It’s always a blessed return to league football after the international round of matches and it was no exception this weekend as Nigerian players shone like a million stars.
Soccernet Nigeria brings you a detailed report of the heroics and otherwise of Nigeria stars abroad over the weekend.
Italy
William Troost-Ekong, Ola Aina; Udinese 1-0 Torino
Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong was on for the entire duration of the match, putting in an impressive performance to help the home side keep a clean sheet as Udinese earned a vital 1-0 win over visiting Torino on Sunday.
Troost-Ekong, who was equally brilliant when Nigeria battled Brazil to a stalemate just last week during the international break, once again showed why he comes highly rated as he cupped a rating of 7.6 per Whoscored.com after delivering another composed display.
Nigeria-born Italian Stefano Okaka netted tge only goal of tge encounter for the hists just before halftime.
Meanwhile, Ekong’s compatriot, Ola Aina did not taste action at all as he was kept on the bench for the duration of the game.
The versatile wingback, who also missed Nigeria’s friendly tie with Brazil, has played only eight minutes of football this month.
Spain
Asisat Oshoala, Barcelona 5-0 Logrono
The Super Falcons hotshot continued her impressive goalscoring streak after she scored her sixth goal for Barcelona in all competitions this season in the 5-0 routing of Logrono in a league match on Sunday.
Asisat Oshoala scored her fourth goal in as many matches to help Barcelona Ladies see off the mild challenge if their opponents.
This is the first time since moving to Europe that the former Arsenal forward will score in four consecutive matches.
Barcelona raced to a three-nil lead in the first half before Oshoala struck in the 51st minute to extend the scoreline on Sunday afternoon at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
Victory for Barcelona strengthened their grip on pole position in the league, with 16 points from 6 matches.
Turkey
Mikel Obi, Kayode Olanrewaju; Trabzonspor 4-1 Gaziantep
Retired Super Eagles skipper John Mikel Obi was left out of the Trabzonspor’s team that handed a humbling 4-1 defeat over to Kayode Olanrewaju’s Gaziantep FK in Saturday’s Turkish Super Lig game.
While a groin injury reportedly kept Mikel out of action, countryman Anthony Nwakaeme was on from start to finish, providing an assist even as the home side ran riot against their guests.
Former Liverpool and Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge gave the home side an early lead, after being set up by Alexander Sorloth.
Sturridge returned the favor in the 14th minute as Alexander Sorloth made it 2-0.
Jefferson reduced the deficit for Gaziantep FK in the 54th minutes, but Jose Sosa restored Trabzonspor’s two goals advantage.
Yusuf Sari completed the rout and made it 4-1 with nine minutes left on the clock, from Nwakaeme’s assist.
Meanwhile, Gaziantep’s Kayode Olanrewaju received his matching orders late in the game to compound the woes of Marius Sumudica’s men.
Germany
Taiwo Awoniyi, Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-0 Mainz
It was a night to forget for the Nigeria striker as his club Mainz 05 suffered yet another embarrassing loss in the Bundesliga over the weekend.
The loss leaves Mainz only above Jamilu Collins Paderborn on the German topflight table.
Forward Taiwo Awoniyi was handed a rare start by Coach Sandro Schwarz but the former Golden Eaglets starlet struggled against the home side’s defence and was replaced after 46th minutes by Danny Lazta at the Merkur Spiel-Arena on Saturday.
Awoniyi is currently on loan at the German side from European Champions Liverpool and he is yet to score after making only two appearances so far.
Spain
Kenneth Omeruo, Chidozie Awaziem; Getafe 2-0 Leganes
Former Chelsea defender Omeruo made his long awaited return from injury and earned a spot in the starting line up for Leganes but could not prevent his struggling side from succumbing to yet another loss as Getafe ran away with a 2-0 victory.
The 2013 AFCON winning centreback completed 90 minutes against Getafe on Saturday at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, yet Leganes put on another lackluster performance that has seen rooted to the bottom of La Liga table.
Angel Rodriguez’s second half brace was enough to condemned the Mauricio Pellegrino’s men to their seventh defeat of the season after only nine league games.
Omeruo, who missed Nigeria’s international friendly game with Brazil last Sunday was booked by referee Juan Martinez Munuera after a rough tackle.
His compatriot Chidozie Awaziem was an unused substitute in the game.
France
Victor Osimhen, Toulouse 2-1 Lille
Toulouse broke their poor form by silencing Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen and defeating Lille 2-1 at the weekend.
Player of the Month of September award winner and Nigeria’s rave of the moment Victor Osimhen fired blank in Lille’s defeat to Toulouse in French Ligue 1 fixture on Saturday.
Osimhen spearheaded the Christopher Galtier’s men attack at the Stadium de Toulouse but the visitors failed to perform away from home again. Lille are yet to win a game away from home this season.
The first half ended goalless but Arsenal’s old boy Yaya Sanogo fired Toulouse ahead two minutes before the hour mark.
Mark Gradel added the second for Denis Zanko’s side eight minutes later from the penalty spot.
Portuguese defender Jose Fonte scored a consolation goal for Lille on the dot of 90 to make it 2-1.
Osimhen has managed seven Ligue 1 goals.
China
Odion Ighalo, Shanghai Shenhua 2-1 Daliang Yifang
Odion Ighalo broke his mini goal-drought with a superb strike for Shanghai Shenhua in their 2-1 Chinese Super League win over Daliang Yifang at the Hongkou Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The ex-Super Eagles targetman was on hand to blast home from a Cao Yunding’s cross in the 38th minute, thus completing a brilliant first half comeback after his team had fallen behind to a Yannick Carrasco first minute goal.
It was his first for the club since May as he had gone four league games without finding the back of the net.
The AFCON 2019 goal king has now tallied eight goals in just 13 league games for Choi Kang-hee’s side this season and is the team’s third highest goalscorer.
Last season saw the former Watford marksman set a personal best goal-tally for a league season, scoring 21 times in 28 league outings for Changchun Yatai and it would take a lot more strikes to better than mark.
Shaghai are placed eleventh on the sixteen-team CSL table with 30 points and it’s ninth-place Chongching Lifan who they face next on Friday 25th.
England
Alex Iwobi, Everton 2-0 West Ham
Former Arsenal attacker Alex Iwobi produced a livewire performance in his favourite number 10 role to help Everton claim a deserved victory in their Saturday’s Premier league tie with West Ham United at the Goodison Park.
Iwobi saw 88 minutes of action by the time when the home side was already 1-0 up and the man who replaced the Super Eagles star, Sigurdsson, helped seal all the three points with a brilliant strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Everton forward Bernard had earlier given the Toffees a first half lead from a sumptuous control, turn and shot.
The victory moved Everton to 12th place, two points off West Ham who missed the chance to move up to third temporarily after a second straight loss.
Oghenekaro Etebo, Stoke 2-0 Fulham
Super Eagles midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo returned from injury to help Stoke City to another important victory in the English championship on Saturday.
Etebo, who missed Nigeria’s friendly with Brazil last Sunday, was involved from start to finish for the Nathan Jones’ men, as they secured an impressive 2-0 win over Fulham at the Bet 365 Stadium.
Tyrese Campbell scored the first goal for the Potters in the 16th minutes, after latching on to a pass from Lee Gregory.
Stoke City had to wait till late on in the second half to kill off the game , as Lee Gregory scored from the penalty spot in the 80th minutes.
The win moved the Potter one place to 23rd position with just 2 wins and draws from 12 matches.
This post was last modified on October 21, 2019 8:49 am
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