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African Players in Europe: Salah Takes Liverpool Back to Top

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 2, 2024 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 2, 2024 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
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African Players in Europe: Salah Takes Liverpool Back to Top

Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 2, 2024 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 2, 2024 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Mohamed Salah took Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League with the winning goal as the Reds came from behind to defeat Brighton 2-1 at the weekend.

It was the ninth goal of the season in all competitions for the 32-year-old Egypt captain and two-time African Player of the Year.

The goal came amid continuing speculation over the future of Salah, with his contract due to expire at the end of this season.

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

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

The forward struck in the 72nd minute with a superb curling finish from the edge of the area. Liverpool are two points clear of second placed Manchester City after winning eight of their first 10 league games.

JORDAN AYEW (Leicester)

The Ghana forward was the Foxes' last-gasp hero again as he rescued a 1-1 draw at Ipswich. Steve Cooper's side were in danger of losing to winless Ipswich until Ayew came off the bench to strike from close-range deep in stoppage time. Ayew's third goal this season was his first since netting a stoppage-time winner in Leicester's 3-2 victory at Southampton in October.

ANTOINE SEMENYO (Bournemouth)

Ghana winger Semenyo helped the Cherries claim a shock 2-1 win against champions Manchester City. The 24-year-old netted in the ninth minute with a composed finish from Milos Kerkez's cut-back. It was the hosts first win against City at the 22nd attempt.

SPAIN

MUNIR EL HADDADI (Leganes)

Morocco international El Haddadi scored a brilliant goal against Girona in his team's 4-3 defeat. The 29-year-old Spain-born former Barcelona forward cut in from the right and launched a shot into the top corner from distance after 77 minutes having come off the bench just moments earlier. It was his second goal in two matches after netting for Leganes against Ciudad de Lucena in the Copa del Rey.

ITALY

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (Atalanta)

The London-born Nigerian international grabbed two goals as Atalanta stunned Serie A leaders Napoli 3-0 in the sunshine at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium. Lookman's second goal, a curled shot after shaking off two Napoli defenders, was particularly memorable.

GERMANY

OMAR MARMOUSH (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Marmoush was on fire again in Eintracht Frankfurt's 7-2 demolition of Bundesliga tailenders Bochum, with the Egyptian named man of the match after scoring one goal and creating two. The 25-year-old Egyptian international curled home a free kick on 18 minutes. He has scored 10 goals this season, one less than Bayern Munich and England star Harry Kane.

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Guirassy scored the winner as Borussia inflicted a first Bundesliga defeat of the season on RB Leipzig with a 2-1 home win. Probably the only Dortmund player who can hold his head high after recent poor form, Guirassy was a constant threat up front. With the match locked at 1-1 and half an hour remaining, the Guinea international headed in Maximilian Beier's looping cross.

FRANCE

ABDOULAYE TOURE (Le Havre)

Toure played a captain's role by scoring the only goal as Le Havre defeated Montpellier 1-0 in a battle of Ligue 1's bottom two clubs. The France-born Guinea international, who was key in the club's promotion to the top flight for this season, struck from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute after Mali international full-back Falaye Sacko was penalized for handball.

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PSG, Marseille Looking to Bounce Back after Champions League Losses

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - July 5, 2022 General view as the Paris St Germain emblem is seen ahead of the press conference REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - July 5, 2022 General view as the Paris St Germain emblem is seen ahead of the press conference REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
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PSG, Marseille Looking to Bounce Back after Champions League Losses

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - July 5, 2022 General view as the Paris St Germain emblem is seen ahead of the press conference REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain Press Conference - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - July 5, 2022 General view as the Paris St Germain emblem is seen ahead of the press conference REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

After they were beaten midweek in the Champions League, Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille need to be more convincing back on the domestic stage.

PSG, which became European champion for the first time last season, lost at Sporting 2-1 and Marseille was overwhelmed by Liverpool 3-0 at home.

PSG is going through a mediocre patch, having lost two of its last three matches across competitions. Friday's trip at second-to-last Auxerre should help Luis Enrique's team rebuild some confidence.

On paper, the task faced by Marseille is more difficult, hosting leader Lens at Stade Velodrome.

Key matchups Lens travels south in full confidence after recording a 10th consecutive win across all competitions last weekend. Lens claimed its only French title in 1998 and has a one point lead over defending champion PSG, The AP news reported.

Third-placed Marseille, meanwhile, has been putting on brilliant displays and boasts the league's best attacking record, with 41 goals after 18 rounds. But the nine-time champion has also been inconsistent at the back. The loss against Liverpool marked the first time since March 2022 that Marseille lost back-to-back home games without scoring.

Before the trip to Auxerre, PSG boss Luis Enrique said it's time for his team to take control of Ligue 1.

“We’re not yet where we want to be in the league," he said. "We need to keep working hard and trying to win. We’re used to deep defensive blocks. That’s often how our opponents play against us. We want to become leaders but Lens are in great form with 10 consecutive wins. It’s exciting.”

Players to watch Adrien Thomasson has played a crucial role in Lens' rise to the top. Thomasson has been thriving since he was repositioned in a deeper role. Alongside PSG's Vitinha, he is the joint top assist provider with six, and has two goals.

Back from the Africa Cup of Nations after losing with Morocco to Senegal in a chaotic final, defender Achraf Hakimi is expected to return for PSG. “He’s in normal shape,” Luis Enrique said. "We’ll have to wait and see how he is on the training ground.”

Off the field French magazine Paris Match reported this week that PSG and France defender Lucas Hernandez has been accused of human trafficking and undeclared work.

