” African players in Europe: Klopp salutes calm match-winner Salah ”

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed the composure of Mohamed Salah after his goal delivered a 2-1 Premier League win over Brighton at the weekend, and first place with nine matches remaining.

“Being that calm in the decisive moment with the biggest chance we had from the best football we played, then that makes a real goalscorer so we are happy with everything,” said Klopp. Liverpool lead Arsenal by two points and defending champions Manchester City by three, but face three away matches in eight days during a challenging run-in. Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the major European leagues:

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

Egypt’s captain sent the Reds to the top with his second-half winner against Brighton. Klopp’s side trailed to Danny Welbeck’s second-minute goal at Anfield, but Salah’s deflected header set up Luis Diaz for a volleyed equaliser before the interval. After missing several chances, Salah sealed three priceless points for Liverpool when he calmly slotted home from Alexis Mac Allister’s pass in the 65th minute. Salah’s third goal in his last three games was his 22nd in all competitions this term.

MOHAMMED KUDUS (West Ham)

The Ghana midfielder scored for the east London club in a dramatic 4-3 defeat at Newcastle. Kudus fired home from Jarrod Bowen’s pass in the first half to put West Ham 2-1 ahead. But the Hammers eventually blew a two-goal lead as Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes struck twice in the closing stages. Kudus was also less than impressed when one of the ball-boys at St James’ Park refused to give up his stool to allow him to do his ‘take-a-seat’ celebration after scoring.

GERMANY

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Stuttgart)

Guirassy scored the opener in Stuttgart’s pulsating 3-3 Bundesliga draw with visiting Heidenheim, tapping in a cross from Angelo Stiller after 41 minutes. The goal was Guirassy’s 23rd in 21 league games this season. The Guinea international has now scored in his past four matches. His tally is eight less than Bundesliga top scorer Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, but Guirassy has played six games fewer.

SEBASTIEN HALLER (Borussia Dortmund)

Haller returned from an ankle injury in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-0 win at Bayern Munich. He came off the bench late, his first match for Dortmund since December and his first game since he scored the winner in Ivory Coast’s 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations final in February. Nine minutes after coming on, the 29-year-old forward found Julian Ryerson in the box, and the Norwegian scored Dortmund’s second goal to seal their first league win in Munich since 2014.

FRANCE

MOSTAFA MOHAMED (Nantes)

The Egypt striker’s late penalty gave struggling Nantes a 2-1 Ligue 1 win at Nice in their first game under new coach Antoine Kombouare. The goal was an eighth of the season for his club for Mohamed, who had an impressive Cup of Nations at the beginning of the year as Egypt went out in the last 16. The result lifted Nantes out of the bottom three in Ligue 1. Nigeria’s Terem Moffi netted a penalty for Nice in the same game.

JOSEPH OKUMU (Reims)

The 26-year-old Kenyan international central defender scored his first goal since moving to France from Belgian side Gent last year to put Reims ahead at Lyon. However, it was not enough to earn his side all three points as Ghana’s Ernest Nuamah equalised at the other end to secure a 1-1 draw for Lyon.

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