Get Guardian on GoogleSuper Eagles stars enjoyed mixed fortunes across Europe over the weekend, with Victor Osimhen celebrating the birth of his second daughter with a goal for Galatasaray, Taiwo Awoniyi ending his goal drought for Coventry and Kelechi Iheanacho seeing his remarkable 12-match scoring streak come to an end.
Osimhen scored in Galatasaray’s emphatic victory over Konyaspor, while Gift Orban maintained his impressive form for Amedspor with another goal and an assist. The Nigerian duo are now joint top scorers in the Turkish Süper Lig with nine goals each.
Elsewhere, Awoniyi opened his Premier League account for Coventry, while Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey helped Fulham secure a point against Aston Villa. Umar Sadiq also marked his return from injury with a match-winning goal for Valencia, while Tolu Arokodare continued his impressive scoring run in the Netherlands.
Here is how the Super Eagles players performed for their respective clubs from Friday to Sunday.
Turkey
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray)
Osimhen celebrated the birth of his second daughter with a goal as Galatasaray thrashed Konyaspor 4-0 away from home.
The Super Eagles striker, who welcomed his newborn 48 hours before the trip to Konya, opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a powerful header from a free-kick.
Yunus Akgun, Alexey Batrakov and Rafael Leao added three more goals to complete the rout.
Osimhen played for an hour before making way for Deniz Gul. The goal took his league tally to nine, placing him joint top of the Turkish Süper Lig scoring chart alongside compatriot Gift Orban.
Gift Orban (Amedspor)
Orban continued his impressive start to the season with a goal and an assist in Amedspor’s 5-1 home victory over Eyupspor on Sunday.
The Nigerian forward scored in the 35th minute to take his league tally to nine goals. He also provided the assist for Samuel Ballet as the hosts established a commanding 3-0 lead before half-time.
The 24-year-old now has nine goals and four assists, strengthening his case in the early race for the league’s Most Valuable Player award after 10 matchdays.
His consistent performances could also boost his chances of earning a maiden Super Eagles invitation ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas)
Super Eagles captain Ndidi put in a solid performance despite Besiktas surrendering a two-goal advantage in their 2-2 draw away to Kasimpasa.
The midfielder played the entire 90 minutes, operating in an advanced midfield role and completing 98 per cent of his passes.
Besiktas, however, could not protect their lead as the hosts fought back to secure a point. They sit fourth in the Turkish Süper Lig standings with 19 points after 10 matches.
Chibuike Nwaiwu and Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor)
Defender Chibuike Nwaiwu delivered an impressive performance as Trabzonspor defeated Gaziantep 2-0 on Sunday.
Nwaiwu partnered Montenegrin defender Stefan Savic in central defence, helping his side secure a clean sheet. The former Enyimba player won 75 per cent of his duels, made nine recoveries and completed five clearances.
He has featured in all Trabzonspor’s league matches this season.
Meanwhile, Onuachu returned from injury and played for more than an hour in the victory. The striker recorded two attempts on goal but missed a significant scoring opportunity.
The Super Eagles forward, who finished as the league’s top scorer last season, has managed two goals in eight appearances this term.
Kelechi Iheanacho (Bursaspor)
Iheanacho‘s remarkable 12-match scoring streak ended on Saturday as Bursaspor defeated Bandirmaspor without a goal from the Nigerian forward.
The striker had scored in 12 consecutive matches, first equalling and subsequently setting a new club record during his debut season with the Turkish first-division side.
Despite failing to extend the run, Iheanacho remains the league’s leading scorer with 16 goals and three assists.
England
Semi Ajayi (Hull City)
Ajayi played the full 90 minutes as Hull City shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw against Ipswich.
The Super Eagles defender won 69 per cent of his duels, completed 50 per cent of his tackles from two attempts and made six clearances.
He has featured in nine of Hull City’s 10 league matches this season and remains an important part of manager Sergej Jakirovic’s defensive setup.
Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey (Fulham)
Iwobi produced an influential performance as Fulham secured a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday.
The midfielder registered a shot on target, completed 86 per cent of his passes and played a role in Fulham’s equaliser. His corner kick caused problems for the Villa defence, with Zion Suzuki’s failure to deal with the delivery resulting in an own goal.
Iwobi played 75 minutes before Tom Cairney replaced him.
Bassey also delivered a decent performance, featuring for the entire match despite receiving a booking for a foul.
The Nigerian centre-back won 50 per cent of his tackles and duels and completed 90 per cent of his passes as Fulham secured a valuable away point.
Taiwo Awoniyi (Coventry)
Awoniyi ended his seven-match goal drought by scoring his first Premier League goal for Coventry in their 3-1 home victory over Sunderland on Saturday.
The Nigerian striker doubled Coventry’s advantage after dispossessing an opponent near the edge of the penalty area, beating two defenders and firing into the bottom corner.
The goal provided a timely boost for Awoniyi, who had struggled to find the net in his previous seven appearances.
Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City)
Osayi-Samuel featured for Birmingham City in their victory over Lincoln, making his 13th appearance in the English Championship this season.
The right-back played the full 90 minutes and contributed to his side’s winning performance.
Arthur Okonkwo (Charlton)
Okonkwo was in goal as Charlton suffered defeat against Middlesbrough, extending the visitors’ winless run.
The goalkeeper has managed just one clean sheet in his last 10 matches. He was also part of Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles squad for the September international window of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Spain
Umar Sadiq (Valencia)
Sadiq made a successful return from a seven-week injury absence, scoring the only goal as Valencia defeated Elche away from home.
The 29-year-old came off the bench to deliver the decisive goal, marking an encouraging return to action after his lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The striker will hope to maintain his fitness and form ahead of the November international window, when Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle is expected to announce his squad for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla)
Ejuke played the full 90 minutes but could not prevent Sevilla from suffering a 3-1 defeat against Getafe on Sunday evening.
The winger has featured in nine matches for Sevilla this season and has scored once.
Ademola Lookman (Atletico Madrid)
Lookman made a brief appearance in Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 victory away to Alaves on Saturday.
The former African Footballer of the Year came off the bench and played just 15 minutes as Atletico extended their unbeaten run to six matches, recording four clean sheets during the sequence.
Lookman has struggled to reproduce his best form this season, scoring just once in 11 league appearances. His most recent goal came in Atletico’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Manchester United on matchday two.
Netherlands
Tolu Arokodare (Ajax)
Arokodare maintained his impressive scoring form, finding the net for the third consecutive match as Ajax secured a narrow victory over AZ Alkmaar at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
The Nigerian forward scored the decisive goal to take his league tally to six this season.
His recent performances have strengthened his position in the team, having started five of his last six matches and continued to reward his manager’s confidence.
The 25-year-old has now scored 10 goals in 15 appearances since arriving on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer, underlining his growing influence in Dutch football.
