African players in Europe: Unused sub Salah steals spotlight

Mohamed Salah remained an unused substitute during Liverpool's 3-3 draw away to Leeds over the weekend, yet the Egypt captain still grabbed plenty of media attention.

In a surprising outburst, he criticised Liverpool manager Arne Slot, suggesting it might mark the conclusion of his storied tenure at Anfield, after accusing the team of making him the scapegoat amid a challenging season.

The reigning champions sit in ninth position following 15 matches, with just seven victories and six defeats. They could slip another spot if Manchester United secure at least a draw against basement dwellers Wolves on Monday.

AFP Sport spotlights the key African performers across Europe's top leagues:

ENGLAND

Salah, rumoured to be eyeing a January switch to the Saudi Pro League, watched from the sidelines for the third straight match in the Leeds stalemate without getting a chance to play.

Faced with backlash over his reduced defensive contributions this year, the 33-year-old has managed only five goals in 19 outings so far, prolonging a dip in performance that began towards the end of last season once Liverpool's title success was nearly secured.

Following next weekend's home clash with Brighton, Salah plans to join the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and suggested it might be his last game in a Liverpool jersey if picked.

"I feel deeply let down. I have contributed enormously to this club over the years, particularly last season," Salah stated. "Yet now I am benched without any clear reason. It seems obvious that someone is trying to pin all the fault on me."

GERMANY

YAN DIOMANDE (RB Leipzig)

The young Ivorian Diomande struck an impressive second-half hat-trick to help Leipzig demolish Eintracht Frankfurt 6-0 at home in the Bundesliga. With Leipzig leading 2-0 at the break, Diomande fired in a rebound from inside the box. He followed up with a stylish curled shot into the far corner from distance, then outran the defence to round the keeper and complete his treble.

MOHAMED AMOURA (Wolfsburg)

Amoura found the net and earned man-of-the-match honours in Wolfsburg's 3-1 home triumph over Union Berlin, their first league win since October. The Algerian assisted Patrick Wimmer's early opener on 10 minutes before netting himself in the opening period, rifling a pass from Sael Kumbedi into the top corner. Amoura has tallied five goals and two assists in the league this term.

FRANCE

YOUSSEF EL ARABI (Nantes)

El Arabi levelled the scores for Nantes against Lens, who ultimately prevailed 2-1 to hold onto top spot in Ligue 1, one point clear of title holders Paris Saint-Germain. This marked the 38-year-old Moroccan striker's third goal in the competition this season.

KAMORY DOUMBIA (Brest)

The Malian Doumbia notched his fourth league strike of the campaign to secure a 1-0 home win for Brest versus Monaco. Doumbia is expected to feature for Mali at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, starting December 21.