The burst of goals from Nigerian players continued on Sunday, as Abduljeleel Ajagun added yet another beauty to his name in South Africa and Philip Otele knocked one home in Lithuania, but Samuel Kalu was ruled out of action in France due to injury.
Megasportsarena.com reports further that, same evening, Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo played key roles with Glasgow Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, but they could only settle for a 1-1 draw with their eternal city rivals, Celtic, while
In South Africa, Ajagun, who moved to South Africa as a free agent from Belgium earlier this year, opened scoring for the home team after just three minutes of action for his second goal in three appearances with Cape Town City and helped them to a 1-1 draw with Golden Arrows.
The former Flying Eagles’ captain calmly hit home a rebound from inside the box for his first goal in the South African top-flight league, having earlier netted in the FA Cup for the Cape Town-based side, who are seventh on the table with 26 points from 20 matches.
In Lithuania, 21-year-old Otele was the match winner for FK Kauno Zalgiris in a 2-1 victory over Riteriai, as he netted his side’s second of the game in the 57th minute, thereby keeping his team top of the table with nine points in three games with his third goal in as many games.
In France, Samuel Kalu missed action for Girondins-Bordeaux, as he is yet to recover from a thigh injury he suffered in action against Dijon the previous weekend and he was left out of his team’s trip to Montpellier.
The same injury also forced him out of the Super Eagles’ Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic next Saturday in Porto Novo and three days later versus Lesotho at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, thereby marking the continuum of a torrid season riddled with fitness issues and a coronavirus infection.
In Scotland, Balogun first allowed a goal pass through him, but recovered to play a role in a crucial comeback effort for Glasgow Rangers against Celtiuc in the Scottish Premiereship’s Old Firm derby.
Joe Aribo was also on from The Start for The Gers, as Alfredo Morelos ended his own personal goal drought against Celtic to ensure champions Rangers maintained their unbeaten record in the Scottish Premiership with a 1-1 draw in a frantic Old Firm contest.
On a glorious spring afternoon in Glasgow’s East End, Celtic struck first through Mohamed Elyounoussi’s superb diving header, but Morelos equalised 15 minutes later with a classic poacher’s strike to grab his first goal in an Old Firm game.
Rangers arrived at Celtic Park as champions for the first time in more than a decade, but there was no guard of honour from their hosts and there was little action in the first 10 minutes, until Ryan Kent burst through on goal, but Stephen Welsh’s block prevented any deadly shot.
Celtic responded with some purposeful possession in midfield, and, after David Turnbull’s cross had been only partially cleared, Callum McGregor volleyed just over the crossbar after a nice exchange with Welsh.
Pressure from Celtic continued and they took a deserved lead on 23 minutes, when Odsonne Edouard escaped Balogun and delivered a perfect cross for Elyounoussi, as the Norwegian threw himself at the ball to divert the header past Allan McGregor for his 16th goal of the season.
Rangers, perhaps drained physically and mentally from the events of Thursday, seemed to lack energy and ideas. On the other hand, Celtic were fresh after a fortnight’s break and eager to prove a point, as John Kennedy had demanded during the week.
Later on, after conceding a needless corner, the defence was static as Balogun met Barisic’s cross, and Morelos stole in to bundle the ball home at the back post for his first goal against Celtic in 15 games.
