African Players in Europe: West Africans Help Plymouth Stun Liverpool

Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Plymouth Argyle v Liverpool - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - February 9, 2025 Plymouth Argyle's Muhamed Tijani celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Plymouth Argyle v Liverpool - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - February 9, 2025 Plymouth Argyle's Muhamed Tijani celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
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African Players in Europe: West Africans Help Plymouth Stun Liverpool

Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Plymouth Argyle v Liverpool - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - February 9, 2025 Plymouth Argyle's Muhamed Tijani celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Plymouth Argyle v Liverpool - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - February 9, 2025 Plymouth Argyle's Muhamed Tijani celebrates after the match. (Reuters)

Sierra Leone international Mustapha Bundu and Nigerian Muhamed Tijani helped second-tier strugglers Plymouth Argyle stun Premier League leaders Liverpool 1-0 in the FA Cup at the weekend.

Bundu led the Pilgrims attack until replaced by Tijani after 72 minutes of a fourth-round tie settled by a Ryan Hardie penalty early in the second half.

Liverpool had hopes of a Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup quadruple dashed after resting several stars, including prolific scorer and Egypt captain Mohamed Salah.

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

MUSTAPHA BUNDU/MUHAMED TIJANI (Plymouth)

Bundu had a penalty appeal rejected and set up a scoring chance for Callum Wright that was not far off target in the southern England port city. Later, Tijani mistimed a diving header that could have doubled the lead.

ANTOINE SEMENYO (Bournemouth)

The Ghana forward's ninth goal this season propelled the Cherries to a 2-0 win at Everton.In the last FA Cup tie at Goodison Park before Everton move to a new stadium next season, Semenyo put Bournemouth ahead with a 23rd-minute penalty awarded after James Tarkowski fouled the 25-year-old. Semenyo, who has scored four times in his last six games, said: "It would be lovely to reach a semi-final where we are playing at Wembley."

MOUCTAR DIAKHABY (Valencia)

The Guinea defender scored his first goal after returning from a severe knee injury as Valencia won 2-0 against Leganes in a relegation dog-fight. Diakhaby blasted home from close range to scored their second and sprinted off in celebration having missed nearly a year before he came back in January. "After everything I've been through, it was very special," said the center-back. "I thought about the moment of the injury, how hard I've worked and my family, who were very affected by it."

FISAYO DELE-BASHIRU (Lazio)

The Nigerian international came off the bench and netted Lazio's final goal in a 5-1 thrashing of Monza as the capital club moved back into the Serie A top four. The 24-year-old is on loan at Lazio from Turkish team Hatayspor.

AHMED HASSAN (Le Havre)

The 31-year-old Egypt forward scored his first goal for Le Havre in their shock 2-1 win at Lille, a result which lifted the struggling side off the bottom of Ligue 1. Hassan, also known simply as "Kouka", joined Le Havre during the January transfer window until the end of the season, having previously been at Rio Ave in Portugal.

PATRICK ZABI (Reims)

The tall 18-year-old Ivorian midfielder, whose skills on the pitches of Abidjan earned him the nickname "Magic", moved to Reims in early January. Destined to play for the reserve team in the French lower leagues, he was instead handed a Ligue 1 debut off the bench against Nantes last weekend, and also appeared in a French Cup tie in midweek. Zabi again came off the bench for Reims late on against Lyon on Sunday, only to be sent off in a 4-0 defeat for his team.



Veteran Brazilian Defender Thiago Silva Signs for Porto

(FILES) Fluminense's Brazilian defender #03 Thiago Silva participates in a training session at the Harrison Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 7, 2025, on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal football match between Brazil's Fluminense and England's Chelsea. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)
(FILES) Fluminense's Brazilian defender #03 Thiago Silva participates in a training session at the Harrison Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 7, 2025, on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal football match between Brazil's Fluminense and England's Chelsea. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)
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Veteran Brazilian Defender Thiago Silva Signs for Porto

(FILES) Fluminense's Brazilian defender #03 Thiago Silva participates in a training session at the Harrison Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 7, 2025, on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal football match between Brazil's Fluminense and England's Chelsea. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)
(FILES) Fluminense's Brazilian defender #03 Thiago Silva participates in a training session at the Harrison Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 7, 2025, on the eve of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semifinal football match between Brazil's Fluminense and England's Chelsea. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)

Former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has signed for Porto at the age of 41, the Portuguese club announced on Saturday.

