The Nigeria international is having his first spell in the German top flight, but things are yet not going according to plan
Super Eagles winger Chidera Ejuke will look to score his first goal in German football when his Hertha Berlin trade tackles with Cologne at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Ejuke has been unlucky in front of goal since joining Hertha Berlin on loan from Russian side CSKA Moscow in the summer.
The 24-year-old has made 14 appearances in the Bundesliga and has impressed with three assists.
But the Nigeria international is yet to open his goalscoring account in the German top flight.
The former Heerenveen man has had 20 unsuccessful shots on goal this season, the worst of any Bundesliga player.
Still, Ejuke has shown at previous clubs that he can find the back of the net even as a winger.
The Hertha Berlin number 40 scored 15 goals in 69 games for Norwegian side Valerenga, netted 10 in 29 matches for Heerenveen, and managed 10 in 65 appearances for CSKA Moscow.
It appears only a matter of time before Ejuke finds his range in Germany, and Hertha are backing him to do just that.
Convinced of the Nigerian playmaker’s quality in the final third, Hertha Berlin head coach Sandro Schwarz said: “Chidi will score his goals. He has the quality.
“We will continue supporting and encouraging him to get into these situations. Then the penny will drop for him too, and he will score.
“It’s human for a player to struggle with his quality and be very self-critical.”
Dribbler or goalscorer?
While Ejuke’s goalscoring statistic in Germany has been an unpleasant read, his dribbling numbers, however, remain top-notch.
The former Valerenga ace is the Bundesliga’s best dribbler, averaging 2.2 dribbles per game.
That has, however, not impressed the Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro who has snubbed Ejuke for Nigeria’s friendly match against Portugal on Thursday, November 17.
