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The weekend was a thrilling day for Nigerian footballers abroad, as several players made their mark with goals, assists, and standout performances for their respective clubs. From England to Brazil, here is a roundup of how Nigerian stars fared on the international stage.
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The English leagues saw a mix of triumphs and heartbreaks for Nigerian players. In the English Premier League, Calvin Bassey’s powerful second-half header secured Fulham’s 2-1 victory over Ola Aina’s Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage. Alex Iwobi was also instrumental in the win which sees Fulham move to eighth position.
In the lower leagues, Dominic Udoh was Wycombe Wanderers’ hero, scoring the equaliser in their 1-1 League One draw against Crawley Town. In the National League, Jesurun Uchegbulam provided a crucial assist in Eastleigh’s 2-0 victory over Aldershot Town. However, it was a night to forget for Joseph Olowu, whose own goal contributed to Doncaster Rovers’ 2-1 home defeat against Grimsby Town in League Two.
Umar Sadiq enjoyed a night to remember in La Liga, scoring a vital header for Valencia to secure a 1-1 draw against Villarreal. The goal was his first for Valencia since joining on loan from Real Sociedad. Chidera Ejuke provided an assist as a substitute for Sevilla as they crushed Real Valladolid 4-0 in La Liga
In the German Bundesliga, Victor Boniface was an unused sub while Nathan Tella played a key role as Bayer Leverkusen held Bayern Munich to a goalless draw in a top-of-the-table clash.
In the Serie A, Samuel Chukwueze remained an unused substitute as AC Milan edged Verona 1-0, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru also watched from the sidelines as Lazio played out an exciting 2-2 draw against Napoli.
In France, Moses Simon set up Nantes’ opening goal against Monaco, but his side was reduced to 10 men early on and suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat. However, George Ilenikhena made headlines for Monaco, coming off the bench to score twice to help Monaco move to fourth position in the league.
Rafiu Durosinmi scored a brace for Viktoria Plzen as they defeated Teplice on Sunday in the Czech Liga. The goals was Rafiu’s first goals in the year 2025 which ended an 18-month goal drought. Moses Emmanuel came off the bench to provide an assist, while fellow substitute, Ola Dele netted the final goal in Sigma Olomouc’s dominant 4-0 win over Pardubice. Yunusa Muritala Owolabi was an unused substitute for the 6th placed team in the Czech Liga.
Meanwhile, in women’s football, Super Falcons’ Jennifer Echegini delivered a wonderful performance for PSG, scoring a goal and providing an assist in their 4-1 victory over Ifeoma Onumonu Montpellier in the Première Ligue. Her performance took her tally to four goals in nine league games since her move from Juventus.
In the Spanish Primera División Femenina, Nigerian forward Edna Imade ended her four-game goal drought in style, leading Granada to a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Espanyol.
Espanyol held onto a first-half lead before Imade found the net in the 64th minute, leveling the score. Her strike which was her 12th of the season cements her status as the highest-scoring Nigerian in the Spanish top flight, surpassing Gift Monday’s 10-goal tally. She now ranks second in the league’s overall scoring charts, just behind Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor, who leads with 15 goals.
In the Albanian First Division, Evo Ememe, scored his seventh goal of the season to lead Flamurtari to a 2-0 victory over Valbona. He remains the highest-scoring Nigerian in the league.
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In Mexico’s Liga MX, Jos-born Saminu Abdullahi played a decisive role for Juárez, assisting a dramatic 94th-minute winner in their 2-1 comeback victory over Tijuana.
Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali endured a tough outing in South Africa as his Chippa United side crashed out of the South African Cup, suffering a 3-0 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, in Turkey, David Okereke played the full 90 minutes as Gaziantep FK secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Sivasspor in the Turkish Super Lig.
From Bassey’s heroics in England to Sadiq’s redemption in Spain and Echegini’s brilliance in France, Nigerian footballers continue to make their presence felt worldwide. As the season progresses, fans can expect more electrifying performances from these stars as they represent their clubs and country on the global stage.
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