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Victor Osimhen Returns, But Paul Onuachu And Gift Monday Dominate Nigerian Weekend Football

It Was A Busy Weekend For Nigerian Footballers Across Europe And Beyond, With Mixed Performances From The Super Eagles And Super Falcons Stars. While Victor Osimhen Returned From Injury For Galatasaray, It Was Paul Onuachu And Gift Monday Who Truly Stole The Spotlight.

Victor Osimhen Returns

Osimhen Made His Comeback In Galatasaray’s 1-0 Win Over Alanyaspor, Coming On In The 85th Minute For Barış Alper Yılmaz. The Match Marked His First Appearance Since Injuring Himself In Nigeria’s 1-0 Victory Over Rwanda Earlier This Month. Mauro Icardi Scored The Only Goal As Galatasaray Maintained Their Unbeaten Start To The Season.

Paul Onuachu On Fire

In Turkey, Onuachu Took Center Stage With A Brace In Trabzonspor’s 4-3 Away Win Over Fatih Karagümrük, Taking His Season Tally To Five Goals In Seven Games. Felipe Augusto Opened The Scoring, But Onuachu Turned The Game Around With Two Brilliant Goals Before Danilo Sikan Added A Fourth. Despite Two Late Goals From The Home Side, Trabzonspor Held On For A Nervy Victory.

Mixed Weekend For Other Eagles

Ibrahim Olawoyin Played Nine Minutes For Rizespor In A 2-1 Defeat To Kasimpasa, While Cyriel Dessers Missed Out As Panathinaikos Beat Panetolikos 2-1. In France, Terem Moffi Played 75 Minutes For Nice In Their 2-1 Loss To Paris FC, Where Moses Simon Featured Almost Full-Time.

Nigerian Players In England, Italy, Germany, And Beyond

Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, And Calvin Bassey Featured For Fulham In A 3-1 Loss To Aston Villa. Taiwo Awoniyi Was Absent As Nottingham Forest Fell To Sunderland. Ademola Lookman Sat On The Bench In Atalanta’s 1-1 Draw Against Juventus. In Germany, Victor Boniface Came Off The Bench In Werder Bremen’s 4-0 Defeat To Bayern Munich, While Nathan Tella Did Not Feature As Bayer Leverkusen Beat St. Pauli 2-1.

Gift Monday Makes History

On The Women’s Side, Super Falcons Star Gift Monday Made NWSL History With The Fastest Hat-Trick In League History, Leading Washington Spirit To A 4-0 Win Over Houston Dash. She Scored In The 18th, 21st, And 36th Minutes, With Cantore Adding A Fourth Goal For A Comfortable Victory.

Nigerian Stars Showed Moments Of Brilliance This Weekend, With Onuachu And Monday Highlighting Their Exceptional Talent Across The Men’s And Women’s Games.

Stay Updated With Sports Market International — Ranked Among The Best Sport Blogs In The Sports Market — For All Nigerian Players’ Performances And Global Football News.

Abdul Noah Ocholi

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**Title:** Croatia confirm Slaven Bilic return as former West Ham boss replaces Zlatko Dalic **Meta Description:** Slaven Bilic has been appointed Croatia head coach for a second spell after Zlatko Dalic stepped down following the 2026 World Cup. **Slug:** croatia-confirm-slaven-bilic-return-head-coach **Alt Image Text:** Slaven Bilic during his unveiling as Croatia national team head coach — # Croatia confirm Slaven Bilic return as former West Ham boss replaces Zlatko Dalic Croatia have officially confirmed the return of Slaven Bilic as head coach, with the former West Ham United manager replacing Zlatko Dalic following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Bilic returns to the national team after more than a decade away, ending a two-year absence from management as he begins a second spell in charge of his country. ## Bilic begins a second spell with Croatia The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) announced Bilic’s appointment after the Executive Committee unanimously approved the recommendation of federation president Marijan Kustic. Bilic previously managed Croatia between 2006 and 2012, guiding the national team through two European Championships before embarking on a successful club coaching career that included spells with West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion, Besiktas and Al-Ittihad. The federation believes his experience and deep understanding of Croatian football make him the ideal candidate to lead the next generation. ## Huge task replacing Zlatko Dalic Bilic succeeds one of the most successful managers in Croatia’s history. Dalic stepped down after the 2026 World Cup, bringing an end to a remarkable tenure that included a World Cup final, a World Cup semi-final and several memorable tournament campaigns. Federation president Marijan Kustic acknowledged the size of the challenge but expressed complete confidence in Bilic. > “I would like to once again thank Zlatko for the exceptional results he achieved during his tenure. It is not easy to follow in his footsteps, but we are convinced Slaven is the right person for this role.” Kustic added that Bilic’s international pedigree and extensive coaching experience were decisive factors behind the appointment. ## Bilic honoured to return Bilic described his return as the greatest honour of his coaching career and admitted he understands the expectations that come with leading one of international football’s most consistent tournament teams. > “I would like to thank President Kustic and the Federation’s leadership for the confidence they have shown in allowing me to lead the Croatian national team once again — the greatest honour for any Croatian coach.” The 57-year-old also praised the standards established under Dalic while insisting he is ready for the responsibility. > “I am fully aware of the high expectations that follow such a remarkable period under Zlatko Dalic, but anyone who takes charge of Croatia must be prepared for that because we are a football nation that lives and breathes its national team.” ## A new chapter begins Bilic now faces the task of building on Dalic’s legacy while preparing Croatia for the next international cycle. With a blend of experienced stars and emerging young talent at his disposal, Croatia will hope their returning manager can guide them to another successful era on the international stage.

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