African Players in Europe: Klopp Salutes Calm Match-winner Salah

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Salah - File Photo DPA
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Salah - File Photo DPA
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African Players in Europe: Klopp Salutes Calm Match-winner Salah

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Salah - File Photo DPA
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Salah - File Photo DPA

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed the composure of Mohamed Salah after his goal delivered a 2-1 Premier League win over Brighton at the weekend, and first place with nine matches remaining.

"Being that calm in the decisive moment with the biggest chance we had from the best football we played, then that makes a real goalscorer so we are happy with everything," said Klopp.

Liverpool lead Arsenal by two points and defending champions Manchester City by three, but face three away matches in eight days during a challenging run-in.

- MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

Egypt's captain sent the Reds to the top with his second-half winner against Brighton. Klopp's side trailed to Danny Welbeck's second-minute goal at Anfield, but Salah's deflected header set up Luis Diaz for a volleyed equaliser before the interval, AFPreported. After missing several chances, Salah sealed three priceless points for Liverpool when he calmly slotted home from Alexis Mac Allister's pass in the 65th minute. Salah's third goal in his last three games was his 22nd in all competitions this term.

- MOHAMMED KUDUS (West Ham)

The Ghana midfielder scored for the east London club in a dramatic 4-3 defeat at Newcastle. Kudus fired home from Jarrod Bowen's pass in the first half to put West Ham 2-1 ahead. But the Hammers eventually blew a two-goal lead as Newcastle's Harvey Barnes struck twice in the closing stages. Kudus was also less than impressed when one of the ball-boys at St James' Park refused to give up his stool to allow him to do his 'take-a-seat' celebration after scoring.

- SERHOU GUIRASSY (Stuttgart)

Guirassy scored the opener in Stuttgart's pulsating 3-3 Bundesliga draw with visiting Heidenheim, tapping in a cross from Angelo Stiller after 41 minutes. The goal was Guirassy's 23rd in 21 league games this season. The Guinea international has now scored in his past four matches. His tally is eight less than Bundesliga top scorer Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, but Guirassy has played six games fewer.

- SEBASTIEN HALLER (Borussia Dortmund)

Haller returned from an ankle injury in Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 win at Bayern Munich. He came off the bench late, his first match for Dortmund since December and his first game since he scored the winner in Ivory Coast's 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations final in February. Nine minutes after coming on, the 29-year-old forward found Julian Ryerson in the box, and the Norwegian scored Dortmund's second goal to seal their first league win in Munich since 2014.

- MOSTAFA MOHAMED (Nantes)

The Egypt striker's late penalty gave struggling Nantes a 2-1 Ligue 1 win at Nice in their first game under new coach Antoine Kombouare. The goal was an eighth of the season for his club for Mohamed, who had an impressive Cup of Nations at the beginning of the year as Egypt went out in the last 16. The result lifted Nantes out of the bottom three in Ligue 1. Nigeria's Terem Moffi netted a penalty for Nice in the same game.

- JOSEPH OKUMU (Reims)

The 26-year-old Kenyan international central defender scored his first goal since moving to France from Belgian side Gent last year to put Reims ahead at Lyon. However, it was not enough to earn his side all three points as Ghana's Ernest Nuamah equalised at the other end to secure a 1-1 draw for Lyon.



Lewis Hamilton Steps Out in Red at Unprecedented 10-Team F1 Launch 

Formula One F1 - F1 75 Live Season Launch - The O2, London, Britain - February 18, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton with team principal Frederic Vasseur and Charles Leclerc during the launch. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - F1 75 Live Season Launch - The O2, London, Britain - February 18, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton with team principal Frederic Vasseur and Charles Leclerc during the launch. (Reuters)
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Lewis Hamilton Steps Out in Red at Unprecedented 10-Team F1 Launch 

Formula One F1 - F1 75 Live Season Launch - The O2, London, Britain - February 18, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton with team principal Frederic Vasseur and Charles Leclerc during the launch. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - F1 75 Live Season Launch - The O2, London, Britain - February 18, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton with team principal Frederic Vasseur and Charles Leclerc during the launch. (Reuters)

Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton appeared in Ferrari red for the first time outside of Italy as Formula One put on an unprecedented and spectacular 10-team season launch in front of 15,000 fans on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old Briton, who has moved from Mercedes, got the loudest cheer of the night when he took the stage for an event that coincided with the birthday of his Italian team's late founder Enzo.

"I feel so full of life, so much energy, because everything's new and I'm just focused on what is up ahead," Hamilton told his home crowd at London's 02 Arena.

"I'm so proud to be part of the team. Something new and exciting for me."

The two-hour show, with British comedian and host Jack Whitehall gently ribbing the protagonists, featured lights, lasers and musical acts including former boy band Take That and US country singer Kane Brown.

Liberty Media-owned Formula One said early in the evening that its YouTube channel had smashed through the one-million viewers mark, breaking a previous live-event record of 289,000.

"This event is all about the fans and without the fans there is no sport," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told reporters before the show started.

"I'm sure it's probably the last place that the drivers want to be, paraded out in front of a stadium full of fans, but Formula One is an entertainment, it's a show, and it's the 75th anniversary (of the championship).

"So a huge amount of effort has gone into tonight by Formula One and all 10 teams."

There was a time when the teams struggled to agree even on what day it was, but Formula One's surging popularity and revenues have concentrated minds.

The success of Netflix docu-series Drive to Survive, and the arrival in cinemas later this year of Brad Pitt's Hollywood drama F1, led to tickets for the event selling out in a matter of minutes.

The show, featuring all 20 drivers, was broadcast live around the world and streamed on social media.

"It feels like there's a big rock concert about and ready to happen," American Zak Brown, chief executive of champions McLaren, told reporters earlier.

"I've been a fan for a while of doing more fan events, whether that's a launch or making the testing that we do a little bit more focused on the fan."

The teams each had just seven minutes to present their liveries - the cars either old ones re-painted or engineless shells made just for show that will not go anywhere near a circuit.

Red Bull's at least had an engine in it, but Sauber had announced well in advance that theirs would be auctioned off after the event.

New Zealand's Liam Lawson and four-time world champion Max Verstappen took the stage for Red Bull, but neither spoke.

Lawson is set to compete in his first full season in Formula 1.

Ferrari, last year's runners-up, will be launching their 2025 car at Maranello on Wednesday while McLaren and Williams ran theirs at Silverstone last week in interim liveries.