Girondins-Bordeaux of France winger, Samuel Kalu joined Nigeria’s array of goals scorers across Europe this past weekend, while West Ham United of England’s youth team striker, Mipo Odubeko was also on song in the English Premier League 2, megasportsarena.com reports.
As Nigerian goals rained from Friday, through Saturday and Sunday, also on song across Europe were Terem Moffi for FC Lorient of France, Emmanuel Dennis Bonaventure on his debut with FC Cologne of Germany and Asisat Oshoala for Barcelona Femeni of Spain.
In France, Kalu equaled his best tally for goals scored in a single French Ligue 1 season on Friday night when he equalized for Bordeaux in their 2-1 loss away at Olympique Lyon, but his side failed to extend their run to five games.
While Kalu got a starter’s spot, his Nigerian compatriot, Josh Maja stayed on Bordeaux’s bench, as Cameroon forward Karl Toko Ekambi struck just after the half-hour mark to give the hosts a 1-0 lead, as they went into the break with the advantage.
Kalu, who featured for 76 minutes before being replaced, with a game rating of 6.7, seven duels won and completed 61% of his passes, equalized for his team ten minutes after the break, but Leo Dubois’s last-minute goal broke the visitors’ hearts, as they lost for the first time this year.
In England, Tottenham Hotspur-owned central defender Jubril Okedina made his professional debut aged 20 years and 96 days, on loan at high-flying EFL League Two club, Cambridge United, where he will be for the remainder of the season.
He was benched four consecutive matches versus Harrogate Town, Colchester United, Southend United and Bradford Town before making the starting lineup against Crawley Town and he went the distance, during which he put up a good performance on his senior debut.
Okedina, who captained Tottenham’s U23 side in the English Premier League 2 before heading to Cambridge United on loan, looked alert on 75 minutes, as he headed behind a dangerous ball from the right and prevented Sam Matthews wreaking havoc with the score at 2-1.
Same evening in England, Manchester United academy product, Mipo Odubeko was involved in all the three goals that saw West Ham’s second team beat Southampton B 3-1 on Friday night, as the 18-year-old returned from injury to be named in the starting lineup along with Ajibola Alese and Dapo Afolayan, while Otseh Taiwo, David Agbontohoma and Kazeem Olaigbe started for The Saints.
Odubeko opened the scoring with a simple finish after he was set up by Afolayan in the 26th minute and doubled the advantage from close range on 38 minutes, after which Olaigbe fired low past The Hammers’ goalkeeper to half the deficit in the 61st minute.
West Ham’s two-goal cushion was, however, restored when Odubeko laid a pass to exciting midfielder Dan Chesters, who slipped the ball under the goalkeeper twenty minutes from time, but The Hammers remain bottom of the division with eight points from 12 games.
In Germany, 23-year-old Bonaventure made his debut for Koln in their 3-1 victory over Arminia Bielefeld in Sunday’s German Bundesliga game, with an immediate impact coming from the Super Eagles’ fringe player, who joined The Billy Goats only five days earlier.
He arrived on loan from Club Brugge of Belgium until end of this season and was accorded his first appearance for Markus Gisdol’s team, which he justified by helping his side secure all three points at RheinEnergieStadion.
Bonaventure featured for 82 minutes in his debut appearance in the Bundesliga and made a telling impact in the encounter, as he also struck a shot on target, had 38 touches on the ball, completed one dribble and had a 63% successful pass rate.
Back in France, Moffi got off Lorient’s bench to ensure Paris-Saint Germaine surrendered their lead to crumble against his relegation-threatened side, as Les Merlucciidaes shocked the Parisiens 3-2 in Sunday’s French Ligue 1 encounter.
With the encounter at Stade du Moustoir heading for a draw, Moffi, who has now scored in his last five league games, had the final say, as he settled the game in the 90th minute after surging through the PSG backline to beat Rico as the visitors were caught upfield chasing a winner.
In Spain, Asisat Oshoala scored her fourth brace of the season to help Barcelona secure a 4-1 victory over Real Madrid in Sunday’s Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter, as the champions got their 13th win of the season at Estadi Johan Cruyff.
Oshoala got her eighth league start of the term and utilized the chances to increase her season tally, after Caroline Graham Hansen set her up inside the six-yard box for a tap-in eight minutes from the break, then grabbed her brace and a fourth late in the second half.
