Premier League
Ranking every African player to play for Man Utd from best to worst
In Manchester United’s rich history, player from all over the world have plied their trade for the club. However, not a huge number have been from Africa. As of writing, 11 African players have played for United and it’s fair to say that some of these did better than others. The Reds currently have four African players in their first team who will all be looking to impress this year.
Let’s take a look at the 11 names – and a warning to United fans, you may not have many fond memories of this lot…
11. Wilfried Zaha (Cote d’Ivoire)
Zaha was by no means worse at United than the players ahead of him on this list. However, given the hefty £10million-plus paid for him, there’s really no choice but to stick him rock bottom.
He became Alex Ferguson’s last signing for the club when he was snapped up in January 2013 and loaned back to Crystal Palace for the remainder of the season. By the time he returned to Old Trafford, David Moyes was in charge and didn’t take a fancy to Zaha, loaning him out first to Cardiff and then to Palace again.
Following this loan spell, the London re-signed him permanently for around £3million and the winger left Old Trafford having appeared just four times. In case you didn’t know, he’s doing alright these days.
10. Manucho (Angola)
Zaha’s four appearances are one more than what Manucho managed. He may have been really good (probably not), but he had the misfortune of joining at a time when Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov were on the club’s books.
After loan spells at Panathinaikos and Hull City, the Angolan left for Real Valladolid in 2009 for £2.5million. Given they only paid £900k for him, United did at least make a tidy profit. It’s not all bad.
9. Mame Biram Diouf (Senegal)
A name undoubtedly more familiar to Stoke fans than those of United. Diouf joined from Molde in January 2010 for just over £4million and made the dream start to life in Manchester, scoring on his home debut against Burnley. After five further appearances, he was loaned out to Blackburn the following season, where he scored six goals.
At the end of it, he returned to Old Trafford and tore it up for their reserve side but never got close to the first team. He remained there until January 2012, when he joined Hannover for £1.5million. These days, he’s playing in his sixth season for Stoke, where he’s made a whopping 155 appearances.
8. Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia)
The Tunisian international is still in his early days at Old Trafford, but the early signs are very promising. Following a successful loan spell with Birmingham last season, Erik ten Hag has integrated the youngster into the first team.
A real tenacious midfielder who won’t stop running, we wouldn’t be surprised if he manages to leap a few places ahead on this list come the end of the season.
7. Amad Diallo (Cote d’Ivoire)
Following an eye-catching loan spell with Sunderland in the Championship, United fans will be eager to see more of Diallo in the first team.
United have had to be patient with the Ivory Coast winger following his £35million move from Atalanta in 2021, but the 21-year-old has come on leaps and bounds over the past 12 months.
The winger had been utilised by Ten Hag in pre-season and had been tipped to play a role in the new campaign before he picked up a knee injury. Diallo is currently in recovery and we’re sure he’ll come back stronger than ever.
6. Eric Djemba-Djemba (Cameroon)
If his ability was as good as his name, Djemba-Djemba would’ve become a true great. Sadly, it wasn’t. The Cameroonian was brought United in 2003 to fill the (probably) blood-stained boots of Roy Keane. He began his task well, making a tackle on Sol Campbell in the Community Shield that Arsene Wenger called obscene. Very Keane-esque.
He was unable to maintain this level of shithousery, however, failing to ever establish himself in the first team. Still, two goals and three assists in 39 games is undoubtedly a better record than some in this list. Oh, and one was an absolute beauty, against Leeds too, which always helps.
5. Odion Ighalo (Nigeria)
The fact that Ighalo is number five here says more about those below him than his own success at the club.
Nevertheless, despite the ridicule that surrounded his arrival, the Nigerian did a steady job while on loan at Old Trafford. While he failed to hit the back of the net in the Premier League, he did score five goals across various cup competitions.
Ighalo was only ever signed as a stop-gap option for United and considering the circumstances, a strike rate of a goal every 4.6 matches is by no means disastrous.
4. Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco)
The Reds chased Amrabat’s signature throughout the entirety of the 2023 summer transfer window and they eventually managed to land a loan deal for the 27-year-old with the option to buy.
