It was another action-packed weekend for Nigeria Super Eagles and Super Falcons stars, with several debuts, goals, and standout performances across leagues abroad.
In Germany, Victor Boniface wasted no time announcing himself at Werder Bremen. The striker, making his debut after leaving Bayer Leverkusen, came off the bench in the 75th minute and set up Justin Njinmah for Bremen’s fourth goal in their 4-0 demolition of Borussia Monchengladbach.
Meanwhile, Nathan Tella got 83 minutes under his belt for Bayer Leverkusen as they secured their first Bundesliga victory of the season with a 3-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
In Scotland, Kelechi Iheanacho was the hero for Celtic on Sunday. The forward, who only joined on a free transfer earlier this month, marked his debut by coolly converting a stoppage-time penalty to seal a dramatic 2-1 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
In France, Nice edged Nantes 1-0 with Super Eagles duo Terem Moffi and Chidozie Awaziem involved. Moffi came on in the second half for his fourth appearance for Nice, while Awaziem played the full match for Nantes, though he couldn’t stop his side from falling short.
Elsewhere, Moses Simon put in a 60-minute shift for Paris FC as they claimed a hard-fought 2-1 away victory at Brest.
In England, Tolu Arokodare endured a tough Premier League debut for Wolverhampton Wanderers, as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle. The striker started the game following his summer move from Genk.
At Selhurst Park, Chrisantus Uche made his first appearance for Crystal Palace in their goalless draw against newly promoted Sunderland, coming on in the final minutes.
In another fixture, Fulham edged Leeds United 1-0 at home. Calvin Bassey was solid across the full 90 minutes, while Alex Iwobi featured until the 76th minute.
Women’s Football
In Canada, Super Falcons forward Esther Okoronkwo scored twice as AFC Toronto sealed their place in the Northern Super League playoffs with a dominant 7–0 win over Vancouver Rise FC on Saturday. Okoronkwo, who has been in fine form all season, opened the scoring with a stunning free kick in the 6th minute before adding her second in the 66th. The victory ended Vancouver’s eight-game unbeaten run and confirmed Toronto as the first team to qualify for the playoffs.
In Saudi Arabia, Super Falcons icon Asisat Oshoala got off to a flying start at Al-Hilal, scoring a debut goal from the penalty spot in their thrilling 4-3 win over Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Women’s Premier League. She played the entire game and was a constant threat.
In another venue, Super Falcons defender Ashleigh Plumptre captained Al Ittihad and assisted the decisive goal in their 2–1 win over Al Ula in the season opener. After the break, Plumptre made her mark by assisting Nunes’ second strike in the 60th minute. Fellow Nigerian Francisca Ordega came on in the 87th minute to help close out the game as Al Ittihad kicked off their campaign with a full three points.
In England, Chiamaka Nnadozie pulled off several key saves for Brighton, but Manchester City proved too strong, handing her side a narrow 2-1 defeat.
Over in Italy, Rinsola Babajide opened her scoring account for AS Roma, breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute of their 3-0 Cup win against Sassuolo. She was subbed off at half-time, but her strike set the tone for a dominant performance by the Giallorossi.
