Ighalo fires Al Shabab to crucial away win, Aina features in Torino thriller

The 2019 AFCON top scorer was the best player on the pitch as his Saudi Arabian side secured another excellent away win

Former Nigerian international Odion Ighalo was the match-winning hero as Al Shabab picked up a morale-boosting 2-0 victory away to fellow title challengers Al Ittihad on Friday.

The fantastic Ighalo scored both goals for Péricles Chamusca’s men to power them to their fourth win of the season in the Saudi Arabia Pro League.

Al Ittihad were the league leaders and had stayed unbeaten at home ahead of the encounter at the Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.

But Ighalo did not receive the memo, and the ex-Super Eagle was already on the scoresheet after 22 minutes after sending an effort past Brazil’s Marcelo Grohe in the hosts’ goal.

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations top scorer then made the points safe in the 68th-minute with his eighth goal in nine league matches.

Ighalo, 32, claimed the September player of the month award after scoring three goals in three league games. The former Manchester United loanee has now matched that tally in as many matches in October.

In the Italian Serie A, Nigerian defender Ola Aina came off the bench in the second half to help Torino edge past Genoa in an exciting game that finished 3-2 at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

The tie was delicately poised at 2-1 when Aina entered the fray in the 71st-minute and shortly after, Torino extended their lead as Praet and Brekalo combined brilliantly for the latter to find the back of the net.

Genoa responded quickly with a Caicedo effort to set up a nervy last ten minutes, but Aina and co built a solid defensive wall to help Torino recover from the agonising Victor Osimhen-inspired defeat to Napoli last weekend.