Nigerians Abroad: Omeruo Sees First Red; Sadiq Sets New Career Best; Kehinde Goes Wild In Turkey

After featuring in 70 league matches in La Liga and the Segunda Division, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner Kenneth Omeruo has received his first marching orders in Spain.

The Nigerian defender set the unwanted record in Leganes’ 1-1 draw at home to Ponferradina at the Estadio Butarque on Monday evening.

Omeruo picked up his first booking of the night for an ugly foul in the 47th minute, with his side leading thanks to Sergio Gonzalez’s first-half strike.

But the centre-back then took an early walk to the dressing room after the referee showed him a second yellow in the 73rd minute – the third dismissal of his league career.

Ponferradina grabbed their equaliser through Oscar Sielva two minutes after the home side were reduced to ten men.

Before his latest dismissal, Omeruo had received just two red cards in league games for Middlesbrough in the Championship and ADO Den Haag in the Eredivisie.

Meanwhile, Umar Sadiq kept pace with other goalscoring Nigerian strikers in Europe with another goal in Almeria’s 1-1 draw at home to Espanyol.

The Super Eagles hopeful gave Almeria the lead five minutes into the second half after great work from Lucas Robertone.

But Landry Dimata dragged the league leaders back on levelled terms eight minutes later as third-place Almeria maintained the ten-point gap between them and the visitors.

Sadiq’s latest effort is his 16th league goal for Almeria since joining Jose Gomes’ side in the summer. It is the most he has managed at any club since turning professional six years ago.

Finally, in Turkey, Olanrewaju Kehinde was the star of the show as his four-goal contribution drove Ümraniyespor to a come-from-behind 4-3 triumph over Ankaraspor.

Kehinde took over the tie after Marcus Pederson and Erdem Cetinkaya had handed the visitors a two-goal advantage when he halved the deficit for his side moments before the interval.

The 26-year-old forward then scored two goals in 12 second-half minutes to make it 3-2 for the hosts inside the sprawling Ümraniye Hekimbaşı Şehir Stadyumu.

Ercan Yazici stunned Recep Uçar’s men with a 75th-minute equaliser, but Kehinde ensured his side kept all the three points at stake, setting up Serkan Goksu for a late winner.