Eric Garcia.

Veteran Polish forward Robert Lewandowski could have doubled Barca's advantage but fired into the ground and over the bar when well placed.

Cancelo hit the post with a cross aimed at Lewandowski, before the Portuguese defender carved out the second for De Jong with a similar ball in from the left.

De Jong delivered the finishing touch to give Barca a two-goal lead at the break.

Garcia should have expanded Barcelona's lead early in the second half but nodded wide from Jules Kounde's tempting cross.

Eventually substitute Lopez got a spectacular third, rattling home a long-range effort in off the post.

The midfielder might have added a fourth late on but Levante goalkeeper Mathew Ryan denied him with a fine reflex save.

Flick was able to bring back midfielder Pedri as a substitute after a month out with a hamstring injury, with the Spaniard likely to be key in the testing weeks ahead.

Earlier Sevilla earned a 1-0 win at Getafe, while third-place Villarreal host Valencia later on.

Sports

Bayern to Face Leverkusen in German Cup Semis

21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
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Bayern to Face Leverkusen in German Cup Semis

21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa
21 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (L) and his teammates thank the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. Photo: Harry Langer/dpa

Bayern Munich face a tricky trip to Bayer Leverkusen while holders Stuttgart will host local rivals Freiburg in the semi-finals of the German Cup after Sunday's draw, AFP reported.

Record 20-time winners Bayern made it to the semis this season for the first time since they last lifted the trophy in 2020.

That season, they defeated Leverkusen in the final.

Leverkusen won a league and cup double in 2023-24 and knocked Bayern out of the competition in the last 16 last season.

Stuttgart, who beat third-tier Arminia Bielefeld to win the Cup in May, are four-time winners.

Freiburg, losing finalists to RB Leipzig in 2022, are the only one of the semi-finalists never to have won the trophy.

The semi-finals will take place at the end of April with the final held at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on May 23.

Sports

Lackluster Liverpool Snatch Late Win at Forest

22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
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Lackluster Liverpool Snatch Late Win at Forest

22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa
22 February 2026, United Kingdom, Nottingham: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring their side's first goal during the English Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire/dpa

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister struck a winner deep into stoppage-time as his side snatched a scarcely-deserved 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday.

After a pedestrian 90 minutes in which they barely managed a shot on target, Mac Allister lit the fuse with a stoppage-time effort that was ruled out for handball before rifling home a rebound in the 97th minute to snatch the win.

Liverpool's attacking struggles began before the game when Florian Wirtz suffered an injury in the warm-up, and was replaced by Curtis Jones.

Callum Hudson-Odoi had an early chance for the home side but Alisson stood tall to thwart him, and Elliot Anderson ⁠spurned a couple ⁠of decent chances as the visitors barely threatened at all, Reuters reported.

Liverpool’s best chance in normal time came in the 54th minute when Mohamed Salah headed a deep cross back to Jones, but Forest keeper Stefan Ortega got a foot to his shot to avert the danger, and the home side looked to be headed for a draw in their first ⁠league game under new manager Vitor Perreira.

However, Mac Allister had other ideas and he thought he had given his side the lead in the second minute of stoppage time when the ball cannoned off him and into the net, but a VAR review showed the ball striking his elbow.

Undeterred, Mac Allister latched on to a rebound in the 97th minute and lashed it into the net.

Liverpool are sixth in the table on 45 points, level with Chelsea and Manchester United, who occupy fourth and fifth spots. Forest are 17th on 27 points, two above ⁠the relegation zone.

Liverpool ⁠manager Arne Slot was well aware of how close his side came to losing more ground in the race for Champions League football.

"It was fine margins, we really struggled in the first half. We were the lucky ones, scoring in the extra time," he told the BBC, and though Mac Allister was happy to get the three points, he was far from pleased with how his side performed.

"Mixed feelings, I love scoring, I love winning, but I don't think we played very well. It's always nice when you win," he told Sky Sports.

"We need to analyze what we did well and what went wrong. The intensity wasn't there, but we did what we did to win."