Nigerians Abroad: Etebo Makes European Debut; Edun Scores Against Liverpool; Innocent’s Malmo Magical

Here is Soccernet.ng‘s round-up of Nigerian players and players of Nigerian descent in action for their respective clubs in England and across Europe on Thursday, September 24.

Several days after teaming up with coach Fatih Terim’s side, Nigeria international Oghenekaro Etebo finally made his European debut as Galatasaray recorded a 2-0 win over Hajduk Split in a Europa League qualifier at the Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi Türk Telekom Stadyumu.

Despite having previously starred at Las Palmas, Feirense, Stoke City, and Granada, Etebo had before Thursday never been featured in a European match.

Etebo, who was in action from start to finish, missed the opportunity to break the game’s deadlock but missed with his shots in the first and second halves.

But substitute Belhanda saved the home side’s blushes with a 77th-minute opener before Babel secured the victory in the 86th-minute to power the Turkish giants into the next round of the competition.

With the victory over the Croatian club, Etebo’s Galatasaray will next do battle with Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo’s Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox.

Rangers, without the injured Aribo and with Balogun on the bench, trashed Willem II 4-0 in the Netherlands on the same evening.

At the Eleda Stadion in Sweden, Bonke Innocent was introduced into the fray after the hour-mark. He did his bit as Malmo thrashed Lokomotiva Zagreb 5-0 in a Europa League qualifier.

Goals from Rieks, Larsson, Nalic, and Thelin’s brace secured the excellent win for the home side.

Former England youth internationals Timothy Eyoma and Tayo Edun were in action for ninety minutes at the LNER Stadium in Lincolnshire, where Premier League champions Liverpool thrashed League One side Lincoln City 7-2.

Edun scored one of the home side’s goals when the scoreline stood at 5-0, and Eyoma, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, was unlucky not to get his name on the scoresheet.

But a brilliant free-kick goal from Xherdan Shaqiri, a Takumi Minamino double, a Curtis Jones brace, Grujić’s first strike in Red, and Divock Origi’s late finish confirmed the superiority of Jurgen Klopp’s side over the League One outfit.

Liverpool will host Arsenal next week in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.