Francis Ezeh and Chukwuma Akabueze were among the Nigerian goalscorers in Turkey on Wednesday, March 3, 2024, as action unfolded in the Turkish second division, Soccernet.ng reports.
It was a memorable day for Chukwuma Akabueze as the veteran midfielder scored his first-ever goal for Sanlıurfaspor in a 2-1 home defeat to Adanaspor.
Akabueze, 35, who joined Sanlıurfaspor from Miracle Degirmenlik SK in January, opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a stunning left-footed strike from outside the box into the bottom right corner. The goal is his first in nearly a year, following a difficult spell in his career.
Sanlıurfaspor’s teenage sensation Uchenna Ogundu has dominated the headlines in recent weeks after breaking into the senior team following the departure of Olanrewaju Kayode to Esenler Erokspor.
However, it was Akabueze who stole the spotlight on Wednesday with a composed display.
Despite Akabueze’s early goal, Adanaspor — struggling in the relegation zone — fought back with second-half strikes from Endri Çekiçi and Fatih Kurucuk to claim all three points.
Akabueze, who scored Nigeria’s only goal in a 1-0 friendly win over Kenya in 2007, now has one goal and one assist in seven league appearances for Sanlıurfaspor.
Elsewhere at the Çorum Şehir Stadyumu, Paul Mukairu impressed as Boluspor secured a 2-0 victory over Çorum FK. The FC Copenhagen loanee played a crucial role as second-half goals from Jefferson and Oguz Güçtekin earned the visitors maximum points.
In Ankara, Francis Ezeh was among the goals for Ankara Keçiörengücü in a dramatic 2-2 draw against Esenler Erokspor.
Ezeh broke the deadlock just before halftime with a tidy finish, but a Benhur Keser penalty brought the visitors level in the 73rd minute.
Super Eagles forward Olanrewaju Kayode, introduced as a second-half substitute, could not inspire his side to victory as Mame Diouf restored Ankara Keçiörengücü’s lead.
However, Esenler Erokspor’s resilience paid off deep into stoppage time when Junior Fernandes snatched a late equaliser.