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•Chukwueze shines in Villarreal victory
•Oshoala held on Barca win
It was a weekend of average performances for Nigerian players in Europe at the weekend but Terem Moffi and Rasheedat Ajibade scored on Sunday, with Ademola Lookman breaking his scoring duck on Saturday, reports ANTHONY NLEBEM
FRANCE
Terem Moffi (Nice)
Just back from international duty with the Super Eagles, Moffi scored the only goal for OGC Nice in their 1-1 draw at Angers on match-day 29 of Ligue 1 at the Stade Raymond Kopa on Sunday.
It was the visitors’ fourth Ligue 1 draw on the bounce, but Moffi’s goal ensured the visitors left with a point in the bag.
The 23-year-old striker has been in fine form this season and has scored 16 goals in 25 Ligue 1 appearances for the 2022/23 season.
Balogun, Simon (Reims, Nantes)
Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun was in William Still’s line-up and created the assist for the second goal as Reims recorded a massive 3-0 win at Nantes in their French Ligue 1 fixture on Sunday.
Balogun set up Alexis Flips to net the second goal for the Red and Whites, before he was taken off in the 78th minute.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a brilliant run this season and has scored 17 goals in 28 appearances for the Red and Whites.
Also, winger Moses Simon was on the starting line-up for Nantes but could not stop the Canaries from suffering defeat.
The 27-year-old has not scored in 12 consecutive league matches.
HOLLANDD
Calvin Bassey (Ajax)
Defender Bassey was an unused substitute as the Dutch champions played a goalless draw against Go Ahead Eagles in the Dutch Eredivisie at the De Adelaarshorst on Sunday.
The 23-year-old just returned from international duty with Nigeria.
ENGLAND
Onuachu, Aribo (Southampton)
Paul Onuachu was a second-half substitute as Southampton lost 1-0 to West Ham United in a Premier League fixture played at the London Stadium on Sunday.
The 28-year-old striker is yet to register a Premier League goal for the struggling Saints after seven matches, since joining in January.
Onuachu’s compatriot Joe Aribo did not make Ruben Selles’ squad for the clash. The Saints are bottom of the Premier League table.
Ndidi, Iheanacho (Leicester City)
Wilfried Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho were in action as Leicester City lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace in a Premier League match at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Iheanacho came off the bench in the 72nd minute to make his 200th appearance for the Foxes.
Ndidi made his 13th start in 19 Premier League games this season and 172nd in 184 appearances in the competition since January 2017, when he joined the Foxes from Genk.
Dennis, Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest)
Taiwo Awoniyi returned to Premier League action for Forest in their 1-1 draw against visiting Wolverhampton Wanderers at the City Ground on Saturday.
The 25-year-old came on for Danilo in the 86th minute and was a bit impressive.
The former Union Berlin striker just recovered from a groin injury he sustained in January and missed nine Premier League matches
He has scored four goals in 17 appearances.
Teammate Emmanuel Dennis was on the starting 11 and played for 67 minutes before being replaced by Joe Worrall.
Chuba Akpom (Middlesbrough)
In the English Championship, Akpom continued his goalscoring form for Middlesbrough on Saturday, when he scored for the fifth consecutive game in a row as the Teesiders were stunned 4-2 by relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town at the John Smith’s Stadium.
The 27-year-old former Arsenal youth player and top scorer in the Championship headed in from Riley McGree’s cross for his 25th league goal of the season, a 74th minute consolation – to cut the deficit after Huddersfield Town had produced a stunning second-half fightback to dent Middlesbrough’s automatic promotion hopes.
Akpom leads the scorers chart in the Championship with 25 goals from 32 league games
Leon Balogun (QPR)
At the DW Stadium, Balogun made his first start since November for out-of-form Queens Park Rangers who lost by a lone goal to Wigan Athletic.
It was not the return the Super Eagles defender would have wanted after his clumsy challenge on Danel Sinani allowed a composed Max Power to grab the winner from the spot in the sixth minute.
ITALY
Ehizibue, Success, Udogie (Udinese)
Defender Kingsley Ehizibue and Destiny Udogie were on the starting line-up as Udinese fell 3-0 to Bologna in a Serie A match played at the Stadio Renato Dell’Ara on Sunday.
