There were not many standout displays at the weekend with Tammy Abraham, Taiwo Awoniyi and Bright Ejuke the three notable players to have scored in England, Belgium and Norway respectively, while Netherlands-based Fred Friday contributed an assist.ย
In yet another extensive summary, the News Editor, ADEBAYO OLODAN captures the performances of Nigerian players across major leagues of the world.
ENGLAND
Philip Billing (Huddersfield):ย The Denmark U-21 international of Nigerian descent, made his 50th league appearance for the club after coming off the bench in the 81st minute of the 1-1 draw with Brighton.
Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City):ย Ndidi served the first of his two-game suspension after his sending off last weekend while Iheanacho was an unused substitute as their club suffered a 2-1 defeat against Newcastle Utd.
Tammy Abraham (Swansea):ย The Chelsea loanee struck a 75th minute leveler to deny West Brom victory at the Hawthorns as both clubs settled for a 1-1 draw.
Alex Iwobi (Arsenal):ย He played for 90 minutes as his team secured a 3-2 win over Southampton.
Victor Moses (Chelsea):ย The right wing-back was substituted in the 78th minute of the 1-1 draw with West Ham Utd.
Tosin Kehinde and Matthew Olosunde (Man Utd) & Lukas Nmecha and Tosin Adarabioyo (Man City):ย The quartet were not part of the match day squad as Manchester Utd secured a 3-2 win at the Etihad against Man City.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Ola Aina (Hull City) & Nedum Onuoha, Bright Osayi Samuel and Ebere Eze (QPR):ย Four Nigerians were in action as Aina made his 41st start of the season for his team who defeated 10-man QPR 4-0. Samuel was introduced in the 67th min, Eze lasted the duration while Onuoha was sent off in the 90th minute of the encounter.
Sone Aluko (Reading):ย Aluko played all 90 minutes in his 35th start in the English Championship as his team secured a 1-0 win over Preston North End.
SPAIN
Ogenekaro Etebo, Emmanuel Emenike and Imoh Ezekiel (Las Palmas):ย Etebo returned from injury and played all 90minutes as his team lost 1-2 to Levente. Ezekiel also lasted for 90minutes while Emenike was not listed.
Brown Ideye and Isaac Success (Malaga):ย Ideye were missing while their teammate Success lasted 56 minutes when their team lost 2-3 to Deportivo La Corjuna for whom goalkeeper Francis Uzoho was not listed.
ITALY
Joel Obi (Torino):ย He played for 88minutes as his team secured a 1-0 win against his former employers, Inter Milan.
GERMANY
Leon Balogun and Anthony Ujah (Mainz 05):ย Balogun was yellow carded in the 44th minute of his 14th Bundesliga appearance for 10-man Mainz 05 who forced FC Cologne to a 1โ1 draw. His teammate, Ujah rose from the substitutes’ bench with two minutes left to play.
Victor Osimhen (Wolfsburg):ย He was an unused substitute as his team defeated Freiburg 2-0. Osimhen has made 11 appearances for his team so far, this season.
FRANCE
Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes):ย The central defender was an unused substitute in Nantes’ 2-1 defeat away to Monaco. Awaziem has made 19 Ligue 1 appearances for Nantes who are eighth in the Ligue 1 this season.
TURKEY
Mikel Agu, Shehu Abdullahi and William Troost-Ekong (Bursaspor) & Kenneth Omeruo and Emem Eduok (Kasimpasa):ย The trio lasted 90 minutes for Bursaspor in their 0-1 loss at home to Kasimpasa. Omeruo also saw action for 90 mins and was booked in the 33rd minute while Eduok was missing in action.
Azubuike Okechukwu (Yeni Malatyaspor):ย The former U-23 skipper, was missing as his team lost 0-1 to Istanbul Basaksehir.
BELGIUM
Uche Agbo (Standard Liege):ย He was replaced in the 83rd minute of his team’s 0-1 loss to Genk.
Samuel Kalu, Anderson Esiti and Moses Simon (Gent):ย Kalu scored the only goal in 88th minutes of their teamโs 1-0 win over Club Brugge for whom Dennis Bonaventure played as a late substitute. Moses assisted the goal and Esiti was also in action for Gent.
Taiwo Awoniyi (Royal Mouscron) & Abduljeleel Ajagun (Kortrijk):ย Awoniyi scored in the 36th minute and was cautioned during celebration in his teamโs 2-1 defeat of 10-man Kortrijk. Former U-20 captain, Ajagun was substituted in the 63rd minute.
SCOTLAND
Efe Ambrose (Hibernian):ย He played for 71 minutes for Hibernian who played out a 1-1 draw with Ross County.
RUSSIA
Brian Idowu, Fegor Ogude and Aaron Samuel (Amkar Perm):ย The trio lasted the duration of the match as their club defeated SKA-Khabarovsk 2-0 away.
Sylvester Igboun and Kehinde Fatai (FC Ufa):ย Igboun was introduced in the 68th min while Fatai was an unused substitute when their club suffered a 2-1 loss to Arsenal Tula.
SWITZERLAND
Stephen Odey (FC Zurich):ย He was an unused substitute when his club drew 1-1 with FC Sion.
HOLLAND
Bartholomew Ogbeche (Willem II):ย The former Super Eagles striker played the last three minutes of his team’s 2-1 loss to Excelsior.