The magazine said a Colombian family accused the player and his wife of having employed them without a legal framework and with excessively long working hours. The Versailles public prosecutor’s office told French media that an investigation was underway.

Sports

Bayern Munich is Smashing its Own Records in the Bundesliga and Rivals Aren't Close

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich - Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany - October 27, 2024 Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller celebrates with teammates after the match REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler
Soccer Football - Bundesliga - VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich - Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany - October 27, 2024 Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller celebrates with teammates after the match REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler
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Bayern Munich is Smashing its Own Records in the Bundesliga and Rivals Aren't Close

Soccer Football - Bundesliga - VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich - Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany - October 27, 2024 Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller celebrates with teammates after the match REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler
Soccer Football - Bundesliga - VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich - Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany - October 27, 2024 Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller celebrates with teammates after the match REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

Bayern Munich is running away with the Bundesliga again.

But this time it’s smashing even its own records.

The Bavarian powerhouse has a whopping 71 goals in 18 games, conceded only 14 goals, and drawn only two matches. It has won the other 16.

With 50 points and a goal difference of plus-57, Bayern has made the best ever start to the Bundesliga at this stage of the season.

And its rivals are struggling to keep up, The AP news reported.

Bayern already leads by 11 points from Borussia Dortmund and is on course for its 13th Bundesliga title in 14 years.

Bayern next hosts relegation threatened Augsburg in a Bavarian derby on Saturday.

Key matchups Bayern hasn’t dropped points since a surprising 2-2 draw with Mainz in mid-December. Augsburg hasn’t won a game since beating Bayer Leverkusen — the only team to break Bayern’s dominance in the last 13 years — in early December.

Leverkusen, which lost to Olympiakos in the Champions League on Tuesday, will hope to snap its three-game losing run against visiting Werder Bremen on Saturday.

St. Pauli entertains Hamburger SV in the city derby on Friday. St. Pauli, which won the reverse fixture in August, can climb off the bottom by avoiding defeat, with relegation contenders Mainz playing Wolfsburg and Heidenheim entertaining Leipzig on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Eintracht Frankfurt, which crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday, hosts in-form Hoffenheim. Frankfurt is still looking for a coach following the dismissal of Dino Toppmöller. The team has conceded three goals in every game in 2026.

Players to watch Harry Kane missed a penalty in Bayern’s 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League on Wednesday and though he scored both goals he’ll be keen to “make amends” for his penalty miss. He already has 34 goals in 29 games for Bayern this season.

Nicolas Jackson is back at Bayern after helping Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations. Jackson scored two goals for the Teranga Lions at the tournament but could find playing time restricted on his return to Munich.

Stuttgart has Bilal El Khannouss back after his impressive Africa Cup performances for Morocco, where he became a starter for the host team.

Who is out? Morocco’s Eliesse Ben Seghir returned to Leverkusen from the Africa Cup with an ankle problem. Defender Edmond Tapsoba also came back injured from his participation with Burkina Faso, while forward Nathan Tella and goalkeeper Mark Flekken are out “long term” with serious knee injuries from Leverkusen’s defeat to Hoffenheim last weekend.

Jamal Musiala made his anticipated return for Bayern in a brief appearance last weekend, but he’s returning to a team that had been doing just fine without him. Bayern attackers Kane, Luis Díaz, Serge Gnabry and the 17-year-old Lennart Karl have been outstanding, giving Vincent Kompany a selection problem any coach would love to have.

Sports

Swiatek Says Packed Tennis Season Makes it 'Impossible' to Switch Off

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2026 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2026 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
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Swiatek Says Packed Tennis Season Makes it 'Impossible' to Switch Off

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2026 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2026 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

Six-time major champion Iga Swiatek stepped up her criticism of the tennis schedule Thursday saying that the season was too long and it was impossible to switch off.

The Polish second seed turned on the style to motor past the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova 6-2, 6-3 and into the Australian Open third round in Melbourne.

It set up a clash against Russian world number 33 Anna Kalinskaya, who swept past Austria's Julia Grabher 6-3, 6-3.

While Swiatek said she felt physically fine, she let rip about the ever-growing WTA schedule.

"For sure the schedule is packed. There's not much time to reset completely. It's kind of impossible," she said.

"It feels like there's no beginning of the season and end of the season because honestly, for people that work physically for 11 months basically, getting 10 days without the racquet, it's not enough time to reset.

"I mean, that's what I got. Because for four days you're still thinking about the season and last days you already think about the preparation for the next one."

Swiatek said her goal for 2026 was to try and "go somewhere and just reset and not do anything".

"Like, unplug a bit better. Hopefully I'm going to have more energy till the end of the season."

Swiatek has won four French Opens, the US Open and Wimbledon, but a title at Melbourne Park has proved elusive, with the 24-year-old making the semi-finals twice.

Last year she surged into the last four but failed to get past eventual winner Madison Keys.

Swiatek arrived in Melbourne this year on the back of two singles defeats at the lead-up United Cup and was then pushed hard by Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue in round one.

She was more convincing against Bouzkova, cutting down on the 35 unforced errors against Yuan to 27, while blasting 31 winners.

Serving was an issue for both players early on, exchanging first-set breaks before Swiatek got into her rhythm to take charge.

The Pole served to love to open set two, but a pair of baseline errors handed the Czech a break and she consolidated for a 3-1 advantage.

But it was a fleeting lead with Swiatek levelling at 3-3 and making the crucial break for 5-3 with a backhand winner before serving out for the match.