Cheers as Osimhen scores 10th Galatasaray goal over Sivasspor
Victor Osimhen
Cheers as Osimhen scores 10th Galatasaray goal over Sivasspor
Indeed, it was another week of outstanding performances for Nigerian players abroad with Victor Osimhen headlining it with his 10th goal of the season for Galatasaray in all competitions.
Turkey
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray)
Osimhen won and converted a penalty and powered a 10-man Galatasaray to a nervy 3-2 win over Sivasspor and extend their lead in the Turkish Super Lig to six points. The Nigerian striker was brought down by Sivasspor goalkeeper Djordje Nikolic and he struck the resulting penalty into the top left corner of his post to give Gala a 2-1 lead before halftime. Galatasaray were reduced to 10 as early as the 15th minute when defender Metehan Baltaci was sent off for handling the ball. Sivasspor took advantage with the opening goal of the game in the 25th minute before Yunus Akgun restored parity for Gala.
Akgun then set up Baris Alper Yilmaz for their third immediately after the restart while the hosts got a consolation through Turac Boke in stoppage time.
Osimhen, who was substituted in the 74th minute of the game now has seven goals plus three assists in nine league games, as he continues to enjoy his loan spell at the club.
England
Iwobi, Bassey (Fulham)
Alex Iwobi’s recent scoring run for Fulham was halted on Sunday as he faced his former club Arsenal. The Nigerian midfielder who has been involved in four goals in their last three games couldn’t haunt his former employers as they played out a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage. His compatriot, Calvin Bassey would also miss their next game in the league after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.
Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City)
Ndidi and his Leicester City teammates continued their fight against relegation under new manager Rud van Nistelrooy and fought back to force a 2-2 draw against Brighton at the King Power Stadium. The Nigerian was only involved for 52 minutes and was replaced by Oliver Skipp.
Toni Payne (Everton Women)
Fresh from representing Nigeria in an international friendly against France, Super Falcons midfielder Payne returned to her club in England and made a 10-minute appearance in their 2-1 loss to Tottenham. Payne and Everton have been struggling in the English Women’s Super League since she arrived in the summer as they have only won one out of nine games. She has featured in all nine games without any goal contribution.
France
Akor Adams (Montpellier)
Adams returned from a thigh injury which has kept him out for two weeks on Sunday but he was unable to rescue bottom-rocked Montpellier from falling to a 2-0 defeat at Lens – their 10th of the season. The former Flying Eagles striker replaced Nikola Maksimovic in the 72nd minute. He has three goals and one assist in 13 league appearances this season.
Moses Simon (Nantes)
Moses Simon scored his fourth goal of the season for Nantes but his 89th minute goal was cancelled out by Christopher Wooh as Nantes were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Rennes. Simon made a great solo run and pulled the trigger from inside the box, beating Steve Mandanda with a strike into the right side of the goal. He now has four goals and four assists in 13 league games this season.
The Netherlands
Chuba Akpom (Ajax)
Akpom made another start for Ajax on Sunday but the striker and the Dutch giants continue to struggle following a 2-1 defeat at AZ Alkmaar. In 12 games this season, the striker has only scored two goals and one assist.
Spain
Babajide, Monday (Tenerife)
Super Falcons forward Rinsola Babajide scored her fourth Liga F goal of the season on Sunday in Tenerife’s 2-2 draw at home to Atletico Madrid Women. The left-footed player found the back of the net with a cheeky goal after pressing to win the ball inside Atletico’s box. She won the ball on the byline and sent the ball past their visitor’s goalkeeper on the near post to give Tenerife a 1-0 lead. The 26-year-old however didn’t finish the game, as she was substituted in the 64th minute while her compatriot Gift Monday lasted the entire game which they had to draw level in stoppage time. Monday also has four goals and two assists this season.
Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid Women)
Ajibade returned to the pitch from injury on her 25th birthday, as she started from the bench in their 2-2 draw against Babajide and Monday’s Tenerife. Having missed their last two league games, she featured for 31 minutes, coming in when the score was at 1-1. Thanks to Ajibade’s influence, they almost won the game with five minutes to go, but their hosts responded in stoppage time to make it 2-2.
