Nigerians abroad: Ighalo, Nwakaeme, Boniface impressive; Onuachu, Maja suffer Boxing Day defeats

The Nigerian strikers enjoyed mixed fortunes in league outings for their respective clubs on the day after Christmas Day

Asia

In Saudi Arabia, two Nigerian strikers Odion Ighalo and Anthony Nwakaeme were on the goalscorer chart for Al Hilal and Al Fehia on Monday.

Odion Ighalo scored for the fourth game in a row to help champions Al Hilal secure a 2-2 draw away to league leaders Al Nassr.

Ighalo opened the scoring for the visitors with a fine finish inside the opening ten minutes but Talisca equalised for the Al Nassr shortly after the halftime break.

Al Hilal regained their lead from the penalty spot through Salem Al Dawsari but an 88th-minute strike from Abdulrahman Ghareeb earned a share of the spoils for the hosts.

Two points separate the two teams on the Saudi League table.

Ighalo, 33, has five goals and an assist in nine league matches for the Asian Galacticos.

Over at the Al Majma’ah Sports City Stadium in Al Majma’ah, Anthony Nwakaeme continued his fine form to lead Al Feiha to a well-deserved 2-1 at home to Al Tai.

Nwakaeme assisted the opening goal scored by Paulinho as early as the third minute.

And the Nigerian striker made it two-nil for the home side in the 21st minute, for his fifth goal in his last seven league games.

Europe

Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu fired blanks as league leaders Racing Genk lost 1-0 at the Guldensporenstadion to Bernd Storck Kortrijk.

Onuachu had exchanged bants with Storck – Genk’s former manager – before the encounter but it was the ex-Eupen boss who came out on top courtesy of a late strike from Argentina’s Felipe Avenatti.

Also in Belgium, at the Stade Joseph Mariën in Brussels, Victor Boniface delivered an excellent performance as Royale Union Saint-Gilloise ran out 3-0 winners over visiting KV Oostende.

Boniface provided the assist to USG’s second goal as they tightened their grip on second place on the Belgian Pro League table.

It was a Boxing Day to forget for Josh Maja in France as Le Havre edged to a 1-0 victory over Girondins Bordeaux.

The loss leaves third-place Bordeaux seven points behind Ligue 2 leaders Le Havre, hammering a high dent in their promotion hopes.