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It was the goalkeepers’ show over the weekend, as Nigerian players continued their quest for excellence abroad, helping their teams grind out results, with a few of them getting their names on the score sheets. ABIODUN ADEWALE reports
SUNDAY
FRANCE
MOSES SIMON (NANTES)
Honoured last week after reaching a milestone of 150 Ligue 1 appearances, Simon continued his playmaking role with Nantes as they played out a 2-2 draw against St. Etienne on Sunday. Simon has two goals and two assists this season, but he was unable to improve that tally in the pulsating encounter.
CHAIMAKA NNADOZIE (PARIS FC)
Despite her team’s big win, Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie was busy between the sticks, making eight saves as her club Paris FC hammered Le Havre 8-0. It was her first clean sheet of the season in the league and fourth this term. It was a shift from their disappointing UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifier against Manchester City in midweek, which they lost 8-0 on aggregate.
ITALY
FISAYO DELE-BASHIRU (LAZIO)
Despite scoring and providing an assist during their midweek UEFA Europa League 3-0 win against Dynamo Kyiv, Super Eagles midfielder Dele-Bashiru was an unused substitute for Lazio as they beat Torino 3-2 away from home. He has only played three Serie A games without a league goal to his name.
THE NETHERLANDS
CHUBA AKPOM (AJAX)
Akpom started from the bench for the second consecutive game on Sunday as Ajax beat Waalwijk 2-0 away from home. He was not involved in any of the goals, even though both were scored during his 36-minute involvement in the Dutch Eredivisie fixture.
SPAIN
EJUKE, IHEANACHO (SEVILLA)
Chidera Ejuke and Kelechi Iheanacho were thrown into the starting lineup for Sevilla as they grinded out a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao. While Iheanacho was taken off in the 59th minute for Felix Suso, Ejuke was instrumental to Sevilla’s goal, as his cross was turned into the net by Bilbao keeper Alex Padilla deep into stoppage time to steal a point for them.
BABAJIDE, MONDAY (TENERIFE)
Like their male counterparts at Sevilla, Rinsola Babajide and Gift Monday also made the starting lineup for Tenerife as they faced Real Madrid Women at home.
ENGLAND
TONI PAYNE (EVERTON)
Super Falcons midfielder Payne started from the bench again in Everton Women’s game against Manchester United Women, which ended 1-0 in favour of the visitors. Payne was introduced in the 64th minute of the game. She made her debut last week, playing 57 minutes during their 4-0 loss to Brighton.
SCOTLAND
DESSERS, BALOGUN (RANGERS)
In-form striker Cyriel Dessers started from the bench on Sunday as Rangers recorded a slim 1-0 win over Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League. Leon Balogun was an unused substitute in the game. Rangers’ goal was scored by Tom Lawrence in the first half. Dessiers has three goals and one assist in six league games this season.
SOUTH AFRICA
STANLEY NWABALI (CHIPPA UNITED)
Super Eagles goalkeeper Nwabali still has one clean sheet in four South Africa Premier League games as he let in a goal in their 2-1 win over TS Galaxy. He made three saves from the four shots he faced during the game.
TURKEY
TOSIN DEMEHIN (GALATASARAY)
Nigeria defender Demehin made her second league appearance for Galatasaray Women, who beat Bornova Women 2-1 on Sunday. She made her debut last Friday as a substitute and also featured in their Women’s Champions League qualifiers in midweek.
SATURDAY
Turkey
VICTOR OSIMHEN (GALATASARAY)
Osimhen finally opened his Galatasaray account, netting twice in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Kasımpaşa in a Turkish Super Lig matchday seven fixture at RAMS Park on Saturday.
He had endured a three-game goal drought since joining the Turkish giants on loan from Napoli earlier this month but finally announced his arrival with a quick-fire double within the opening half-hour of the match.
The Nigeria striker broke the deadlock in the 20th minute, meeting a pinpoint cross from Abdulkerim Bardakci as he celebrated by donning a Galatasaray jersey inscribed with ‘finally’, signalling the end of his wait for a dock breaker. Just eight minutes later, Osimhen completed his brace with a thunderous volley from Gabriel Sara’s brilliant pass, showcasing the clinical finishing that made him one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers. He now has two goals plus two assists for Gala in three league matches.
KENNETH OMERUO (KASIMPASA)
After missing their last two games, Omeruo played for 61 minutes for Kasimpasa, who came from 3-0 down to share the spoils at Galatasaray. He came on in the 30th minute after his compatriot, Osimhen, had given the hosts a two-goal lead. The defender’s presence, however, tightened things at the back for the visitors, who delivered a historic comeback.
