It was a weekend full of highs and lows for Nigerian footballers across the globe, with goals, assists, heartbreaks, and heroic performances making headlines.
In the Premier League, Alex Iwobi continued his solid form for Fulham by netting his ninth league goal of the season. The Super Eagles midfielder gave Fulham an early lead in their clash against Chelsea at Craven Cottage, but the visitors mounted a comeback to seal a 2-1 win. Iwobi, making his 33rd appearance of the campaign, was one of the bright spots for the Cottagers. His compatriot Calvin Bassey also played the full 90 minutes in the same match.
Over at Leicester City, Wilfred Ndidi and the Foxes suffered relegation heartbreak after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Liverpool confirmed their drop to the EFL Championship. Ndidi, who made 24 appearances this season and contributed four assists, couldn’t help his side avoid the drop.
Paul Onuachu featured for Southampton in their 1-1 draw away at West Ham. The striker, who has netted four goals and provided one assist in 23 league games this season, was subbed off in the 68th minute after a solid performance.
In Spain, Umar Sadiq was the hero for Valencia, coming off the bench to score a late equaliser against Rayo Vallecano at the Estadio de Vallecas. The goal—his fifth of the season—rescued a point for his side and underlined his impact in key moments.
In Turkey, David Okereke found the back of the net for Gaziantep, although his goal wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-1 loss to Istanbul Basaksehir. Okereke has now scored eight goals and registered three assists in 25 league appearances, with two goals coming in his last five games.
Meanwhile, Victor Osimhen was in action for Galatasaray, playing 86 minutes in their 2-0 victory over Bodrum. The win keeps Galatasaray at the top of the Turkish Super Lig, five points clear of rivals Fenerbahce. Osimhen now boasts 21 goals and four assists in 25 league appearances—a remarkable return for the Super Eagles striker.
In Belgium, Tolu Arokodare continued his rich vein of form, scoring a stoppage-time goal in KRC Genk’s 2-1 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise. It was his 19th goal of the season. Nigerian-born Promise David also got on the scoresheet for the opposition, converting a penalty just before halftime.
In Germany, Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella featured for Bayer Leverkusen in their 1-1 draw against St. Pauli. Boniface came on late for Tella but couldn’t find the winner. The striker has now gone four games without a goal, though he’s still racked up eight in 19 league appearances. Tella, meanwhile, marked his 23rd league game with a solid outing.
Over in Italy, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze played pivotal roles in Atalanta’s narrow 1-0 win over AC Milan. Lookman, in his 27th appearance of the season, has an impressive 13 goals and five assists to his name, while Chukwueze, a second-half substitute for Milan, continues to build on his tally of three goals in 24 matches.
Elsewhere in Serie A, Tyronne Ebuehi made a welcome return to action for Empoli in their 2-2 draw with Venezia. After being sidelined with injury for much of the season, Ebuehi came on with 20 minutes left to help his side salvage a point.
In women’s football, Gift Monday made a dream first start for Washington Spirit in the NWSL, scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over Orlando Pride. Her opportunistic finish in the 63rd minute sealed all three points.
In Saudi Arabia, Francisca Ordega was named the Saudi Women’s Premier League Player of the Month for March after a stellar run with Al Ittihad, where she notched four goals and three assists in just three appearances. She edged out fellow Nigerian Ashleigh Plumptre and Congo’s Naomie Kabakaba to win the award.
Finally, in Portugal, Christy Ucheibe continued her scoring streak for Benfica, netting for the second consecutive game as her side fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw in the Taca de Portugal semifinal first leg.
