It was another action-packed weekend for Nigerian footballers abroad, with standout performances, crucial goals, and even a few titles secured.
In Germany, Nathan Tella was on target for Bayer Leverkusen in their emphatic 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig. The Super Eagles winger scored his first Bundesliga goal this season, and also provided an assist. Tella set the tone early, assisting Patrik Schick for the opener in the 25th minute before capping off his performance with a goal just before halftime. He was substituted in the 77th minute after a superb outing.
Over in Scotland, Kelechi Iheanacho scored the winning goal for Celtic FC in their 2-1 win against Hibernian FC. Coming off the bench in the 70th minute, Iheanacho needed just two minutes to make his mark, scoring the winner and keeping Celtic’s title hopes alive. The strike was his seventh across all competitions this season.
In Italy, Maduka Okoye was solid between the sticks as Udinese Calcio defeated Torino FC 2-0. The goalkeeper secured his ninth clean sheet of the season, playing the full 90 minutes.
Teammate Kingsley Ehizibue also got on the scoresheet, opening the scoring in first-half stoppage time—his second goal of the campaign.
In England, Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwueze featured for Fulham FC but couldn’t prevent a 3-0 loss to Arsenal. Bassey was in action for the entire duration, while Chukwueze played for 64 minutes.
Meanwhile, Tolu Arokodare led the line for Wolverhampton Wanderers FC in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland AFC, marking his 30th league appearance of the season with three goals to his credit.
In Turkey, Victor Osimhen continued his fine form by registering an assist for Galatasaray SK, though they fell 4-1 to Samsunspor. Osimhen set up Yunus Akgün early in the match and now boasts an impressive tally of 20 goals and eight assists this season.
There was silverware in Portugal as Zaidu Sanusi and Terem Moffi celebrated winning the league title with FC Porto following a 1-0 win over Alverca FC. Porto’s nine-point lead with two games remaining sealed their dominance.
In France, Super Eagles duo of Chidozie Awaziem and Tochukwu Nnadi played all 90 minutes for Nantes and Marseille respectively as Nantes thrashed Marseille 3-0 in Saturday’s Ligue 1 game. Awaziem, who was making his 25th appearance, has scored one goal and bagged two assists for Nantes this ongoing season.
On the other hand, Nnadi was making his sixth appearance and bagged one assist for Marseille this ongoing season.
In Spain, Umar Sadiq featured for Valencia CF in their 2-0 defeat to Ademola Lookman’s Atlético Madrid. Lookman remained on the bench, likely being rested ahead of a crucial UEFA Champions League semi-final clash.
In Cyprus, goalkeeper Francis Uzoho celebrated league success with AC Omonia.
Meanwhile, in women’s football, Rinsola Babajide and Shukurat Oladipo have won the Italian Serie A Femminile title with AS Roma Women.