Umar Sadiq (NAC Breda):ย Was substituted with 11 minutes to the end of his club’s 1-0 win over Vitesse. He has made nine Eredivisie appearances since joining on loan and he has scored four goals.
Kingsley Ehizibue (PEC Zwolle):ย Was cautioned in the 47th minute and was substituted in the 81st minute of his team’s 3-2 loss to Roda JC Kerkrade.
Ryan Sanusi and Fred Friday (Sparta Rotterdam):ย Sanusi came on in the in 46th minute while Friday who was introduced with 18 minutes left to the end of the match contributed an assist when their team defeated VVV-Venlo 3โ2.
Cyriel Dessers (FC Utrecht): He was a 65th minute entrant when his club drew 3-3 with ADO Den Haag.
TURKEY
Ogenyi Onazi doubtful for World Cup
With less than six weeks to the unveiling of the Super Eagles’ 35-man provisional squad for the 2018 World Cup, an influential member of the squad has suffered a setback.
Vice captain, Ogenyi Onazi has to be replaced with less than 30 minutes on the clock in his side’s Saturday Turkish Super League against Kayserispor which Trabzonspor win 4-0.
The degree of the central midfielder’s injury has not yet been ascertained but he was seen holding his right hamstring prior to his substitution.
In the coming days, Trabzonspor medics will carry out additional tests, which will determine his availability for their next match against Osmanlispor.
Onazi missed the Super Eagles matches against Argentina and Algeria last November after suffering a relapse of a groin injury he sustained while on international duty.
The 25-year-old is one of the most experienced players in Nigeria’s squad, having represented the country at the 2014 World Cup and earning his first cap in 2012.
NORWAY
Chidera Ejuke (Vaalerenga):ย He scored in the 45th minute and lasted the duration of his team’s 1-4 loss at home to Stroemsgodset. The goal was the youngster’s first of the season but was not enough to earn his club a point. Last season, the former U-17 player netted four goals in 14 appearances. His club is placed fourth on the table with six points from four matches.
AUSTRIA
Yusuf Otubanjo (Altach):ย He was a 58th minute substitute when his team faltered 1-2 at home to Admira Moedling
Alhassan Ibrahim (Austria Wien):ย The former Akwa Utd forward came on with just two minutes to the end of his team’s 2-0 win away at Sturm Graz.
SWEDEN
Kennedy Igboananike (Oerebro):ย He lasted the entirety of his team’s 1-1 draw with IFK Norrkoeping.
Chima Akas (Kalmar FF):ย The former Enyimba left-back was in the thick of action and was cautioned in the 30th minute with his team leading Elfsborg 1-0 as at the time of filing this report.
CYPRUS
Adewole Oladimeji (Dumlupinar):ย He was on target for his club in their 3-1 defeat of Esentepe Kurtulus SK. The 19-year-old provided two assists and scored his side’s third goal in the encounter.
OMAN
Etor makes history with first-ever Sultan Cup
Daniel Etor has helped Al Nasr to a major piece of silverware for the first time in their history after they clinched the prestigious Sultan Cup in Oman.
It was a pulsating Oman Sultan Cup final which went the distance after both teams played out a 2-2 draw after 120 minutes.
Al Nasr then emerged winners by defeating Sohar Club 8-7 in the shootouts.
Etor said he is excited to help his club make history 16 years after they lost in the same cup final.
โI am overwhelmed and I can’t express how I feel after winning this cup that eluded my team 16 years ago,โ he said.
โGod is faithful and I am glad to be part of this history with Al Nasr in my first season with the club and league.โ
He restated it was the right decision to move to Oman last year.
โI have no regrets with my decision to join Al Nasr and I am delighted to have scored eight goals while assisting 12 in my debut season, which was exactly the same numbers I had in my final season with Rangers in the NPFL before making this move,โ he said.
Etor, who is joint top scorer at the club despite playing from the wings, dedicated the cup triumph to his beloved wife, Simi Silas Etor, who he married in December.
CHINA
Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai):ย The striker fired blanks to leave his team without a win in the Chinese League this campaign after a 1-2 loss to Hebei CFC.
John Obi Mikel (Tianjin Teda):ย The Super Eagles skipper was influential in midfield as he helped his team secure a 1-1 draw away to Beijing Guoan.
Shanghai Shenhua wishes Martins well as he goes under knife
Chinese club, Shanghai Shenhua posted a series of pictures of their players showing solidarity with Obafemi Martins as he was about to depart at the airport for a surgery in England.
The picture was accompanied with a message that said, โMartins is flying to UK for surgery today. Be well soon.โ
Martins then responded by posting a video of the whole team wishing him a good recovery, as he urged his Shanghai Shenhua teammates to continue fighting.
He said, โThanks for the love see you guys soon one love keep the fighting spirit @shanghaishenhua.โ
After scoring a hat trick for Shanghai Shenhua in their Asian Champions League game and the player is now ruled out for seven months after he sustained an injury last Tuesday against Kashima Antlers.
Martins started the match but the Asian Champions League encounter but had to be replaced by Jianqing Mao in the 22nd minute, as he could no longer continue with the match.
Shanghai Shenhua qualified for the AFC Champions League through winning the League Cup by a goal scored by Martins.
