It was a thrilling Saturday for Super Eagles players as they returned to club action after the international break.
Super Eagles forward Samuel Chukwueze scored his first goal for AC Milan this season, propelling them to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Udinese at the Giuseppe Meazza.
Chukwueze, who had missed the Super Eagles’ trip to Libya due to injury, was a surprise starter in Saturday’s game.
Despite a challenging start to the season, following an impressive preseason, Chukwueze silenced doubts about his future with a match-winning performance.
In the 68th minute, Milan orchestrated a swift attack, with Christian Pulisic making a darting run down the left flank before delivering a precise pass to Chukwueze at the edge of the box.
The Nigerian winger made no mistake, firing a low shot past Udinese’s goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye.
While Okoye’s side had two goals ruled out, Chukwueze was named Man of the Match for his decisive strike. His display was a positive sign for Milan fans, as he looks to regain form.
Meanwhile, in Turkey, Victor Osimhen made a triumphant return from injury, scoring an extraordinary goal for Galatasaray.
The Nigerian striker, who had missed international duty, came on as a substitute in the 78th minute with his team leading 2-0 against Antalyaspor.
Osimhen thought he had scored just three minutes after coming on, but the goal was ruled out. However, he soon delivered a moment of magic, executing a stunning bicycle kick in the 87th minute to seal Galatasaray’s 3-0 win.
The goal marked Osimhen’s return in style with three goals and 4 assists in 5 appearances for Galatasaray.
In the English Premier League, Joe Aribo found the back of the net for Southampton in their 3-2 loss to Leicester City.
The Nigerian midfielder, who has been absent from the Super Eagles for a while, doubled Southampton’s lead in the 28th minute with a composed finish.
However, Southampton squandered their 2-0 advantage as Leicester staged a dramatic comeback, with Wilfred Ndidi’s side winning in the dying moments of stoppage time.
Ndidi played the full 90 minutes for Leicester, while Paul Onuachu came on as a substitute for Southampton in the 68th minute. The defeat leaves Southampton second from the bottom, while Leicester moved up to 13th in the table.
In the Bundesliga, Victor Boniface continued his red-hot form, scoring the winner for Bayer Leverkusen in their 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. Boniface, who has been in exceptional form this season, initially missed a penalty in the 9th minute but redeemed himself by netting his seventh goal of the season.
His winning strike ensured Leverkusen climbed to fourth in the Bundesliga table with 14 points from seven matches, keeping them well in the hunt for the title.