SAUDI ARABIA
WILLIAM TROOST-EKONG (AL KHOLOOD)
The Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, grabbed his first goal in the Saudi Pro League as his team, Al Kholood, stumbled to a 4-2 home defeat against Al Hilal on Saturday.
The visitors scored four goals in ten minutes, leaving Al Kholood with a mountain to climb. The home team rallied briefly at the end, though, with Hammam Al Hammami finding the net in the 71st minute. Troost-Ekong then made the scoreline look even more respectable when he converted expertly from the penalty spot three minutes from time.
ENGLAND
WILFRED NDIDI (LEICESTER CITY)
Ndidi provided an assist but still scored an unfortunate own-goal as Leicester City suffered a 4-2 defeat against Arsenal in a six-goal Premier League thriller at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Ndidi’s pinpoint cross from the left wing set up James Justin for a spectacular volley in the 62nd minute, bringing the Foxes level at 2-2 after they had trailed by two goals at halftime. The midfielder’s misery was compounded when he deflected Leandro Trossard’s shot into his own net for Arsenal’s third goal in the 94th minute.
AWONIYI, AINA (NOTTINGHAM FOREST)
At the City Ground, Nigerian duo Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina suffered their first defeat of the season as their club Nottingham Forest fell 1-0 to Fulham, with compatriots Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey on the winning side. Awoniyi got his first Premier League start of the season in the game, while Aina kept his place in the starting lineup as usual.
IWOBI, BASSEY (FULHAM)
Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey were involved as Fulham claimed the three points away at Nottingham Forest courtesy of Raul Jimenez’s second-half penalty. The Mexican striker netted his 50th Premier League goal from the spot after VAR intervention led referee John Brooks to penalise Forest defender Murillo for a foul on Andreas Pereira. The result saw Fulham climb to sixth in the table, just three points off the top spot, while Forest were left to rue their first defeat of the campaign.
MAJA, AJAYI (WEST BROM)
In the EFL Championship, Josh Maja continued his impressive form with his seventh goal of the season for West Brom, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Baggies from suffering a 3-2 defeat in a thrilling match against Sheffield Wednesday.
TOM DELE-BASHIRU (WATFORD)
Former Flying Eagles midfielder Dele-Bashiru scored a late penalty and secured a dramatic 2-1 victory for Watford against Sunderland at Vicarage Road. He calmly converted from the spot in the 84th minute for his second goal of the season and also ensured all three points for the Hornets.
FRANCE
AKOR ADAMS (MONTPELLIER)
Fresh from scoring a brace last week, Adams was back among the contributors as he made an assist for Montpellier in their 2-1 defeat at Monaco, taking his tally to three goals and one assist in six matches this season.
GERMANY
BONIFACE, TELLA (LEVERKUSEN)
Bayer Leverkusen duo Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface featured the Bundesliga champions in their 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Boniface started the game before being taken off for his compatriot in the second half.
FRANK ONYEKA (AUGSBURG)
On-loan midfielder Onyeka was in action for Augsburg, who suffered a 4-0 thrashing at Leipzig. He was booked for a foul in the 78th minute of the game.
ITALY
MADUKA OKOYE (UDINESE)
Okoye made four saves from the seven shots he faced on Saturday, but he still conceded three goals as Inter Milan beat Udinese 3-2 at home.
ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (ATALANTA)
Lookman was played as a striker, but he wasn’t on target to increase his tally in Alalanta’s 1-1 draw against 10-man Bologna.
SPAIN
CHRISANTUS UCHE (GETAFE)
Amid his racism complaints debate, Uche kept his place in Getafe’s starting lineup as they beat Alaves 2-0 for their first win of the season.
SADIQ UMAR (REAL SOCIEDAD)
Umar was not listed as Real Sociedad beat Valencia 3-0 at the Reale Arena.
ARMENIA
IBRAHIM YUSUF (WEST ARMENIA)
Former Sunshine Stars man Ibrahim Yusuf came on as a halftime substitute and grabbed a brace to inspire West Armenia to a 2-0 win over Alashkert in the Armenian topflight. The striker now has three goals and one assist in four games for his club, who secured their first win of the season.
BELGIUM
AROKODARE, SOR (GENK)
Tolu Arokodare and Yira Sor were both named in Genk’s starting XI against KV Mechelen, but both strikers couldn’t score before they were replaced in the club’s 2-1 win.
LATVIA
TAIWO, OGUNNIYI (FK AUDA)
Twenty-six-year-old Abdulrahman Taiwo bagged a brace to power FK Auda to a pulsating 3-2 win over Valmiera in the Latvian topflight. He has now scored six goals in seven league games this term. His compatriot and former Nigeria U-23 international, Abiodun Ogunniyi, who has two goals plus three assists so far this term, also played 70 minutes in the encounter.
