All of Europe’s biggest leagues returned to action this weekend, with African stars across the top divisions featuring prominently, seeing a veteran and a rookie make their marks from day one.
Mohamed Salah extended his barely believable record on the opening days of new seasons, while a star may have been born in Italy, where Samuel Mbangula marked his debut for Juventus with a statement-making showing for the Old Lady.
It’s all change at Liverpool, with Arne Slot arriving to replace Jurgen Klopp following his near-decade at the helm, although some things apparently aren’t ready to change just yet. One is Mohamed Salah, who broke a Premier League record after netting in the Merseysiders’ 2-0 victory at newly promoted Ipswich Town.
The Egypt superstar’s strike against the Tractor Boys was his ninth on the opening day of a new Premier League season. He first marked the opening of a new campaign with a goal against Watford in 2017, and, over the subsequent years, has scored nine goals in eight gameweek one fixtures.
No one could accuse Salah of being a slow starter, and he now stands alone as the most consistent opening day scorer, moving ahead of Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy, Frank Lampard and Alan Shearer – all of whom scored eight times across gameweek one.
In fact, only once – against Chelsea 12 months ago – has Salah failed to score on the first league game of the season, and his strike against Ipswich, after finding space behind adventurous fullback Leif Davis, was a perfect way to mark his 350th appearance for the Reds.
Across the Channel to France
Whether Olympique de Marseille – now under Robert De Zerbi – can actually represent a genuine challenger to Paris Saint-Germain‘s domestic dominance in France has been one of the main talking points ahead of the new Ligue 1 season, even if OM are now without their former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gabon striker may have departed for pastures new – signing a two-year deal with Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League – but without him, several African players were influential as Marseille laid down a marker in their opener against Brest.
After PSG had dispatched Le Havre 4-1 away on Friday, Marseille went one better as they demolished their opponents 5-1, with Morocco‘s Amine Harit, whose future at the Stade Velodrome has been a major subject of debate, the star performer.
He registered two assists inside the first 26 minutes, setting up Mason Greenwood and Luis Henrique, before new signing Elye Wahi rounded off the triumph with a 69th-minute penalty after ex-Marseille man Jordan Amavi brought down Greenwood in the box.
The interplay between Harit – bubbling with creativity throughout – and Greenwood ensured an electric offensive display for Les Phoceens, while the Atlas Lion also benefited from the former Manchester United forward’s dynamism before back-heeling into the path of Henrique.
There was a flair and flamboyance about this Marseille team, with Harit at the heart of their display, even if his place in the starting XI may have been in spite of the fact that he’s yet to win over his new head coach.
In contrast, Reims midfielder Amadou Koné‘s new season took an unexpected twist after just 15 minutes when the 19-year-old was sent off following a horror collision with Lille‘s Angel Gomes.
The latter was stretched off after a mid-air clash between the pair, both of whom leapt to contest a ball in the centre of the pitch, with Anglo-Angolan Gomes reaching the ball first before being clattered by Kone.
Visibly concerned as he received his marching orders, Kone duly visited the local hospital after the match to meet Gomes, still sporting a neck brace, in hospital.
“I was waiting to get reassuring news about Angel before writing,” Kone began, in an Instagram post in which he shared a photo of the pair in hospital. “The moment of anxiety has passed, and I wish to express all of my sadness and profound regret following the accident that took place during the match.
“I never wanted to injury a colleague on the match,” he added. “Football is a spot of passion and respect, and what happened has touched me deeply.”
Down to ten men, Reims were defeated 2-0, with Bafodé Diakité and Jonathan David guaranteeing all three points for Les Dogues.
Magical Mbangula makes his mark for Juve
Juventus head coach Thiago Motta didn’t blink when he announced – ahead of the Old Lady’s Serie A opener against Como – that wunderkind Samuel Mbangula would be starting in Monday’s season curtain-raiser.
“He deserves it,” Motta told assembled media, as per DAZN. “He’s worked well in training, did everything from day one, and has done very well when coming on. Today, he can help his teammates.”
Even given the billing, Motta surely can’t have expected Mbangula to have had the impact he eventually did against the Serie A minnows, opening the scoring after 23 minutes with an excellent low right-footed finish from the edge of the box.
The youngster had previously excelled for Juventus’ NextGen side and been blooded into the professional squad during preseason, but it had remained to be seen what role the Belgo-Congolese wideman with the seniors in 24/25.
In the space of the first half, he had already injected Motta’s new-look side with vitality, dynamism, a youthful vigour, and banished some of the pre-season doom and gloom.
In the second, he killed off the contest, setting up Andrea Cambiaso for Juve’s third in stoppage time when he picked out his teammate with a nonchalant, sweeping crossfield ball.
With several players absent amidst uncertainty about their role at the club under Motta – notably Filip Kostic and Federico Chiesa – Mbangula’s fine start to life in the top tier may well encourage the new head coach to place further faith in youth moving forward.
Certainly, his display could set the diminutive wonderkid, who was born in Bruges to Congolese parents, on his way for a breakout campaign.
Also in Italy, Franco-Ivorian Ange-Yoan Bonny set up Dennis Man as Parma held Fiorentina 1-1 at home, while Victor Osimhen – still linked with a move to Chelsea as the transfer window draws closer – was conspicuous by his absence as Napoli were defeated 3-0 by Hellas Verona.
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa hit the woodwork during a miserable encounter for Antonio Conte’s side, with the ex-Blues boss criticised in the local media for allowing the circus around Osimhen’s future to affect the Partenopei’s start to the campaign. Over in Turkey, Jose Mourinho surely isn’t experiencing the start to life at Fenerbahce that he’d wished for, even if Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri opened his account for the club against Goztepe on Saturday.
Despite beginning their league season with a 1-0 victory over Adana Demirspor last weekend, Fener’s Champions League campaign ended after four matches when they were eliminated on aggregate by LOSC Lille in midweek.
They appeared to be on course to bounce back against Goztepe – with Edin Dzeko and En-Nesyri scoring within four minutes in first-half stoppage time – before two second-half goals for the hosts ensured the points were shared.
Nonetheless, the Moroccan marking his first start in the Superlig with a goal should be a major encouragement for Mourinho, with En-Nesyri’s aerial prowess evident as he met a looping Sebastian Szymanski centre at the backpost to head home from close range.
