Chuba Akpom hits brace, makes Ajax history in Europa League win
Chuba Akpom scored twice in AFC Ajax’s 3-1 defeat of visiting AEK Athens at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam Thursday evening to ensure the club will not
be without European football in the new year.
The Nigerian scored on fifth and 56 minutes for the home team in the must-win game to determine who joins the Europa Conference League between his club and
the visitors after both sides had already missed the chance to progress to the knockout round in the Europa League.
Akpom attempted eight shots on traget in the game, the ighest tally for an AFC Ajax player in major European competition since Lorenzo Ebecilio against
Spartak Moscow in March 2011.
The former Middlesbrough of England forward’s first goal of the game scored after just 4 minutes and 2 seconds is AFC Ajax’ earliest home goal in major
European competition since Luis Suárez against Dinamo Zagreb in October 2009 (2 minutes and 20 seconds).
Akpom has now netted eight goals in 17 games for the Dutch Eredivise side with five coming in the league and three in six Europa League games.
Interestingly, Akpom was deemed surplus to requirements after firing blanks in his first five appearance in the Eredivise and first four games in Europe for the club.
