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.



Al Ahli Defeats Auckland FC 1-0, Advances to African-Asian-Pacific Cup Final

Al Ahli defeated Auckland FC 1-0 on Wednesday evening in the first round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026. (SPA)
Al Ahli defeated Auckland FC 1-0 on Wednesday evening in the first round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026. (SPA)
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Al Ahli Defeats Auckland FC 1-0, Advances to African-Asian-Pacific Cup Final

Al Ahli defeated Auckland FC 1-0 on Wednesday evening in the first round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026. (SPA)
Al Ahli defeated Auckland FC 1-0 on Wednesday evening in the first round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026. (SPA)

Al Ahli defeated Auckland FC 1-0 on Wednesday evening in the first round of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026, held at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah before a crowd of more than 46,000 fans.

The only goal came in the 63rd minute, scored by Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, the Saudi Press Agency said on Thursday.

With this victory, Al Ahli advanced to the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup final, where they will face African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, the South African side, on September 19.


Williams Sisters Granted US Open Doubles Wildcard

 Serena Williams, left, and Venus Williams, right, both of the United States, wave to the crowd at the end of a women's doubles match against Marta Kostyuk, of Ukraine, and Peyton Stearns, also of the United States, at the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Mason, Ohio. (AP)
Serena Williams, left, and Venus Williams, right, both of the United States, wave to the crowd at the end of a women's doubles match against Marta Kostyuk, of Ukraine, and Peyton Stearns, also of the United States, at the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Mason, Ohio. (AP)
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Williams Sisters Granted US Open Doubles Wildcard

 Serena Williams, left, and Venus Williams, right, both of the United States, wave to the crowd at the end of a women's doubles match against Marta Kostyuk, of Ukraine, and Peyton Stearns, also of the United States, at the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Mason, Ohio. (AP)
Serena Williams, left, and Venus Williams, right, both of the United States, wave to the crowd at the end of a women's doubles match against Marta Kostyuk, of Ukraine, and Peyton Stearns, also of the United States, at the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Mason, Ohio. (AP)

Venus and Serena Williams are slated to compete in women's doubles at the 2026 US Open after being granted a wildcard, tournament officials announced Wednesday.

The announcement by the US Tennis Association follows Serena Williams' dramatic return to Arthur Ashe stadium Tuesday when she and mixed double partner Carlos Alcaraz of Spain won their first match before losing in the quarterfinals.

Venus Williams had earlier been granted a USTA wildcard to compete in women's singles, an event Serena Williams is not participating in.

The sisters together have combined for 14 women's doubles Grand Slam titles, including two US Opens. They have also won three gold medals together at Olympics in women's doubles.

The sisters last competed together in New York in 2022 when they lost their opening match to the Czech team of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova.

They dropped their opening match at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month.

The pair had been entered in Wimbledon earlier this summer, but withdrew after Serena suffered an injury in an opening round singles loss.


English Soccer Star Raheem Sterling Charged with Dangerous Driving after Highway Collision

Raheem Sterling (Reuters)
Raheem Sterling (Reuters)
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English Soccer Star Raheem Sterling Charged with Dangerous Driving after Highway Collision

Raheem Sterling (Reuters)
Raheem Sterling (Reuters)

Former England forward Raheem Sterling has been charged with three offenses including dangerous driving after being involved in a collision on a highway, police said Wednesday.

The charges relate to an incident on May 28 when a Lamborghini was involved in a “single-vehicle collision” on the M3 in southern England, the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary said in a statement provided to The Associated Press.

The 31-year-old Sterling is accused of dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide — also known as laughing gas — for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a sample for suspected alcohol or substance use, said the police force, which added that no other vehicles were involved in the collision and no injuries were reported.

Sterling is due to appear at a magistrates’ court on Sept. 15 for a hearing.

Sterling is currently without a club. He has played for a number of England's top teams — Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal — and was at Dutch club Feyenoord on a short-term deal last season.