Antoine Semenyo Makes History in Bournemouth's 4-2 Defeat at Liverpool

• The 25-year-old striker contributed 13 goals in 42 matches across all competitions for AFC Bournemouth last season
• Liverpool began their Premier League title defence with a big win as the newly-recruited Hugo Ekitike opened his scoring account
• The game was temporarily halted after Ghanaian forward Antoine Semenyo reported being subjected to racial abuse

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Ghanaian striker Antoine Semenyo made history in Bournemouth’s Premier League loss to Liverpool on the season’s opening day, Friday, August 15.

The reigning EPL champions secured a 4-2 triumph to launch their title defence in a grand style as newly-signed striker Hugo Ekitike and reliable hitman Mohamed Salah registered their names on the score sheet.

The home team started on the front foot and found the breakthrough in the 37th minute thanks to French attacker Ekitike, who joined Liverpool from Frankfurt this summer. Dutch international Cody Gakpo made it 2-0 for the Reds early in the second half.

Bournemouth, who opened a world-class training facility in May of this year, quickly responded, scoring twice, both goals coming from Ghana’s Black Stars striker, Semenyo. The former Bristol City player found the net in the 64th and 76th minutes, leveling the score at 2-2.

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Despite the setback, Liverpool regained control to claim a 4-2 victory, with late goals from substitute Federico Chiesa and Salah, according to Flashscore.

Semenyo sets Bournemouth record

Antoine Semenyo’s two goals at Anfield make him the first player to score a brace on Premier League opening day for Bournemouth in their nine seasons in the top flight.

Unfortunately, the six-goal thriller was marred by an alleged racist abuse against the Ghanaian player, who wasted no time and laid down a marker in his first outing of the season.

According to TalkSPORT, the Premier League has acknowledged reports of racial abuse aimed at Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during the match at Anfield.

Play during the game was halted by referee Anthony Taylor just before the half-hour mark amid disturbing scenes, with Taylor consulting both managers, Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola, on the sidelines. Captains Virgil van Dijk and Adam Smith were also involved in the discussions.

After a brief break, the match resumed, and the Premier League issued a strong condemnation of the reported abuse in an official statement. The statement confirmed that the game was temporarily paused following reports of discriminatory abuse directed at Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo from the crowd.

According to the same source, the incident at Anfield will be thoroughly investigated, and the league expressed full support for both the player and the clubs involved. The statement emphasized that racism has no place in football or society and reaffirmed their commitment to working with authorities to create an inclusive and welcoming environment in stadiums.

How fans reacted

"Antoine Semenyo was subject to racist abuse from one Liverpool fan. That's why the game has been paused. 30 minutes into a new season and..."

''Semenyo’s response speaks louder than any words could respect on and off the pitch.''

''Sincere apologies over the evil person's actions and words. He does not deserve to be anywhere near a football stadium for the rest of his wheelbound life. Semenyo was world class throughout and handled it very well. Kudos to the lad. He's a keeper.''

''White folk and hating pfff. These people who make racist insults in stadiums, I wonder how they will manage in 10 years. Because currently, the majority of very high-level players have Afro origins''

Speaking to YEN.com.gh in a quick chat, Ghanaian sports journalist Michael Gyamfi condemned the alleged act.

“What happened at Anfield is completely unacceptable. Football is meant to unite people, not divide them through hate. Antoine Semenyo is a young man who was born in England, he loves to play football and represent his club at the highest level. To be subjected to racist abuse in 2025 is shameful and disheartening.''

''We cannot pretend these incidents are isolated; they continue to stain the beautiful game. The Premier League, the FA, and UEFA have all spoken strongly against racism, but words alone are not enough. There must be firm action and real consequences for those responsible.''

''I commend referee Anthony Taylor for stopping the game, but this should be a turning point, not just another headline. As Ghanaians, we are proud of Semenyo’s performance and resilience. He showed courage on and off the pitch, and he deserves our full support.”

Semenyos's top moments in 2024/25

YEN.com.gh earlier featured top 5 moments of Antoine Semenyo during the 2024/25 Premier League season of Bournemouth.

The Black Stars forward, who signed a new deal ahead of the current season, achieved a major milestone, scoring important goals for his team, including strikes against Ruben Amorim's Manchester United.

Source: YEN.com.gh