Nigerian footballers prepared for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with strong club performances last weekend. Across European leagues, many AFCON-bound players delivered goals, assists, and crucial contributions. These efforts provide a timely boost as they join their national team camps.

Spain: Ejuke and Adams Shine for Sevilla

Sevilla secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Real Oviedo. Two Nigerian players were instrumental in this win. Akor Adams opened the scoring early, netting in the fourth minute with a calm finish. This marked his third goal of the season.

Adams then turned provider midway through the first half. He set up Djibril Sow, whose low strike doubled Sevilla’s lead. Later, Chidera Ejuke capped the impressive home display. He entered the game in the 77th minute. Ejuke made a dazzling solo run before slotting home just before stoppage time. This was his first goal of the campaign.

Croatia: Lawal Salim Fago’s Scoring Streak Continues

In Croatia, new Super Eagles invitee Lawal Salim Fago maintained his excellent scoring form for Istra 1961. He scored within five minutes, marking his fifth goal of the season. This was his second consecutive match finding the net since his AFCON call-up. The match was later abandoned at 1-1. Still, Fago’s early impact highlighted his strong form ahead of international duty.

Italy: Gift Orban’s Match-Winning Brace and Maduka Okoye’s Clean Sheet

Italy also saw significant Nigerian contributions. Gift Orban delivered a match-winning performance for Hellas Verona. He came on in the 35th minute due to an injury. Orban quickly made an impact, breaking the deadlock three minutes before halftime. He scored with a cool finish from the edge of the box after a swift counterattack.

Fiorentina later equalized. However, Orban settled the contest dramatically, calmly converting from close range in the final moments. This sealed a 2-1 win and took his league tally to four goals.

Meanwhile, Maduka Okoye played a crucial role as Udinese beat Napoli 1-0 in Serie A. The Super Eagles goalkeeper earned his third clean sheet of the season. He confidently handled the limited threats and helped his team deny Napoli the top spot.

Other Notable Performances Across Europe

Raphael Onyedika continued his consistent form for Club Brugge in Belgium. He played 79 minutes in a commanding 5-1 away victory over Dender. In Turkey, Anthony Dennis followed up last week’s goal with another strong showing. He played the full match as Göztepe secured a narrow 1-0 away win against Gaziantep. This brought his season tally to three goals.

Further appearances included Wilfred Ndidi, who played the entire match in Beşiktaş’s 3-3 draw at Trabzonspor before joining the Super Eagles camp. Bruno Onyemaechi returned to action for Olympiacos after injury. Cyriel Dessers made his first start in 17 matches for Panathinaikos following a lengthy layoff. Kelechi Iheanacho continued his recovery with another outing for Celtic.