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African Players in Europe: Salah Joins Exclusive Group

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores his side's opening goal from a penalty kick during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and West Ham at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. (AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores his side's opening goal from a penalty kick during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and West Ham at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. (AP)
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African Players in Europe: Salah Joins Exclusive Group

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores his side's opening goal from a penalty kick during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and West Ham at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. (AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores his side's opening goal from a penalty kick during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and West Ham at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. (AP)

Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah joined an exclusive group when he opened the scoring in a 3-1 Premier League victory over West Ham United at the weekend.

He became only the fifth player to either score or assist a goal in each of his team's first six league games of a season after David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Sergio Aguero and Erling Haaland.

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

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

His fourth goal this season sparked second-placed Liverpool to a 3-1 win over West Ham at Anfield. Salah converted a 16th-minute penalty after he was brought down by Morocco international Nayef Aguerd.

ABDOULAYE DOUCOURE (Everton)

The Mali midfielder's superb strike helped Everton win in the league for the first time this season and climb out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 victory at Brentford. Doucoure struck after just six minutes with a half-volley.

SPAIN

INAKI WILLIAMS (Athletic Bilbao)

The Ghana international broke the deadlock in Athletic's 2-0 La Liga win over Alaves after 18 minutes when he was sent through on goal, after a clever run in behind the defense. The striker missed a fine chance to double his tally when he slashed an effort off-target with his left foot when well placed.

GERMANY

ERIC MAXIM CHOUPO-MOTING (Bayern Munich)

Choupo-Moting opened the scoring after just four minutes in Bayern's 7-0 Bundesliga rout of lowly Bochum. The Cameroon international tapped in for his first goal of the season in his first league start.

VICTOR BONIFACE (Bayer Leverkusen)

Boniface continued his blistering start with Leverkusen, scoring another brace in a 4-1 win over promoted Heidenheim. The Nigerian smashed the ball home to give Bayer an early lead and netted from a second-half penalty.

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Stuttgart)

Guirassy was another African to score twice, as Stuttgart defeated Darmstadt 3-1. The Guinea international struck with a shot and a dink to raise his season total to 10 goals from five matches.

FRANCE

JEREMIE BOGA (Nice)

The France-born Ivory Coast international winger came off the bench to score a stoppage-time Ligue 1 winner for Nice as they beat local rivals Monaco 1-0 away after Folarin Balogun had two penalties saved for the home team. It was the 26-year-old's first goal since a big-money move from Atalanta in the close season.

STEVE MOUNIE (Brest)

The Benin international forward came off the bench to head a late winner as Brest beat struggling Lyon 1-0. The result left the unheralded club from Brittany on top of the table, a point clear of Nice and two ahead of both Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.

MORGAN GUILAVOGUI (Lens)

Guinea international Guilavogui was another player to star off the bench as he came on as a substitute and grabbed a late winner for Lens against Toulouse. Last season's runners-up came from behind to win 2-1 and claim their first victory of the campaign.

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Chaos, Crowd Trouble as Morocco Beat Argentina in Men's Olympic Football Opener

Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Group B - Argentina vs Morocco - Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium, Saint-Etienne, France - July 24, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco reacts as pitch invaders run to the pitch after the match. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani Purchase Licensing Rights
Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Group B - Argentina vs Morocco - Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium, Saint-Etienne, France - July 24, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco reacts as pitch invaders run to the pitch after the match. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani Purchase Licensing Rights
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Chaos, Crowd Trouble as Morocco Beat Argentina in Men's Olympic Football Opener

Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Group B - Argentina vs Morocco - Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium, Saint-Etienne, France - July 24, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco reacts as pitch invaders run to the pitch after the match. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani Purchase Licensing Rights
Paris 2024 Olympics - Football - Men's Group B - Argentina vs Morocco - Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium, Saint-Etienne, France - July 24, 2024. Achraf Hakimi of Morocco reacts as pitch invaders run to the pitch after the match. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani Purchase Licensing Rights

Chaos and confusion reigned on Wednesday as Morocco beat Argentina 2-1 in their opening game of the men's Olympic football tournament, but only after a late equaliser for the South American side was disallowed and the final minutes were played out in an empty stadium following crowd trouble.

Argentina thought they had escaped from the Group B match in Saint-Etienne with a 2-2 draw when Cristian Medina scored in the 16th minute of added time.

But as their players celebrated, projectiles including bottles and plastic cups rained down from the stands and several spectators entered the pitch, with the referee promptly blowing the whistle, AFP reported.

The teams left the playing area, but the referee had not blown for full-time and the outcome of the match was completely unclear until the sides finally reappeared two hours later to play out three more minutes in a stadium by now emptied of spectators.

Medina's goal was eventually disallowed for offside following a VAR review, and Morocco held on for all three points.

It was an undignified start to the sporting action at the Paris Games, and a bad day all round for Argentina, whose players were booed as they emerged onto the pitch and during the national anthem by the crowd, most of whom were supporting Morocco.

That welcome came after Argentina players were filmed singing racist chants following their victory in the recent Copa America.

"It is a circus," complained Argentina coach Javier Mascherano.

"At no point did they tell us our goal was not valid... this would not even happen in a neighbourhood tournament. It's pathetic.

"Beyond the Olympic spirit, the organisation needs to be up to standard. At the moment it is not, unfortunately."

Argentina are looking to win men's football gold for the third time after success in 2004 and 2008, but Mascherano's side trailed 2-0 following a brace by Soufiane Rahimi.

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain full-back, set up Rahimi for the opener in first-half stoppage time.

The reigning African Under-23 champions doubled their lead six minutes into the second half from the penalty spot, Rahimi converting after Ilias Akhomach was brought down.

Mascherano, who starred in the teams that won gold in Athens and Beijing, had at one point hoped to persuade Lionel Messi to feature among the three permitted overage players in his squad otherwise limited to those under 23.

Messi turned him down, and the biggest names in their side here were Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez and captain Nicolas Otamendi, the Benfica defender.

Giuliano Simeone, son of former Argentina star Diego, came off the bench to pull one back midway through the second half.

Medina then thought he had saved a point in the 106th minute as he nodded in after Otamendi and Bruno Amione both hit the woodwork in a frantic few seconds of action, only for Argentina to be denied.

Argentina's next game will be in Lyon on Saturday against Iraq, who came from behind to beat Ukraine 2-1 in their opener.

France have high hopes of winning gold on home soil despite coach Thierry Henry's unsuccessful attempts to recruit Kylian Mbappe into his squad.

They beat the United States 3-0 before a large crowd in Marseille, with captain Alexandre Lacazette opening the scoring on 61 minutes via a fine strike from range.

Lacazette then set up new Bayern Munich signing Michael Olise to curl in the second, and defender Loic Bade headed in a late third.

In the same Group A, New Zealand defeated Guinea 2-1 with Plymouth Argyle's Ben Waine getting the winner.

Silver medallists in Tokyo in 2021, Spain opened their bid for gold with a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan in Group C in Paris.

Marc Pubill gave Spain the lead just before the half-hour mark but Uzbekistan equalised from the penalty spot in first-half added time, Eldor Shomurodov converting after a foul by Barcelona prodigy Pau Cubarsi.

Sergio Gomez had a penalty saved early in the second half, but the former Manchester City player netted Spain's winner just after the hour mark.

Group rivals Egypt and the Dominican Republic drew 0-0.

Japan beat 10-man Paraguay 5-0 in Group D, while Israel and Mali drew 1-1 in a match which passed off without major incident despite initial security fears.