Victor Osimhen and Paul Onuachu during the Turkish Super Lig Super Eagles showdown
It was a tough weekend for Nigeria’s Super Eagles stars abroad, with many of the nation’s top players enduring frustrating performances across Europe. Despite several “battles of brothers” and mouthwatering fixtures, only one Nigerian – Moses Simon – managed to shine with a decisive contribution.
The weekend’s headline clash took place at Rams Park, where Victor Osimhen’s Galatasaray faced Paul Onuachu’s Trabzonspor in what was billed as the “Super Eagles Showdown.” But despite the hype, both strikers were kept quiet in a disappointing 0-0 draw, leaving Osimhen still four goals behind Onuachu in the Super Lig top scorers’ race.
Elsewhere in Turkey, Wilfred Ndidi featured for 86 minutes in Besiktas’ narrow loss to Fenerbahce. Despite a strong midfield performance, he couldn’t prevent his side from slipping to a 3-2 defeat in a thrilling encounter that tightened the title race.
In Italy, it was another sibling-style showdown as Maduka Okoye’s Udinese triumphed 1-0 over Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta. Okoye kept a well-deserved clean sheet, while Lookman surprisingly started on the bench in what turned out to be a quiet night for the Nigerian forward.
Over in South Africa, Stanley Nwabali endured a tough outing as Chippa United conceded three goals in a 3-0 defeat.
The Premier League also witnessed an all-Nigerian clash at Craven Cottage, where Fulham’s trio of Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze faced Tolu Arokodare’s Wolves. The game ended 3-0 in favour of the Fulham stars, with Iwobi impressing over 89 minutes, while Chukwueze and Arokodare came on as substitutes.
Taiwo Awoniyi made a brief appearance for Nottingham Forest, helping his side snatch a 2-2 draw against Manchester United, while in Germany, Victor Boniface continued his search for form as he failed to score again for Werder Bremen.
Akor Adams’ Sevilla fell 3-0 to Atletico Madrid, but Gift Orban managed to provide an assist for Hellas Verona in Serie A, offering a small silver lining for Nigerian fans.
The standout performer, however, was Moses Simon, who ended his two-month goal drought in style by netting the winner in Paris FC’s shock 1-0 victory over Monaco. His match-winning display earned him the Nigerian Baller of the Week title, reminding fans and coaches alike of his quality and consistency.
It was a weekend to forget for most Super Eagles stars — except Simon, whose timely return to form will be music to the ears of Nigeria coach Eric Chelle ahead of upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
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