Nigerian footballers abroad — Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Paul Onuachu, and Alex Iwobi in weekend action
It was a weekend of mixed emotions for Nigerian stars abroad, as some of the country’s biggest football names endured defeats while a few others managed to shine just before the international break.
Victor Osimhen endured a frustrating evening as Galatasaray suffered their first league defeat of the season — to a newly promoted side, no less.
The 24-year-old forward, who has been in red-hot Champions League form, thought he had scored his fourth league goal, but VAR intervened to rule it out for offside.
It was a tough outing for the Super Eagles’ talisman, who will now look to rediscover his scoring touch for Nigeria’s crucial World Cup qualifiers.
In Italy, Ademola Lookman and his Atalanta teammates suffered a 3-0 defeat, capping off a disappointing weekend for the Bergamo side.
Meanwhile, Maduka Okoye conceded twice as Udinese were beaten by Roma — a reminder of how tough life can be for Nigerian goalkeepers in Serie A.
The Premier League wasn’t any kinder to the Nigerian contingent either.
Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, and Calvin Bassey all featured for Fulham but couldn’t prevent a 2-0 defeat to Everton.
At Crystal Palace, young Christantus Uche was once again left on the bench as his side drew with Brighton.
It wasn’t all gloom for Nigerian forwards in Europe, though.
Victor Boniface grabbed his second assist of the season in Werder Bremen’s win, continuing to show his creative side in the Bundesliga.
But the headline act of the weekend was Paul Onuachu, who scored his eighth goal of the season for Trabzonspor. His goal helped secure a vital point, extending his lead over Osimhen in the Super Lig’s Nigerian scoring chart.
In France, Moses Simon was largely kept quiet in Paris FC’s draw, while Chidozie Awaziem delivered a solid performance for Nantes in their stalemate at Le Havre.
Terem Moffi came on as a substitute for Nice, but they still fell to defeat against Metz.
Meanwhile, in Spain, Chidera Ejuke made a brief appearance in Sevilla’s win over Osasuna, while Akor Adams struggled to make an impact over 90 minutes.
As Nigeria prepares for its upcoming World Cup qualifier against Gabon, the Super Eagles camp will be hoping that their key forwards — particularly Osimhen and Lookman — can quickly rediscover their lethal touch in front of goal.
Because with Onuachu firing on all cylinders, competition for the starting shirt is heating up once again.
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