MIXED BAG! Lookman nets brace, Aina opens EPL account, Okoye’s own goal

•Lookman nets brace for Atalanta in Napoli win

•Aina opens EPL account as Forest trounce West Ham

•Okoye’s own goal hands Juve victory

Nigerian players had contrasting fortunes over the weekend, with Ademola scoring a brace in Atalanta’s 3-0 win at Napoli, Ola Aina scoring his first Premier League goal of the season, and Maduka Okoye scoring an own goal as Udinese lost 2-0 at home against Juventus. PETER AKINBO reports
Sunday

ITALY

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (ATALANTA)
Ademola Lookman was once again on song for Atalanta, netting a brace in their resounding 3-0 win over leaders Napoli at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Sunday.

The Nigeria forward opened the scoring on 10 minutes and completed his brace on 31 minutes before Retegui rounded off the rout two minutes into added time.

He was replaced in the 76th minute by Lazar Samardžić, a tactical change to kill off the game.

Lookman took his league tally to six in seven starts of eight matches for the UEFA Europa League champions this season.

FRANCE

AKOR ADAMS (Montpellier)

Adams fired blanks for Montpellier, playing from the start until the hour mark when he was replaced by Mousa Al Ta’mari as they lost 1-0 at Le Havre in a Ligue 1 fixture at Stade Océane, where Toure’s 73rd minute penalty goal made the difference on Sunday.
The striker has notched three Ligue 1 goals this term, making him the club’s top league scorer, and provided one assist.

BELGIUM

TOLU AROKODARE, YISA SOR (GENK)

In-form Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare was involved in Genk’s 2-0 home win over Antwerp, assisting Hrošovský for their opener late in the first half in a First Division A Game week 13 fixture at Cegeka Arena on Sunday.

He made his 13th start in as many outings with Genk with eight goals to his credit this term, while his compatriot Yira Sor didn’t feature, being out for the remainder of the season due to a groin injury.

The win leaves Genk atop the table with 32 points, eight points clear of Antwerp through 13 matches.

SATURDAY
ENGLAND

OLA AINA, TAIWO AWONIYI (NOTTINGHAM FOREST)

Super Eagles defender Ola Aina grabbed his first goal of the season as Forest secured an impressive 3-0 win over West Ham in a Premier League Game Week 10 fixture at City Ground.

The 27-year-old, who has been ever-present for Forest this season with just one booking, scored Forest’s third goal in the 78th minute following earlier strikes from Hudson-Odoi and Chris Wood.

His compatriot Taiwo Awoniyi came on as a 79th-minute replacement for Chris Wood as Forest moved to third with 19 points.

WILFRED NDIDI (LEICESTER CITY)

Wilfred Ndidi started for Leicester in their 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town before being replaced by Boubakry Soumare in the 71st minute of the encounter at Portman Road. The result leaves the Foxes in 15th place with 10 points after 10 games.
ARIBO, ONUACHU (SOUTHAMPTON)

Joe Aribo made a halftime appearance for Southampton, while Paul Onuachu played a cameo role, being brought in three minutes into added time in place of Cameron Archer as the Saints edged Everton 1-0, their first Premier League win of the season, with Adam Armstrong netting the decider in the 85th minute.

BENJAMIN TAMINU (CRAWLEY TOWN)

The Nigeria defender started his second match for Crawley Town in their FA Cup 2-1 win over Maidenhead at York Road Stadium on Saturday. The former Bendel Insurance player was pulled off on 90 minutes for Bradley Ibrahim as the travellers came from behind to snatch the road win.

GERMANY
FRANK ONYEKA (AUGSBURG).

Frank Onyeka played from start to finish for Augsburg, who held Wolfsburg 1-1 in a German Bundesliga Game Week 9 encounter at Volkswagen Arena on Saturday.
It was the midfielder’s seventh start in as many appearances for Augsburg this season across their nine fixtures.

He followed up on his impressive showing in their shock win over Dortmund last weekend by having his side contain Wolfsburg, who dominated proceedings.

BONIFACE, TELLA (BAYER LEVERKUSEN)

Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella featured for Leverkusen in their goalless draw against Stuttgart in a German Bundesliga fixture on Friday.

Boniface, who has six league goals this season, came closest to breaking the deadlock when he hit the post eight minutes after the restart. The Nigerian striker also saw his one-on-one effort saved by Nuebel in the 73rd minute as Leverkusen remained third with 16 points.

AKPOGUMA, AFOLAYAN (HOFFENHEIM, ST. PAULI)

Kevin Akpoguma was an unused substitute for Hoffenheim, who slumped to a 2-0 defeat to St Pauli in a Bundesliga game on Saturday at PreZero Arena.
The visitors featured Oladapo Afolayan, a Nigerian descent with a British passport, who opened the scoring for St Pauli in the 20th minute before being replaced by Robert Wagner in the 80th minute.

ITALY

MADUKA OKOYE (UDINESE)

It was a day to forget for Maduka Okoye in goal for Udinese as his own goal highlighted their 2-0 defeat to Juventus in a Serie A Game Week 11 encounter at Bluenergy Stadium on Saturday.

The Nigerian goalkeeper, who kept a clean sheet last week against Cagliari, saw Thuram’s 19th-minute shot ricocheting in off Maduka Okoye’s back before Savona doubled Juve’s lead. The defeat leaves Udinese in seventh place, three points outside the European spots.

BELGIUM

RAPHAEL ONYEDIKA (CLUB BRUGGE)
Raphael Onyedika completed another 90 minutes for Club Brugge as they secured a 1-0 victory over Oud-Heverlee Leuven at King Power at Den Dreef Stadion, where Andreas Skov Olsen’s 58th-minute goal made the difference.

The midfielder, who has been linked with moves to Galatasaray and Crystal Palace, continues to be a key figure for the Belgian side.

It was his 10th start in 11 appearances for his team this season.

Nigerian striker Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi featured for OH Leuven as the 23-year-old made his fourth start in 12 matches for the home team. He has two goals to his name.

THE NETHERLANDS

CHUBA AKPOM (AJAX)

Chuba Akpom started for Ajax, but the Nigerian prospect was replaced by Mika Godts in the 61st minute as his team came from behind to secure a crucial 3-2 victory over PSV on Saturday.
The 29-year-old striker, who has two goals and an assist in five appearances this season, was part of the team that kept their title hopes alive by reducing the gap on leaders PSV to five points with a game in hand.

PORTUGAL

BRUNO ONYEMAECHI (BOAVISTA)

The Nigeria defender played from start to finish for Boavista, who edged Gil Vincent 2-0 in a Portuguese Primeira Liga Game Week 10 fixture at Estádio Cidade de Barcelos on Saturday.

It was his ninth start in 10 appearances for Bonavista, with one goal to his name this season, his third following his €1m arrival from Feirense in 2023.

TURKEY

IBRAHIM OLAWOYIN, BABAJIDE AKINTOLA ((REZESPOR)
Two unsung Nigerians, Ibrahim Olawoyin and Babajide Akintola, were in action for Rizespor, who were edged 2-1 away to Sivasspor in a Turkish Super Lig tie at BG Group 4 Eylül Stadyumu on Saturday.

Olawoyin, who made his ninth start in as many matches, assisted the visitors for the opener as the home team stormed back to clinch the match with Sonko Soundberg’s brace.