Of course, it’s still incredibly early days for the Moroccan midfielder, but the early signs are promising. Based on his first couple of performances at United, you can already tell Amrabat is loving life at Old Trafford.
“I told the manager I will play where [he] needs me and where the team needs me, even if it is a goalkeeper!” Amrabat told Sky Sports after his debut.
“I play where I can help the team, today it was left-back. I had a bit of a free role, I think you saw I played a bit in midfield, so it was nice, it was good.”
3. Andre Onana (Cameroon)
We might be jumping the gun here with Onana so high on the list, but he’s not exactly against the toughest competition. While the goalkeeper has had some nervy moments, his excellent distribution skills have given Ten Hag’s side a fresh dynamic.
The Cameroon international is able to ping long balls with pinpoint accuracy and we’re certain that he will prove to be a good signing in the end. He may even take the top spot on this list one day.
2. Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire)
Two words sum up Bailly’s time at Old Trafford: Injury-plagued. In his six years at the club, he missed over 60 games due to various issues with his knees and ankles.
When he was fit, however, he was a relatively reliable best defender, as shown by his first season, where was named Player of the Month in August and included in the Europa League Squad of the Season.
His time at the club ultimately fizzled out as he fell down the pecking order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and was then eventually sold by Ten Hag. Still, United fans will have plenty of fond memories of Bailly at Old Trafford.
1. Quinton Fortune (South Africa)
Mr Versatile. Fortune had the misfortune of joining United shortly after they won the treble, meaning there was little room in the first team for him. Nevertheless, he proved to be useful to the club, providing cover all over the pitch.
He spent seven years there, making 126 appearances and playing in three title-winning campaigns. Due to injuries and his role as back-up, he didn’t play enough games to get a winner’s medal in two of them but did get his hands on one in 2002-03.
After leaving for Bolton in 2006, Fortune briefly returned to Man Utd in 2013 in a coaching capacity. These days he works as an assistant coach for Mexican club C.D. Guadalajara.
-Planet Football
Premier League
Salah uncertain about his future at Liverpool
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Egyptian publication, Ahram has published that Liverpool’s Egyptian winger, Mohamed Salah, expressed uncertainty about his future with the club on Sunday, citing the impending expiration of his contract at the end of this season.
The 32-year-old shone on Sunday as Liverpool delivered a stunning 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in a Premier League fixture.
Salah played a pivotal role in the win, assisting in the first two goals before finding the net for the third, bringing his goal tally to three in three games so far this season.
“I had a good summer and had a long time to myself to try to stay positive because as you know it’s my last year at the club, “Salah told Sky Sports after the game on Sunday.
“Nobody at the club has spoken to me yet about a new contract so. I just play this last season and then see at the end of the season.”
When asked about the possibility of playing for Manchester United, Salah responded that it is premature to discuss such matters.
“So far, we don’t know with which club, but so far yeah my last game here with Liverpool. It’s not up to me but nobody talk to me about a contract with the club. We’ll see.”
The Egyptian winger joined Liverpool in the summer of 2017 from Italian side AS Roma.
He has made 352 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool, scoring 214 goals and providing 92 assists.
Premier League
Man Utd humbled as Diaz double helps Liverpool humiliate rivals
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Two goals from Luis Diaz and one from Mohamed Salah helped Liverpool stroll to a 3-0 victory at Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, with Erik ten Hag’s side humbled by their fierce rivals.
Liverpool dominated a United team who could not keep pace with them in the first half, the visitors taking the lead in the 35th minute through a back-post header from Diaz after United midfielder Casemiro had given the ball away.
Casemiro was again at fault for Diaz and Liverpool’s second, again supplied by Mohamed Salah, with the Colombia international sweeping home three minutes before the break, sending United supporters off for their halftime refreshments early.
With United on the ropes, Liverpool smelled blood after the break, Salah adding a third 11 minutes into the second half, but the visitors settled for three as they maintained their 100% record this season under new coach Arne Slot.
“The goals are always self-inflicted,” United captain Bruno Fernandes told Sky Sports. “You need to commit a mistake to give them the goal. We don’t need to be pointing fingers at everyone. that won’t help us now.
