The UEFA Europa League resumed on Wednesday with some interesting fixtures, and some Nigerian stars were heavily involved in the action.
In the early kick-off, Nigerian defender Ibrahim Buhari was in action for Swedish club Elfsborg. It was also his debut in the competition, but it didn’t end well for him as his side fell to a 3-2 loss at AZ Alkmaar.
Elfsborg were on the back foot for most of the game as AZ Alkmaar dominated the game. However, the Dutch side’s defense was not up to it. Nonetheless, they eventually emerged on top.
It was a game to forget for Buhari as he registered four clearances and 32 touches, but he was one of the poorest players on the pitch for Elfsborg.
Victor Osimhen keeps racking up the assists
Elsewhere, Victor Osimhen’s streak of providing assists continued when Galatasaray welcomed PAOK to Rams Park. The Super Eagles striker maintained his place in the starting eleven, and he looked quite lively.
Osimhen had some good chances to score early on, but they were off target. He eventually got his first shot on target in the 27th minute, but the goalkeeper saved the ball calmly.
Osimhen’s aerial presence was a problem for PAOK all night, and that eventually caused the first goal. The Nigerian striker rose highest to meet a cross in the 48th minute and his header deflected off a PAOK player’s foot to trickle into goal. Unfortunately for Osimhen, the goal was deemed an own goal.
However, Galatasaray’s lead did not last as Giannis Konstantelias equalized for the Greek champions in the 67th minute of play.
Galatasaray continued to pile the pressure, and they got their second of the game. This time, Osimhen was still involved, as he placed a well-weighted header to Yunus Akgun, who struck a volley from close range to make it 2-1.
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Osimhen was replaced by Mauro Icardi in the 78th minute, and the Argentine forward later wrapped up the game with a clean finish in the 95th minute to ensure it ended 3-1.
Nigerian superstar Osimhen had a good game with two assists to his name. But his inability to score in his first three game will be a source of worry.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru proves his quality
Nigerian attacking midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru shone brightly for Lazio in their 3-0 thumping of Dynamo Kyiv. The Ukrainian side were supposed to have the home advantage, but they’ve been away from Kyiv in the past two years due to the Russo-Ukrainian war. Hence, it was a level playing ground for both teams.
Lazio had a dream start with Boulaye Dia scoring the opener inside five minutes. Then in the 34th minute, Dele-Bashiru scored the second of the game after latching on to a pass from Matias Vecino.
Just four minutes later, Dele-Bashiru turned provider as he set up Dia for Lazio’s second goal.
All the scoring was done within the first 39 minutes of the game. Dele-Bashiru got 79 minutes of action. It eventually ended 3-0 in Lazio’s favour.
