Nigerian forward Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi has credited his hard work as the driving force behind his first goals for OH Leuven in Belgium’s top league, Soccernet.ng reports.
Having joined the Belgian club from Italy’s Salernitana over the summer, the 23-year-old has struggled to find the net since his arrival, with his last goal coming in January during Salernitana’s 6-1 Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus.
Saturday’s match, however, saw the former NK Celje forward return to form, delivering his first brace since September 2022 and securing a valuable victory for Leuven.
OH Leuven achieved an impressive 2-0 win on Saturday afternoon at Charleroi’s Stade du Pays, with Ikwuemesi netting both goals before halftime.
Charleroi initially controlled possession and forced Leuven goalkeeper Leysen into action early on, with a strong save from Mbenza’s free-kick in the sixth minute.
Leuven took time to settle, but when they found their rhythm, the results were immediate.
Around the 30th minute, Balikwisha intercepted the ball in midfield and sent it to Ikwuemesi, who surged down the right wing and calmly slotted in the first goal.
Shortly before the break, Ikwuemesi doubled the lead, initiating a counterattack from his own half and finishing it with finesse for 2-0.
Reflecting on his performance, Ikwuemesi was thrilled with his breakthrough, saying,
“Collectively, we played a strong match, exactly what we practiced in training. On a personal level, it feels fantastic to score again—I’ve worked hard for it.”
The win marks OH Leuven’s first victory since late August, ending a five-game winless streak.
Despite the result, head coach Oscar Garcia admitted his team’s performance was far from their best.
“We played one of our worst games, but we still took the three points,” Garcia said. “It’s been the other way around this season, so it feels great to finally win again.”
Looking ahead, OH Leuven will shift focus to the Belgian Cup, where they are set to face RFC Seraing at the King Power at Den Dreef Stadion on Wednesday, October 30.