One of the finest center-backs of his generation, Silva arrives in Porto after a two-season spell with Fluminense in his native Brazil.

"Thiago Silva is a Dragon,” AFP quoted a club statement as saying in reference to the side's nickname.

The move completes something of a circle in his career as he played for Porto's B side in the 2004-05 season.

He then moved on to Dynamo Moscow, before a stint with Fluminense's senior team and then AC Milan where he won a Serie A title, before a 2012 switch to Paris.

He left PSG in 2020 with seven French league crowns and signed for Chelsea, winning the Champions League with the Blues at Porto's Estadio do Dragao stadium.

In all Silva has a total of 32 trophies in his decorated career, and could well add another as Porto are leading the Primeira Liga by five points.


Africa Cup of Nations Moved to Every Four Years

Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Final - Senegal v Egypt - Olembe Stadium, Yaounde, Cameroon - February 6, 2022 General view of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Final - Senegal v Egypt - Olembe Stadium, Yaounde, Cameroon - February 6, 2022 General view of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Africa Cup of Nations Moved to Every Four Years

Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Final - Senegal v Egypt - Olembe Stadium, Yaounde, Cameroon - February 6, 2022 General view of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Final - Senegal v Egypt - Olembe Stadium, Yaounde, Cameroon - February 6, 2022 General view of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

The Africa Cup of Nations will ​in future be held every four years instead of every two years, the Confederation of ‌African Football ‌said on ‌Saturday.

The ⁠surprise ​decision ‌was made at the organization’s executive committee meeting in the Moroccan capital and announced ⁠at a press conference ‌by CAF ‍President ‍Patrice Motsepe, Reuters reported.

The tournament, ‍which brings in an estimated 80% of CAF’s revenue, has ​traditionally been held every two years since ⁠its inception in 1957.

Sunday marks the start of the 35th edition, hosted in Morocco with the home team taking on Comoros.


Mohamed Salah Apologized to His Liverpool Teammates over Contentious Comments

 Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah (R) sits on the bench during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah (R) sits on the bench during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
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Mohamed Salah Apologized to His Liverpool Teammates over Contentious Comments

 Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah (R) sits on the bench during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah (R) sits on the bench during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Mohamed Salah apologized to his Liverpool teammates after complaining of being “ thrown under the bus ” by the Premier League champion, midfielder Curtis Jones said.

Jones told broadcaster Sky Sports on Saturday that Salah took the time to address the issue with them, The AP news reported.

“Mo is his own man and he can say his own stuff. He apologized to us and was like, 'If I've affected anybody or made you feel any sort of way, I apologize.' That's the man that he is," Jones told Sky. “He was the exact same Mo, he had a big smile on his face and everybody was exactly the same with him. I guess it’s just part of wanting to be a winner.”

Dropped by Slot The 33-year-old Egypt star has scored 250 goals for Liverpool overall but has only netted five times this season in 20 games.

Last season was one of his best with 34 goals in 52 outings for Liverpool, and he clinched the player of the year award from the Professional Footballers’ Association for the third time.

Salah, who is now at the Africa Cup of Nations, made his explosive comments about feeling unfairly treated at Liverpool after being dropped for a third game in succession.

In the wake of those comments, Liverpool coach Arne Slot left Salah out of the squad for a Champions League game at Inter Milan. But following subsequent talks with Slot, Salah returned to the team against Brighton last Saturday.

Unbeaten run Since losing 4-1 at home to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League in late November, Liverpool was unbeaten in five matches heading into a Premier League game at Tottenham later Saturday.

“We’re past that now and we’re gelling well as a team," Jones added. “Playing well and starting to win games.”