A number of African stars were in action for their sides who took part in various competitions over the weekend
Getty ImagesReview of Africans in Europe
Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah as well as Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech had a remarkable weekend, as they progressed to the FA Cup final, while others had good displays in other leagues.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesToo Good: Sadio Mane
The Senegal star was instrumental for Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final against their Premier League rivals Manchester City.
The forward scored twice – in the 17th and 45th minutes – to ensure the Reds progressed to the final. Mane’s man-of-the-match display saw him praised by Jurgen Klopp and his teammate Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool’s dream of ending the season with a quadruple remains intact.
(C)Getty ImagesToo Good: Yves Bissouma
The Malian was an instrumental figure for Brighton as they secured a slim win against Tottenham Hotspur.
The midfielder offered some vital protection defensively and was impressive in breaking up the Spurs attacks as well as driving forward when they were attacking.
For his and the collective effort, Brighton managed to win consecutive away league games for the first time since September 2021 and are now unbeaten in three Premier League games overall, winning the last two, after losing each of the six before that.
GettyToo Bad: Albert-Moyo Lokonga and Nicolas Pepe
Lokonga, a midfielder of Congolese descent, featured all through as Arsenal lost to Southampton.
Pepe, meanwhile, came on in the 70th minute for Nuno Tavares, but his introduction could not alter the scoreline in favour of the Gunners.
The defeat at St Mary's Stadium means Arsenal have lost each of their last three Premier League games, having lost just two of their previous 13 (W11 D1). It’s their third run of three consecutive defeats in their three seasons under Mikel Arteta.
It also complicated their chances of finishing in the top four.