Scotland
Dessers, Balogun (Rangers)
Cyriel Dessers came off the bench and provided an assist as Glasgow Rangers strolled to a convincing 3-0 victory over Ross County in the Scottish Premiership. Veteran Nigerian centre-back Leon Balogun made his 11th league appearance for the Gers and the former Mainz star was a rock in defence as the visitors kept a clean sheet inside the Global Energy Stadium in Dingwall. Dessers only featured for the final few minutes after he came on to the pitch to replace Moroccan forward Hamza Igamane in the 80th minute and he made his impact felt as he assisted James Tavernier to net Rangers’ third goal of the encounter four minutes from time. However, the Gers remain stuck in third place in the league two points behind Aberdeen and 11 fewer than champions Celtic. Overall this season, Dessers has managed 12 goals and three assists in 23 games for Rangers.
England
Joe Aribo (Southampton)
Despite scoring in midweek, Aribo was dropped to the bench as Southampton fell to another 1-0 defeat in the EPL against Aston Villa. The midfielder came on as a second half substitute but couldn’t make much impact as they were further rooted to the bottom of the table with just five points.
Aina, Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest)
Super Eagles star Ola Aina played all 90 minutes for Nottingham Forest in their hard-fought 3-2 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. After falling to a 3-0 defeat at Manchester City in midweek, Nottingham Forest returned to action with a game against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Nigerian defender Aina kept his place in the starting lineup, while Taiwo Awoniyi started from the bench. Aina put on a strong show, registering two clearances, one interception, 47 touches, and three successful dribbles.
Germany
Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen)
Super Eagles midfielder, Nathan Tella scored but was denied by VAR as Bayer Leverkusen defeated St. Pauli 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday to extend their winning streak to five games in all competitions. Leverkusen tactician, Xabi Alonso set up the team in a 3-5-2 formation, deploying Tella in an unfamiliar false 9 role with Florian Wirtz supporting the Nigerian with his creativity and eye for passes.
The home team set the tone with a blistering start, catching their opponents off guard with a stunning early goal by star player, Florian Wirtz. They doubled the lead in the 21st minute as Aleix Garcia delivered a pin-point corner that was converted by Jonathan Tah. Just as Leverkusen thought they had sealed the win close to half-time, the Video Assistant Referee denied Tella’s strike, ruling the goal offside to the disappointment of the home supporters. Despite the offside call, Tella was valuable in the false 9 role, working hard to press high and regain possession, while also winning the most fouls (3) in the game
Frank Onyeka (Augsburg)
Onyeka continues to keep his place in the Augsburg team in his loan spell at the club. He made his 11th Bundesliga appearance in their 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt.
France
Ifeoma Onumonu (Montpellier)
Nigeria’s goal scorer during the friendly against France, Onumonu found the net for the sixth consecutive match but it ended as a mere consideration strike for Montpellier in the 4-2 loss at Dijon.
Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC)
Also in the French Première Ligue, Jennifer Echegini and PSG were held to a 1-1 draw by Chiamaka Nnadozie and Paris FC in the highly-anticipated Paris derby. Both teams had won each of their previous three games but had to settle for a share of the spoils at the Stade Charléty. Goalkeeper Nnadozie would be particularly pleased to stop second-place PSG from securing a win over third-placed Paris FC a day before she celebrated her 24th birthday.
Jennifer Echegini (PSG)
Echegini played 65 minutes against her compatriot Nnadozie but was unable to add to her two-goal tally in the league.
Spain
Edna Imade (Granada Women)
Edna Imade rounded up the scoring for Granada as they handed a 5-0 thrashing to Deportivo de La Coruña in their Primera División Femenina game week 12 clash at the Ciudad Deportiva del Granada CF on Saturday afternoon. The Super Falcons prospect netted the fifth goal of the encounter for the hosts on the hour mark to add to the earlier efforts of Laura Pérez, Isabel Álvarez, Cristina Postigo, and Ornella Vignola.
It was Imade’s eighth league goal of the campaign which brought her level on the scorer’s chart with Barcelona forward Alexia Putellas. However, Imade remains second on the league’s goalscorer chart behind another Barcelona star Ewa Pajor. The Poland international has ten goals in ten games this term.
Turkey
Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce)
Bright Osayi-Samuel was in action as Fenerbahce slipped to a slim 1-0 loss to bitter rivals Besiktas at the Tüpraş Stadyumu on Saturday night. The Nigerian international featured for the last eight minutes as a 73rd-minute strike from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain handed the hosts the victory and all three points at stake.
Credit: Punch
