Iheanacho seeking for first league goal in 2024, Ndidi set to make 200th EPL appearance as Super Eagles stars return to club football after Libya ordeal
Super Eagles stars are set to return to action with their various clubs in Europe and elsewhere after their harrowing and dehumanizing experience in Libya.
The players were locked up in a local airport in a remote area in Libya after their plane was prevented from landing at the Benina international airport near Benghazi and diverted to what looked like a rarely used Al Albrag airport that lacks required navigational equipments.
The Super Eagles stars have since returned to training at their respective bases with all eyes on a few of them either trying to seek end to setting an unwanted record or trying to achieve a milestone.
Top of the list of players trying to end a run of league games in 2024 without a goal is striker, Kelechi Iheanacho who will not only be looking to score his first LaLiga goal in six appearances but also score his first goal in the league in the outgoing year.
The 28 year old has not scored in the league since he netted his fifth Sky Bet Championship goal for Leicester City almost a year ago in the Foxes’ 3-1 defeat of Swansea at the Swansea.com Stadium in October 2023.
Since then, the Nigerian has featured in 16 more games in the league viz 11 in the Sky Bet Championships and five in the LaLiga.
Iheanacho’s Nigerian compatriot at the club, Ejuke Chidera has been impressive in his LaLiga debut season and will be keen to continue where he left off before the international break.
Ejuke, voted Sevilla player of the month for September, has netted once so far this season in the LaLiga and holds the record as the best dribbler in the competition after nine rounds of matches.
In Italy, Ademola Lookman will continue his race to sprint past Obafemi Martins as the third most prolific Nigerian in the history of the Serie A. Lookman has netted 26 goals in 66 Serie A games since he joined Atalanta in August 2024. Two more will make him joint third highest scoring Nigerian in the competition’s history.
Still in Italy, Samuel Chukwueze, the AC Milan pre-season star will be hoping he can, for once, repeat his incredible and impressive performances during the club’s pre-season games in the Serie A as the 25 year old is still seeking for his first LaLiga goal of the season after seven round of matches.
Maduka Okoye will be returning to action for his Serie A side, Udinese after three substitute appearances for Nigeria since his return to the Super Eagles nest. The 25 year old will be seeking for his third clen sheet in eight Serie A games this season.
In England, Wilfred Ndidi is in line to make his 200th appearance in the Premier League since he switched from KRC Genk of Belgium to Leicester City in England.
If he plays, Ndidi will be one of the less than 10 Nigerians that will have reached that milestone. He will also be starting his 186th start in the competition.
Paul Onuachu returned to Premier League action in Southampton’s 3-1 loss at Arsenal just before the international break after over a year out, precisely May 2023 when he featured in the 2-0 loss at the St Mary’s stadium to visiting Fulham.
He will be seeking for his first start in the competition since the game against Fulham last year and of course his first goal ever in 13 appearances in the Premier League.
His compatriot, Joe Aribo will be looking to make his fifth start in eight appearances in the Premier League this season.
Alex Iwobi is closing in on his 40th Premier League game for Fulham and if he plays this weekend, it will be his 38th for the Cottagers. He has scored once and bagged an assist in seven games so far in the competition this season.
The 28 year tops the assists list by a Nigerian in the history of the Premier League and he will be keen to extend the record as he continues to prove pivotal to Fulham’s overall impressive display so far this season.
Calvin Bassey, his compatriot at the club is also expected to be in action after starting all seven games played so far in the Premier League. The Nigerian will be making his 37th appearance in the competition if he plays a part in the game this weekend.
Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi have returned to training at Nottingham Forest and both are expected to be in action. While Aina is expected to make it eight starts in a row following his impressive start to the season, Awoniyi will be hoping he can be given his second start of the season.
More importantly, Awoniyi will be seeking to score his first goal of the season for the club in the competition. At this stage last season, he has scored three goals and provided two assists.
Still in England, Semi Ajayi, who among the Super Eagles stars held hostage by their host, Libya last week will be making his 195th appearance in the Sky Bet Championship if he plays this weekend for West Brom. It will be his 132nd in the competition for his present club whom he has featured for in 171 games across all competitions.
In France, Simon Moses will be making his 176th appearance for FC Nantes if he features this weekend and 153rd of the games will be in the Ligue 1 where he has scored 27 times since he joined in July 2020.
In Saudi Arabia, Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong is expected to be in action for the seventh time when his Saudi Pro League side play this weekend. The Nigerian has scored once in the six appearances he has made so far for the club in his debut season.
In Germany, Victor Boniface will be eager to make it five goals in seven Bundesliga games this season and seventh in 10 games across all competitions.
The 23-year-old has been one of the top scoring Nigerians in the five big leagues in Europe so far this time.
