On a Monday night of nail-biting fixtures, Nigerians football abroad had their fair share of heart-stopping moments, Soccernet.ng reports.
Alex Iwobi’s 54th-minute equalizer helped Everton secure a 2-2 draw against Wilfred Ndidi’s Leicester City. Despite the draw, both teams did little to boost their Premier League relegation survival hopes.
Meanwhile, in the Cyprus First Division, Francis Uzoho was in imperious form, making three crucial saves and keeping a clean sheet as his Omonia Nicosia held their hosts APOEL to a goalless draw. His commanding presence in goal was instrumental in securing a vital point away from home.
In Norway’s Eliteserien, Akor Adams proved to be the hero for Lillestrøm, securing a thrilling 4-3 victory away to Valerenga. The 23-year-old Nigerian scored a brace, including a 94th-minute winner, and assisted another as Lillestrøm claimed their third league win on the bounce.
Adeleke Akinola Akinyemi got Karvina off to a flying start, scoring the opener just three minutes into the game. However, Solomon Omale’s Opava fought back to win 2-1, leaving Karvina to rue their missed opportunities.
In Slovakia, Abdulrahman Taiwo was the toast of Spartak Trnava as his equalizer in the 85th minute forced extra time before further goals from Jakub Paur and Filip Twardzik earned them a 3-1 victory over favourites Slovan Bratislava in the Slovakian Cup final. Taiwo’s heroics powered Trnava to an unlikely win and capped off an outstanding individual performance.
In South Africa, Daniel Akpeyi was at his best as his crucial saves powered Swallows to a 2-1 away win over his former employers, Kaizer Chiefs. His commanding presence between the sticks was instrumental in securing three vital points for Swallows.
Finally, in Turkey, Emeka Eze netted the winner to propel İstanbulspor to a hard-fought 1-0 win at home to Giresunspor.
Eze’s goal was the difference in a closely contested encounter and cemented İstanbulspor’s place in the top half of the league standings.
Overall, it was a remarkable day for Nigerians abroad, with standout performances across Europe and Africa.
As the season draws to a close, Nigerian footballers will look to build on their recent form and finish the campaign on a high.
