Super Eagles Watch: Iwobi makes history, Osimhen scores again as Nigerian stars shine across Europe

Nigerian footballers across Europe delivered notable performances over the weekend, with Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi making history in the English Premier League.

Iwobi became the first Nigerian to reach 300 appearances in the English topflight during Fulham’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United at Saint James’ Park. Subbed off in the 92nd minute after his ninth consecutive start of the season, the 29-year-old expressed pride in his achievement, citing the legacy of fellow Nigerians like Shola Ameobi and his uncle Jay-Jay Okocha.

His teammate Calvin Bassey also featured prominently, making his eighth start in nine matches this season and playing every minute of the game. Bassey has been a consistent presence in Fulham’s backline, missing only one start this season. He was however responsible for the Magpies first goal of the game.

Meanwhile, Samuel Chukwueze remains sidelined with a calf injury and is yet to make his first start for the Cottagers.

Elsewhere in England, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Tolu Arokodare continues to struggle for game time, featuring for only six minutes in Wolves’ 3-2 loss at home.

The 24-year-old has not started a league match in over a month and has accumulated just 27 minutes across four appearances.

Brentford’s Frank Onyeka also remains on the fringes, making his sixth consecutive substitute appearance in the club’s 3-2 win over Liverpool. Despite limited minutes, Onyeka recently scored the decisive goal that secured Nigeria’s place in the 2026 World Cup playoffs.

Taiwo Awoniyi made his second Premier League appearance of the season for Nottingham Forest in their 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth. The striker came on in the 46th minute and nearly scored in the 84th, only to be denied by the goalkeeper.

Crystal Palace’s Christantus Uche returned to the senior squad after a stint with the U-23s, featuring for just one minute in their 1-0 loss to Arsenal. Uche is still awaiting his first start for the London club.

In Spain, Sevilla’s Nigerian duo Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke were unable to prevent back-to-back defeats following their earlier heroics against Barcelona.

Adams and Ejuke came off the bench in Sevilla’s 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad, which followed a 3-1 defeat to Mallorca. Sevilla now sits ninth in La Liga with 13 points from 10 matches. Adams has one goal this season, while Ejuke has registered one assist in seven appearances.

Over in France, Moses Simon endured another frustrating outing as Paris FC fell 2-0 to Nantes. Simon has gone six games without a goal and has only one assist to his name this season.

In Italy, Ademola Lookman is yet to register a goal or assist this season for Atalanta, marking a rare dry spell for the reigning African Footballer of the Year. His form has been inconsistent since a failed transfer to Inter Milan.

Meanwhile, Maduka Okoye helped Udinese to a 3-2 win over Lecce, conceding three goals in two matches since returning from a two-month suspension. Gift Orban found the net for Verona in their 2-2 draw with Cagliari, scoring his second goal of the season after previously netting against Juventus.

In Turkey, Victor Osimhen continued his blistering form for Galatasaray, scoring his 43rd goal in his 50th appearance during their 3-1 comeback win over Goztepe. The Nigerian striker equalled the goal tally of his coach Okan Buruk, who scored 43 goals in 306 appearances for the club.

Paul Onuachu failed to score for the first time in five matches but remains the top scorer in the Turkish Super Lig with seven goals. He played the full 90 minutes in Trabzonspor’s 2-0 win over Eyüpspor and received his third yellow card of the season.

Wilfred Ndidi also featured for the full match in Besiktas’ 1-1 draw with Kasimpasa. The midfielder has started all eight matches this season and was recently named assistant captain.

In Belgium, Benjamin Frederick returned to the starting lineup for Dender in their 1-1 draw against Westerlo. The 20-year-old defender, on loan from Brentford, played the full match in his natural centre-back role, helping to end the team’s losing streak.