African players in Europe: Rare Salah goal boosts Liverpool
Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah (R) shoots under pressure from Fulham defender Calvin Bassey. (ANDY BUCHANAN) Mohamed Salah scored his first goal since he announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season as the Reds beat Fulham 2-0 in the Premier League at the weekend. The victory at Anfield kept Liverpool in the fifth and final qualifying place for the 2026-27 Champions League, four points ahead of closest rivals Chelsea.
After netting 29 times in the title-winning campaign last season, the Egypt captain has scored only six league goals this season. AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues: ENGLAND MOAHAMED SALAH (Liverpool) The Egyptian scored as the Reds bolstered their bid to qualify for next season's Champions League. Salah netted in the 40th minute with a close-range finish from Cody Gakpo's pass, doubling Liverpool's lead after Rio Ngumoha's opener four minutes earlier.
BETO (Everton) The Guinea-Bissau forward maintained his hot streak with a goal in a dramatic 2-2 draw at Brentford. Beto scored his fourth goal in his last five games, equalising in the 26th minute with a clinical header from Senegalese Idrissa Gueye's cross. The 28-year-old, who scored twice in a 3-0 win over Chelsea prior to the international break, now has eight goals in all competitions this season.
SPAIN EZ ABDE (Real Betis) Morocco winger Abde opened the scoring against his former loan club Osasuna in a 1-1 La Liga draw. The 24-year-old showed his pace to get behind the hosts' defence and produced a cool finish to put the Andalucians ahead. It was his sixth league goal of the campaign.
IBRAHIM DIABATE (Alaves) Ivorian striker Diabate netted in Alaves' exciting 3-3 draw against Real Sociedad. It was not the prettiest goal, with the forward deflecting the ball home from close range without knowing a great deal about it, but it put Alaves into a 2-1 lead. It was his third appearance for the club and his first goal since joining on loan from GAIS in Sweden.