Ehizibue played the entire duration of the match but could not stop the Petronians from registering the comprehensive win.
Udogie was substituted in the 74th minute, while Success was not included in the squad.
Lookman, Okoli, Dessers, Okereke (Atalanta, Cremonese)
Ademola Lookman ended his seven-game goals drought when he netted Atalanta’s third goal in a 3-1 win over Cremonese in a Serie A fixture played at the Stadio Giovanni Zini on Saturday.
The 25-year-old winger came on in the 46th minute for Luis Muriel and finally found the net for the first time since January, taking his goals to 13 in 27 league matches.
Cyriel Dessers was a second-half substitute in the clash, with the 28-year-old managing 16 minutes of action, but could not reduce the goals deficit for La Cremo.
The former Genk striker has not scored in three league matches as Cremonese sit bottom of the Serie A table.
Caleb Okoli was an unused substitute in the encounter for Atalanta, while David Okereke missed out on account of a thigh injury.
BELGIUM
Gift Orban (Gent)
Orban scored a brace to take his tally to 14 goals (nine in seven league games) in 11 games across all competitions for Gent, who thrashed RFC Searing 5-0 away on Saturday.
The 20-year-old, who joined Gent in January, scored in the 18th and 52nd minutes of the encounter.
Orban only played for 69 minutes before he was substituted.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Olayinka, Ogbu, Israel (Slavia, Sigma)
Defender Igoh Ogbu was on parade for 90 minutes for Slavia Prague in their 4-0 win over SK Sigma Olomouc in the Czech First League fixture played on Saturday at the Fortuna Arena.
The 23-year-old centre-back was impressive as he helped his team keep a clean sheet.
Peter Olayinka was not listed in Jindrich Trpisovsky’s squad after the striker was suspended for head-butting an opponent last month.
Ola Israel made his debut for Sigma Olomouc, with the left winger coming on as a second-half substitute for Radim Breite in the 71st minute.
Victor Olatunji (Slovan Liberec)
Olatunji got a starting role and was in action for 90 minutes but could not score in Slovan Liberec’s goalless draw against Banik Ostrava in the Czech Fortuna Liga match played on Saturday at the Mestsky stadion.
The former AEK Larnaca forward has struggled this season, scoring just two goals in eight appearances.
SPAIN
Samuel Chukwueze (Villareal)
Chukwueze was in action as Villareal recorded a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad in a LaLiga fixture played on Sunday at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
The 23-year-old winger played the entire duration of the game and helped the Yellow Submarine secure three points after he was brought down by Martín Zubimendi in the box, with Mikel Merino scoring from the ensuing penalty.
Quique Setien’s side are now unbeaten in five La Liga games.
Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona Femenin)
Striker Oshoala was not on the score sheet as Barcelona beat Alhama CF Women 2-0 in a match-day 24 fixture of the Spanish Women’s Primera Division on Sunday.
The forward was a second-half substitute, coming on for Patricia Guijarro Gutierrez in the 64th minute.
The 28-year-old has scored 19 goals and two assists in 23 league appearances this season.
Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid Women)
Super Falcons striker Ajibade was on the score sheet as Atletico Madrid Feminine thrashed Valencia Women 6-2 in the Spanish Women’s Primera Division match played on Saturday.
The 23-year-old Nigeria international had 66 minutes of action and netted the third goal in the 55th minute to take her tally to eight goals in 23 appearances this season.
Toni Payne (Sevilla)
Payne was in action for Sevilla Women in their 4-2 win against Deportivo Alaves Women in the Spanish Women’s Primera Division on Saturday.
The 27-year-old striker was exceptional and played 82 minutes to help Sevilla secure victory.
SAUDI ARABIA
Odion Ighalo (Al Hilal)
Forward Ighalo scored a brace as Al Hilal continued their hunt for the treble with a commanding 2-0 win over Al Khaleej in a Saudi Pro League match played on Saturday to take his goals tally to 14 this season.
The former Manchester United striker and last season’s Golden Boot winner in Saudi Arabia is the second joint top scorer in the Saudi Pro League with 14 goals in 17 league appearances this season, just one goal behind Al Ittihad’s Moroccan forward Abderrazak Hamdallah