Nigerians Abroad: Moses Stars, Martins Stunned, Dessers Scores

The new Chinese Super League campaign kicked off at the weekend just as the 2019-2020 Italian Serie A season nears its end while a few friendly matches were played behind closed doors as an unusual Year 2020 continues to unfold.

Victor Moses delivered an excellent 83 minutes of action to help Inter Milan secure all three points at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris with a convincing 3-0 win over Genoa on Saturday.

The 2013 AFCON winner supplied the assist – his fifth in an Inter shirt – for Alexis Sanchez’s goal in the 82nd minute to add to two excellent Romelu Lukaku strikes as Antonio Conte’s men moved to within four points of league leaders Juventus.

Moses has now registered six assists this season – the other one was notched during the first half of the campaign when he was still at Fenerbahce.

In China, ageless Obafemi Martins played the last half hour at the Dalian Sports Center. Still, he couldn’t rescue Shanghai Shenhua from suffering a 2-0 defeat to Guangzhou Evergrande in Game Week 1 of the CSL.

Shenhua, who have main striker Odion Ighalo chasing dreams on loan at Manchester United, succumbed to a brace of goals from Chinese forward Wei Shihao either side of the interval.

Super Eagles invitee Cyriel Dessers scored his third goal in as many matches for his new club as Racing Genk picked up a 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar in a friendly staged at the AFAS Stadium in the Netherlands on Saturday.

Dessers converted a penalty kick in the 19th minute to continue his brilliant pre-season form, having already scored in each of his last two games against Excelsior Rotterdam and FC Utrecht.

Genk’s other Nigerian stars – Paul Onuachu, Stephen Odey, and Shawn Adewoye – also featured in the second half of the encounter.

In another friendly match, Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo found the back of the net for the second consecutive game to lift Rangers to a 2-0 triumph over Coventry City.