Sweet Strikes and Slick Skills: Kaabi Bites Barca, Sibari Sparks Napoli

Overview

Across Europe, a handful of Arab stars enjoyed a week packed with memorable moments, striking goals and clutch performances while others faced tougher nights. The sparkle around Mohamed Salah’s situation at Liverpool lingered as he sat among the substitutes in a recent Champions League fixture, fueling rumors about his future. Yet the continent’s shine was not limited to one story; several Arab players shone brightly, delivering performances that caught the eye of fans and pundits alike.

KOORA’s weekly Top Five returns with five Arabs who stood out in European football this past week, proving that talent travels well across leagues and borders. Here are the five who made the biggest impact.

The Five Standouts

1. Ayoub Kaabi (Olympiakos) The veteran Moroccan striker produced an eye-catching display despite Olympiakos’ heavy 6-1 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League. Kaabi netted his first goal in the competition and remained the Greek side’s best-rated performer, while also contributing in the domestic league with a win over Larissa.

2. Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund) The Algerian defender delivered a show of authority in Dortmund’s 4-2 win at Copenhagen. He even struck from the spot to notch his second European goal of the campaign and earned a high rating for his central role, also turning up for a late cameo in the Bundesliga against Bayern Munich.

3. Ismail Sibari (PSV Eindhoven) A central figure in Eindhoven’s 6-2 victory over Napoli, Sibari scored the second goal and was among the top-rated players, having also assisted a teammate in the Dutch league clash the weekend prior, showcasing his all-around impact on the pitch.

4. Hamza Egmân (Lille) The young Moroccan talent shifted the momentum in Lille’s win over Nantes after coming on as a substitute, scoring the second goal and continuing a standout season with multiple Ligue 1 contributions, including European competition form.

5. Bilal Khennous (Stuttgart) Khennous preserved his rising star status as Stuttgart hammered Wolfsburg. The 21-year-old started and impressed, contributing to goals and adding multiple sequences that highlighted his growing influence in the German top flight.

In short, five young men, five different leagues, one united message: Arab footballers are consistently ready to turn up and turn heads in Europe.

And for those keeping score: Salah’s ongoing storyline remains a talking point, but these five performances showed how depth and variety exist within Arab footballers plying their trade across the continent.

Punchlines aside, if football seasons were stand-up tours, these five would be headliners with a mic drop after every volley. So here’s hoping the next week serves up even more highlights and fewer deflated scorelines.

Two quick zingers to close: Kaabi didn’t just bite Barca, he filed a complaint with the goalpost for playing too far from the line. Sibari’s finish was so crisp that Napoli’s goalie filed for a refund on the glare from the Eindhoven headlights.