Izuchukwu OkosiNigerian players were in action last weekend and on Monday evening across Europe for their respective clubs.
Prime Business Africa here presents the roundup of players who made the headlines for their clubs as the 2023/2024 season kicks on.
ENGLAND
Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi scored his seventh successive goal for Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening in their 3-2 away defeat to Manchester United away at the Old Trafford.
Incidentally, Awoniyi also became the first Nigerian to score in seventh straight games in English Premier League history.
Ola Aina played for the entire duration of the game and was booked (yellow card) in the game.
At the Emirates stadium, defender Calvin Bassey was sent off for two bookable offences after impeding Eddie Nketiah as 10-man Fulham picked up a deserving 2-2 draw against an underwhelming Arsenal side.
Brentford were held to a 1-1 draw by visiting Crystal Palace at the Gtech Community stadium with Super Eagles defensive midfielder, Frank Onyeka, introduced in the last 18 minutes of the game on Saturday.
Alex Iwobi was conspicuously missing in Everton’s lineup as the Tofees lost 1-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi were both in action for Leicester City in their fourth straight win of the 2023/2024 Championship season.
Iheanacho bagged an assist as the Foxes defeated Rotherham United 2-1 away at the Aesseal New York Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Iheanacho assisted Kasey McAteer for Leicester City’s opener in the 12th minute. The 26-year-old was however replaced by Jamie Verdy in the 59th might.
Friend and teammate, Wilfred Ndidi, who is reportedly on the cusp of signing for Premier League side, Nottingham Forest, was also in action for 68 minutes in the game.
Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo was in action for only seven minutes in Southampton’s 2-1 win over QPR on Saturday at the Saint Mary Stadium. His compatriot, Paul Onuachu wasn’t dressed for the match neither was Samuel Kalu available.
At the Vicarage Road, former Nigeria U-20 international Tom Dele-Bashiru was in an action for 55 minutes for Watford in their 1-0 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers in Sunday’s early afternoon kickoff.
ITALY
Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen continued his immense start to the 2023-24 Serie A season with a well taken penalty kick goal for Napoli in the 2-0 win over Sassuolo on Sunday night.
Osimhen opened the scoring from the spot in the 16th minute for his 100th club career goal.
The striker who turned offers down from the Saudi Pro League has now notched 62 goals in 103 matches for Napoli.
He has notched 18 in 38 Ligue 1 games for Lille, while scoring 20 goals in 36 games for RSC Charleroi of Belgium.
Osimhen thus became the 13th Nigerian to score 100 club goals following the footsteps of the likes of Rashidi Yekini, Obafemi Martins, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Agali, Odion Ighalo, Jonathan Akpoborie, Osaze Odemwingie, Ikechukwu Uche, John Utaka, Efan Ekoku, and Victor Ikpeba.
Lorenzo scored Napoli’s second goal just after the hour mark to give the defending champions a 2-0 win and to maintain their perfect start to the new season.
Osimhen has now scored three goals in two games in the 2023-24 Serie A season after winning the league’s top scorer award last season.
After the game, Osimhen was honoured with the Paulo Rossi award for winning the Serie A top scorer award last season.
Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman was in action for Atalanta as they lost 2-1 to newly promoted side, Frosinone on Saturday.
The former Fulham and Portsmouth 25-year-old winger scored 13 league goals last season and was replaced at the start of the second half.
Super Eagles defender, Tyronne Ebuehi was in action for the entire 90 minutes for Empoli as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to promoted Monza.
France’s 2018 FIFA World Cup winner Olivier Giroud was subbed off for Super Eagles star Samuel Chukwueze in the 66th minute in AC Milan’s 4-1 win over Torino on Saturday.
GERMANY
Nigeria striker Victor Boniface scored a brace Saturday evening in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-0 away win over Borrusia Monchenglsdbach.
The in-form Nigerian whom many hope to see be part of the Super Eagles squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sao Tome and Principe in September was yellow-carded in the game.
SCOTLAND
Former Feyernoord striker Cyreil Dessers was in action for Scottish giants Rangers, as they beat Ross County 2-0 on Saturday evening but international teammate, Leon Balogun was an unused substitution for the Gers.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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