“When you concede a goal you can’t just point at one mistake. We don’t have to look at the past. We just have to make it different. We lost the game, congratulations to Liverpool, they were more clinical. I don’t look at the stats but the game was tight.”
After a positive summer in the transfer market and fresh faces in the boardroom, last week’s last-gasp defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion gave United supporters a stark reminder of the improvements still needed on the pitch.
Sunday’s visit of a Liverpool side who had lost just one of their previous 12 Premier League meetings with United will have caused a great deal of concern pre-match.
Those more pessimistic fans were fearing the worst as Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to have fired Liverpool into an early lead at Old Trafford, only for VAR to step in and save the hosts, adjudging Salah to be offside earlier in the move.
United settled into the contest without troubling Liverpool down the other end of the pitch, allowing the visitors to pick their moments when they came.
Casemiro’s wayward pass ensured the Slot’s side did not have to try too hard to unlock their rivals, Diaz applying the finishing touch to get Liverpool up and running.
Diaz’s third of the season was another fine finish, but another Casemiro will want to forget. The flying Liverpool forward has now scored more Premier League goals against United than any other opponent.
Yet another mistake in midfield, this time from Kobbie Mainoo, was ruthlessly punished by Salah in the second half, the Egyptian cementing his pace as the highest-scoring opposition player at Old Trafford in Premier League history — seven strikes.
The visitors thereafter cruised to a victory that means Slot is the first Liverpool manager to win his first meeting with United since Bob Paisley in November 1975, and just the second to do so away from home after George Kay in November 1936.
“Everything what you want to see as a manager you saw in this game,” Slot said. “There were difficult moments for us, United started really well but then we have disallowed goal and there was no negative reaction, kept on playing, scoring three, could have scored more.
“There were two important saves from our goalkeeper and the work rate was incredibly well without the ball and that makes it a very positive day.”
-Reuters
Premier League
Brighton end 10-man Arsenal’s winning start
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Brighton and Hove Albion ended Arsenal’s winning start to the new Premier League season with a 1-1 draw at The Emirates on Saturday, with the home side holding on with 10 men after Declan Rice’s second-half sending off.
Arsenal dominated the first half and deservedly lead at half time after Kai Havertz finished brilliantly in the 38th minute, having been played in expertly by Bukayo Saka.
Four minutes into the second half, however, Arsenal’s task was made all the harder when Rice was sent off after picking up a second yellow card. Brazilian striker Joao Pedro fired Brighton level 12 minutes later.
Both sides missed golden chances to win the contest late on, but they each had to settle for a point that keeps Arsenal and Brighton unbeaten from their three games so far.
“We started the game really well,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports. “We scored the goal, 1-0. We started the second half really good but then there is the decision that changes the game completely.
“If it (second yellow card) happens throughout the game in a consistent way it is fine but it didn’t. It is the inconsistency.”
After narrowly missing out on their first Premier League title since 2004 last season, Arsenal started the new term in perfect fashion.
With champions Manchester City also coming into this weekend’s fixtures with two wins from two at the start of the new season, Arsenal know any slip-up, even this early in the campaign, could be costly.
They appeared set to be course for a ninth successive league victory after a dominant first-half display. Skipper Martin Odegaard should have scored earlier in the opening period before Havertz lofted home his second of the campaign.
Rice’s second yellow for trying to stop Brighton taking a quick free kick, a decision that was met with consternation around the stands, turned the tide in the visitors’ favour.
Since Boxing Day 2019 – Mikel Arteta’s first game in charge of Arsenal – the Gunners have been shown 16 red cards in the Premier League, at least three more than any other side. But it was Rice’s first red in his 245th Premier League appearance.
Following his last-gasp winner against Manchester United last weekend, Pedro reacted first after Yankuba Minteh’s shot had been saved to pull Brighton level, and the game opened up thereafter.
Saka could have snatched the win late on, while Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya had to be at his best on several occasions to keep Brighton from earning all three points, but both seemed content with a draw after an exhilarating tussle.
“We didn’t create enough chances when they went down to 10 men, but we will go away and look at it,” Brighton captain Lewis Dunk said.
“We always believe we can win any game of football. We are in a good place and we know we can beat anybody.”
-Reuters
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