Egypt captain Mohamed Salah made a spectacular return to the Premier League at the weekend, creating a goal then scoring for table-topping Liverpool in a 4-1 victory at Brentford.
The prolific scorer suffered a hamstring injury against Ghana in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations last month, which sidelined him for four weeks.
Salah has scored 15 league goals this season, one less than chart-topper Erling Haaland from Manchester City.
Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:
ENGLAND
TAIWO AWONIYI (Nottingham Forest)
The Nigerian scored his sixth goal this season to help seal a valuable 2-0 win against West Ham. Awoniyi netted with a fine finish five minutes into first half stoppage time to put Forest on course for a victory that moved them five points clear of the relegation zone.
MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)
Salah was playing for Liverpool for the first time since New Year’s Day as he came off the bench to replace the injured Diogo Jota. He made up for lost time with his 19th goal in all competitions this term, a composed strike in the 68th minute to put Liverpool three up after earlier setting up a goal for Alexis Mac Allister.
ANTOINE SEMENYO (Bournemouth)
The Ghana midfielder scored for the first time in 12 games dating back to early December as Bournemouth drew 2-2 at Newcastle. With the game level at 1-1, Semenyo struck with a ferocious strike from the corner of the penalty area in the 69th minute.
ITALY
OUSSAMA EL AZZOUZI (Bologna)
The midfielder put Morocco’s last 16 exit at the Cup of Nations behind him by scoring in Bologna’s 2-1 win at Lazio. El Azzouzi equalised in the 39th minute when Giovanni Fabbian took advantage of a defensive mix-up and set up the Moroccan for a tap-in.
GERMANY
AMINE ADLI (Bayer Leverkusen)
Adli continued his excellent form since returning from the Cup of Nations scoring in a 2-1 win at Heidenheim. With eight minutes remaining, the 23-year-old Moroccan international received a superb pass from Florian Wirtz before rounding the keeper and doubling Leverkusen’s lead. Leverkusen are eight points clear of second-placed Bayern with 12 games remaining.
SERHOU GUIRASSY (Stuttgart)
Guirassy was again among the scorers in Stuttgart’s 2-1 win at Darmstadt, helping his club consolidate their top-four spot. Guirassy opened the scoring with a header after 14 minutes, his first goal of the calendar year. The Guinea striker has scored 18 goals in 16 matches this season.
OMAR MARMOUSH (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Marmoush scored for a ninth time this season, and created two goals for Eintracht in a 3-3 draw at Cologne. The 25-year-old Egyptian struck on 27 minutes, collecting a difficult pass in the penalty box and unleashing a low shot.
FRANCE
MOHAMED BAMBA (Lorient)
The 22-year-old Ivorian is proving an inspired January signing for Lorient, his two goals in the 3-1 win at Strasbourg making him the first player to score five goals in their first four matches in Ligue 1 since Mario Ballotelli in 2016. The former Wolfsburg striker also became the first player to score in each of his first four matches since Giora Spiegel achieved the feat in October 1973. Bamba turned down the chance in October to play for Guinea, the nationality of his mother, keeping his sights set on more goals for Lorient and a chance to play for Ivory Coast.
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