African ALL Stars: Slick Salah and brilliant Beto among Africa’s star performers

Liverpool took a giant step towards the Premier League title at the weekend and who else but Mohammed Salah was on hand to provide them with victory.

That was just one of several incredible performances from Africa’s star players in the elite leagues in Europe as we round up the best of the displays over the last few days.

MOHAMED SALAH (EGYPT AND LIVERPOOL)

The Salah train keeps on racing down the track as he provided another goal and assists in a vital 2-0 win for Liverpool over Manchester City that took the Reds 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League. It would take something extraordinary for them not to be crowned champions this year.

Salah has both the most goals (25) and assists (16) in the Premier League this season. He netted Liverpool’s opener as Dominik Szoboszlai backheeled the ball to him in the box and the Egypt international crashed his shot into the net.

The roles were reversed later on when Salah drew the defender towards him before laying on a pass for Szoboszlai to finish.

BETO (GUINEA-BISSAU AND EVERTON)

Beto’s hot streak continued as he scored a fifth goal in four games for rejuvenated Everton as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester United on Saturday. For a player that had been little used under former manager Sea Dyche, Beto has been revived since the arrival of David Moyes back at Goodison Park and has repaid that faith.

He turned expertly after a melee in the box as United failed to clear and beat Andre Onana from close range. The 27-year-old now has six Premier League goals in five starts this season (and 13 sub appearances).

ABDOULAYE DOUCOURE (MALI AND EVERTON)

The Mali international played another big hand for Everton with a goal and an assist. It was his header into the path of Beto that allowed the latter to score, before Doucoure added a second in the first half, heading home from close range after Jack Harrison’s initial shot was only parried by Onana.

Doucoure is a free agent at the end of the season but Everton may want to tie him down after he too has enjoyed a rejuvenation in form under Moyes. It was his second goal of the season and first assist for the box-to-box midfielder. Everton lost a 2-0 lead late on, but were denied what looked a stonewall penalty by the VAR.

YOANE WISSA (DR CONGO AND BRENTFORD)

Wissa continued his fine form this season as he took his tally of goals to 12 to go with two assists in Brentford’s emphatic 4-0 victory over relegation-threatened Leicester City. It was a great predatory strike as Mikkel Damsgaard flicked the ball on in the Leicester defence, and Wissa reacted quickest to turn it home.

He has now matched last season’s tally of Premier League goals in 11 fewer appearances and is well on course for his best ever campaign.

BRYAN MBEUMO (CAMEROON AND BRENTFORD)

One of the biggest issues for Brentford ahead of next season may be holding on to Mbeumo, who has been simply superb and had many teams across Europe looking admiringly at the Cameroon winger. He got another goal and assists against Leicester, which will only see his stocks rise higher.

That is now 14 goals and five assists in 26 appearances for the campaign. His goal was superb as he took a pass from Damsgaard and cut inside, before curling a beautiful shot into the far corner. He then provided as assist for Christian Nørgaard to score a third in the first half for the buzzing Bees.

MARSHALL MUNETSI (ZIMBABWE AND WOLVES)

Former Orlando Pirates and Baroka FC midfielder Marshall Munetsi looks to have taken to the Premier League like a duck to water and laid on the assists for Wolverhampton Wanderers to claim a vital victory at Bournemouth that pulls them clear of the relegation places.

It was perhaps a little fortunate after a cross was not dealt with by the Bournemouth defence and the ball bounced off Munetsi and into the path of Matheus Cunha, who netted for the fourth game in a row. It was a first goal contribution in his second appearance for Munetsi since his January move from Reims in Ligue 1.

YANKUBA MINTEH (GAMBIA AND BRIGHTON)

Minteh’s form since the turn of the year has been superb and he played another star role as Brighton and Hove Albion thumped bottom side Southampton 4-0.

After being denied several times himself by Saints goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, Minteh laid on an assist for Georginio Rutter to score the visitors second goal.

It was a neat one-two between the players that did the trick. Minteh now has three assists to go with five goals this season in 10 starts (and 11 sub appearances).

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (NIGERIA AND ATALANTA)

Lookman had a tough week after his coach Gian Piero Gasperini had criticised his penalty-taking ability after a miss in the Champions League in midweek. That left Lookman to release an impassioned defence of his abilities on social media.

But he responded on the pitch in the best way possible with two goals as Atalanta defeated Empoli 5-0 to cement their place in third in the table. It takes his tally in Serie A this season to 12 goals and five assists.

His first showed his quick feet as he took a pass in the box and rounded the goalkeeper to score. His second came via a rampant run as he collected the ball 40 yards from goal, surged into the box and finished.

INAKI WILLIAMS (GHANA AND ATHLETIC BILBAO)

Athletic Bilbao crushed bottom side Real Valladolid 7-1 in a huge LaLiga victory that keeps them well on course for the Champions League next season. Williams played his part with a goal and an assist late on.

After brother Nico had scored a brace, Inaki’s pinpoint ball into the six-yard box was perfect for Gorka Guruzeta to score. The Ghana international then bagged a goal himself, turning the ball home from close range after the keeper could only parry a shot. Williams now has five goals and eight assists this season.

MAMADOU SYLLA (SENEGAL AND VALLADOLID)

The lone bright spark in that horrific defeat for Valladolid was a goal by Mamadou Sylla, who netted for a third time this season to go with two assists.

It was a good finish too after he showed great strength to hold off a defender after being slipped in on goal, before cooly placing the ball into the back of the net from 15 yards.

He had helped the club to promotion last season and looks to be going straight back down again.

IQRAAM RAYNERS (SOUTH AFRICA AND MAMELODI SUNDOWNS)

Rayners continued his fine form since his arrival at Mamelodi Sundowns with two goals and an assists in the 4-1 demolition of TS Galaxy in the Betway Premiership on Saturday.

Rayners now has nine goals and five assists for Sundowns in the league this season, second only on both counts to Lucas Ribeiro.

It is form that is likely to see him be the main man for Bafana Bafana when they resume their 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign next month with games against Lesotho and Benin.