Nigerian players abroad: Iwobi, Sadiq, Okereke, Arokodare on target

It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for Nigerian footballers across the globe, with goals, assists, heartbreak, and standout performances making headlines.

In the Premier League, Alex Iwobi continued his fine form for Fulham by scoring his ninth league goal of the season. The Super Eagles midfielder gave Fulham an early lead against Chelsea at Craven Cottage, but the visitors came from behind to claim a 2-1 win. Iwobi, making his 33rd appearance of the campaign, was one of the bright spots for the Cottagers. His compatriot, Calvin Bassey, also played the full 90 minutes.

At Leicester City, Wilfred Ndidi and the Foxes endured relegation heartbreak after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Liverpool confirmed their drop to the EFL Championship. Ndidi, who made 24 appearances this season and registered four assists, couldn’t help his side avoid the drop.

Paul Onuachu featured for Southampton in their 1-1 draw away at West Ham. The striker, who has scored four goals and provided one assist in 23 league appearances this season, was subbed off in the 68th minute after a solid showing.

In Spain, Umar Sadiq was the hero for Valencia, coming off the bench to score a late equaliser against Rayo Vallecano at the Estadio de Vallecas. The goal—his fifth of the season—rescued a point for his side and highlighted his impact in crucial moments.

In Turkey, David Okereke scored for Gaziantep, although his effort wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-1 loss to Istanbul Basaksehir. Okereke has now scored eight goals and contributed three assists in 25 league appearances, with two of those goals coming in his last five games.

Meanwhile, Victor Osimhen featured for Galatasaray, playing 86 minutes in their 2-0 victory over Bodrum. The win keeps Galatasaray at the top of the Turkish Super Lig, five points clear of rivals Fenerbahce. Osimhen has now tallied 21 goals and four assists in 25 league appearances—an impressive return for the Super Eagles striker.

In Belgium, Tolu Arokodare continued his rich vein of form, scoring a stoppage-time goal in KRC Genk’s 2-1 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise. It was his 19th goal of the season. Nigerian-born Promise David also got on the scoresheet for the opposition, converting a penalty just before halftime.

In Germany, Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella featured for Bayer Leverkusen in their 1-1 draw with St. Pauli. Boniface came on late for Tella but couldn’t find the winner. The striker has now gone four games without a goal, though he still has eight in 19 league appearances. Tella, meanwhile, marked his 23rd league game with a solid outing.

Over in Italy, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze played key roles in Atalanta’s narrow 1-0 win over AC Milan. Lookman, in his 27th appearance of the season, has recorded an impressive 13 goals and five assists, while Chukwueze, a second-half substitute for Milan, continues to build on his tally of three goals in 24 matches.

Elsewhere in Serie A, Tyronne Ebuehi made a welcome return to action for Empoli in their 2-2 draw with Venezia. After missing much of the season through injury, Ebuehi came on with 20 minutes left to help his side salvage a point.