Salah first African to score 30 goals in EPL season

PARIS, France: Prolific Liverpool scorer Mohamed Salah became the first African to bag 30 English Premier League goals in a season when he struck during a 3-0 win over Bournemouth at the weekend.

The 25-year-old Egyptian passed the 29-goal mark set by Ivory Coast great Didier Drogba when helping Chelsea win the 2009-2010 title.In Italy, Malian Cheick Diabate continued a hot scoring streak for bottom club Benevento with his third brace in three matches.

The winger became just the third Liverpool player to score 40 goals in all competitions in a season as he struck again in a 3-0 win over Bournemouth at Anfield. Salah headed home a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross in the 69th minute — making him the first player to achieve the 40 goal mark for the Reds since Ian Rush in the 1986-87 season. Salah’s goal, his 30th in the league this term, kept Liverpool on course for a top-four finish and means the Player of the Year contender has now netted eight goals in his past five games. He is closing in on Liverpool’s all-time single-season record of 47, set by Rush in 1983-84.

FIFA to begin Morocco WC inspection: FIFA inspectors arrived in Morocco on Monday ahead of a three-day assessment of the north African country’s ability to host the 2026 World Cup, the local bid committee said.

The five-member FIFA Task Force will begin its inspection on Tuesday, visiting stadiums, training facilities, fan sites and media centres. “Morocco is offering FIFA and the global football family an innovative and compact concept to ensure operational efficiency, outstanding profitability and a lasting legacy in Morocco and Africa,” said the bid committee’s president, Moulay Hafid Elalamy in a statement.