Nigerians abroad: Godwin’s hat-trick shoots down Benfica II; Utaka, Ismaila steal the show in Japan

Soccernet.ng brings you some goalscoring actions across Europe and Asia involving a few of Nigeria’s finest football exports.

Saviour Godwin was the hero of the afternoon as the Nigerian attacker grabbed a hat trick to power Casa Pia to a memorable 4-2 win over high flying Benfica II at the Estádio Pina Manique in Lisboa.

Godwin fired seven goals in 27 matches for Casa Pia last term but had failed to find the back of the net in three Portuguese second-division matches this season.

But the 25-year-old scored in the 30th, 55th, and 74th minutes to help coach Filipe Martins’ men secure their second win of the campaign while handling Benfica II their first defeat of the season.

Over at the Stadion Zirka in Kropyvnytskyi, second-half substitute Michael Stephen put a seal on Inhulets’s 3-0 victory over Mariupol in a matchday three clash of the Ukraine Premier League.

Vladyslav Sharay scored both of the home side’s goals before Stephen, introduced in the 56th minute, netted a fine third 20 minutes later.

It was the second goal in six league appearances for 21-year-old Stephen, who only switched from NPFL’s Wikki Tourists to Ukraine in July.

In Japan’s J2 League, Nigerian stars Peter Utaka and Origaajo Ismaila stole the show at the Sanga Stadium by Kyocera to help Kyoto Sanga carve out a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over Tokyo Verdy on Saturday.

37-year-old Utaka, showing no signs of slowing down, smashed home his 14th league goal of the season in the 57th minute to cancel out Hanato’s first-half opener for the visitors.

Three minutes later, Buijs made it 2-1 to the hosts; before halftime substitute Ismaila completed the comeback in the 67th minute with his second goal in three league matches for Cho Kwi-Jae’s men.