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.



Report: AC Milan's Loftus-Cheek to Undergo Surgery after Jaw Fracture

AC Milan's Ruben Loftus-Cheek is carried off the pitch injured during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Milan and Parma in Milan, Italy, 22 February 2026. EPA/MATTEO BAZZI
AC Milan's Ruben Loftus-Cheek is carried off the pitch injured during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Milan and Parma in Milan, Italy, 22 February 2026. EPA/MATTEO BAZZI
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Report: AC Milan's Loftus-Cheek to Undergo Surgery after Jaw Fracture

AC Milan's Ruben Loftus-Cheek is carried off the pitch injured during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Milan and Parma in Milan, Italy, 22 February 2026. EPA/MATTEO BAZZI
AC Milan's Ruben Loftus-Cheek is carried off the pitch injured during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Milan and Parma in Milan, Italy, 22 February 2026. EPA/MATTEO BAZZI

England ‌international Ruben Loftus-Cheek suffered a fractured jaw and will undergo surgery after the AC Milan midfielder collided with Parma keeper Edoardo Corvi in their Serie A match on Sunday, ‌Italian media ‌reported.

Loftus-Cheek was taken ‌from ⁠the pitch on ⁠a stretcher after being injured while attempting to meet a cross around the 10-minute mark at the ⁠San Siro. Milan ‌lost ‌the match 1-0.

"In addition to ‌broken upper teeth and ‌two cuts, the Englishman suffered a fractured alveolar bone," Sky Sports Italia ‌reported. "This is a very serious injury; he ⁠will ⁠undergo surgery on Monday ... and is expected to be out for several months."

AC Milan did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside normal business hours in Italy.


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.


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.