Nigerian footballers in Europe had an eventful weekend filled with goals, titles, promotions and relegations. Victor Osimhen scored his 30th goal for SSC Napoli in his 100th appearance for the club. Unfortunately, Napoli could not hold on to secure a victory, as the match ended in a 2-2 draw against Bologna. In the English Premier League, Alex Iwobi helped Everton avoid relegation for the second consecutive season with one goal and seven assists. Leicester City, however, have been relegated to the Championship, with Nigerian stars Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi in the squad. Adebowale Ademola provides a detailed analysis of the performances of Nigerian footballers in Europe over the weekend.
Serie A saw Victor Osimhen score a brace for Napoli against Bologna in his 100th appearance for the club. Unfortunately, Napoli could not secure victory, as the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Osimhen has scored 25 goals in Serie A, which is four goals ahead of Lautaro Matinez on the league’s goals scorers’ chart. David Okereke and Cyril Dessers did not feature for Cremonese in their final Serie A match, with Okereke on the bench and Dessers missing through injury.
In the English Premier League, Alex Iwobi played a key role in helping Everton secure a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, which kept them safe from relegation for the second season in a row. Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City, however, were relegated to the Championship. Iheanacho scored five goals and provided four assists in the campaign, while Ndidi missed most of the season through injury. Nottingham Forest’s in-form striker, Fred Onyedinma, scored a 32nd-minute goal to secure a draw against Crystal Palace, finishing the season with six goals in May and ten overall.
In Spain, Samuel Chukwueze started for Villarreal against Rayo Vallecano, but was replaced in the 62nd minute. In the Belgian Jupiler Pro League Championship, Victor Boniface came on as a substitute for Royale Union SG in their 2-0 defeat against Antwerp. Tolu Arokodare started for Genk and was taken off at halftime for Mbwana Samatta in their 3-1 victory against Club Brugge away from home.
In other football fixtures across Europe Ibrahim Adebowale highlights that Vaduz striker Franklin Sasere bagged four goals in his team’s 6-1 away win against Neuchatel Xamax in Liechtenstein, while Rasheedat Ajibade won the Copa de la Reina with Atletico Madrid Feminin in Spain. The Nigerian international was on for the entire match duration, as they won the final through penalties against Real Madrid.
