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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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Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Eyes Asian Glory amid Revitalized Saudi Pro League Campaign

Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
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Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Eyes Asian Glory amid Revitalized Saudi Pro League Campaign

Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of winning a first major trophy since arriving in Saudi Arabia in 2022 were given an unlikely domestic lifeline on Saturday and, on Monday, the Portuguese star can help Al-Nassr stay on course for a first Asian title.

Ronaldo scored his seventh goal of the season against Al-Qadsia on Friday in a battle against Spanish defender Nacho but his former Real Madrid teammate was celebrating at the final whistle.

“It was a different and difficult game against Ronaldo,” Nacho said. “He is my friend and I had the best part of my career playing with him but here we have a different experience and are playing for different teams. It was an honor to play against him.”

Al-Nassr looked to be slipping out of the Saudi Pro League (SPL) title race. Al-Hilal, unbeaten in 46 league games, would have gone nine points clear on Saturday with a win against Al-Khaleej but despite leading 2-0, Hilal fell to a shock 3-2 defeat, a first since May 2023.

“We knew that the victories would not continue because this is football,” said Hilal forward Marcos Leonardo. “We have to work and achieve victory in the next match in the AFC Champions League Elite.”

Saudi Arabian clubs have yet to lose in the western zone of the Asian competition — the 24 teams in the tournament are divided into two groups of 12 with eight from each progressing to the Round of 16 after playing eight matches — and occupy the top three spots.

Al-Nassr is third with ten points from four games and will be almost certain of a place in the next round if it defeats Al-Gharafa of Qatar.

Al-Hilal, a four-time champion and top of the group with four wins, also travels to Qatar to face 2011 winner Al-Sadd. Unlike SPL games, Neymar is eligible to play in Asian competitions but the Brazilian is still recovering from the injury sustained against Esteghlal of Iran earlier in November.

Al-Ahli of Jeddah is second with the maximum 12 points and faces defending champion Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates. Al-Ain is bottom of the group and lost 5-4 to Hilal and then 5-1 to Nassr, defeats which cost Hernan Crespo his job as head coach earlier in November. The Argentine has been replaced by Leonardo Jardim, the Portuguese boss who led Al-Hilal to the 2021 continental title.

In the eastern zone, there is another former champion in 12th and last place. Ulsan HD, winner in 2012 and 2020, has lost all four games. Ulsan has just won a third successive South Korean title and needs to defeat newly-crowned Chinese champion Shanghai Port to keep chances of the second round alive.

Australia’s sole representative Central Coast Mariners is also in need of victory as it has just one point. The A-League team however has a daunting trip to Japan to face group leader Vissel Kobe.