Egypt’s Salah Goal-rush Dominates African Performances
Liverpool's Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on November 18, 2017.
Paul ELLIS / AFP
Liverpool’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the football match against Southampton at Anfield on November 18, 2017. Paul ELLIS / AFP
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah continued his dream start to life in the Premier League last weekend as he became the first Liverpool striker since Ian Rush to score 20 goals before Christmas.
The 2017 BBC African Footballer of the Year netted on the stroke of half-time in a 4-0 triumph at Bournemouth on Sunday.
Gabon and Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang raised his Bundesliga goal tally this season to 13, two less than chart-topper Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich.
The Premier League’s top scorer with 14 from 18 games also has six Champions League gaols from eight games making him the first Reds player to notch up 20 goals before Christmas since the great Ian Rush in 1986. The winger’s remarkable first season with Liverpool hit a new high in a 4-0 win at Bournemouth this weekend as Salah reached the landmark with yet another virtuoso finish just before half-time.
WILFRIED ZAHA (Crystal Palace)
The Ivory Coast winger put Palace 2-0 up against Leicester, shooting home after being set up by Christian Benteke. He was a handful for the Foxes throughout with one delightful shimmy by the 25-year-old winger totally wrong-footing the defence. He also played a significant role in the Eagles’ third in time added on.
The Nigeria midfielder earned his place in future trivial pursuit questions by becoming the first Premier League player to be red carded on his birthday since Dwight Gayle two years ago. Ndidi’s early shower on his 21st birthday came for two bookable offences, the second for a dive in the area by the midfielder.
BAKARY SAKO (Crystal Palace)
The Mali forward came on for Christian Benteke and scored his second goal in as many matches, a sweetly-taken effort from the edge of the area in stoppage time.
The Gabonese converted a penalty to pick up his 13th Bundesliga goal of the season as Dortmund came from behind to beat Hoffenheim 2-1. With Dortmund trailing, Aubameyang slotted the ball past goalkeeper Oliver Baumann after Shinji Kagawa had been fouled in the box.
CHADRAC AKOLO (VfB Stuttgart)
The Democratic Republic of Congo midfielder cut a tragic figure after failing to score a crucial late penalty as Stuttgart lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich. A clumsy foul gave VfB the chance to equalise deep into injury time, but Akolo’s weak effort from 12 yards was easily saved by former Stuttgart goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.
SALOMON KALOU (Hertha Berlin)
The Ivorian veteran scored in Hertha Berlin’s shock 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig. Latching on to a Valentino Lazaro free-kick, Kalou fired a header past Peter Gulacsi to put Hertha 2-0 up in the first half. It was Kalou’s seventh goal this season, and his fourth in the last three games.
FRANCE
KEITA BALDE (Monaco)
The Senegalese winger notched his fourth league goal of the season as Monaco blew away Saint-Etienne 4-0. Balde provided the assist for Thomas Lemar to double Monaco’s lead on 32 minutes and then got himself on the scoresheet by capping the rout with a thumping finish from Fabinho’s pass on the hour.