Crotone of Italy striker, Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo (Simy) adorned an ‘End SARS’ message few minutes after he led the way for Nigerian players in a rush of goals on Saturday, with Chinedu Obasi adding his fair share in Austria and Terem Moffi also netting on his debut in France, while several youngsters were on song in England.
Megasportsarena.com reports that, while Simy, Obasi and Moffi rate high on the minds Super Eagles’ fans, their efforts were not alone on the cards, as many Nigerian-born lads hit bull’s eye for the youth teams of some clubs in Queensland, with Folarin Balogun showing how it is done for Arsenal.
In France, Moffi scored on his debut for FC Lorient and won a penalty that helped his side snatch a 3-1 win away to Stade Reims, with the 21-year-old attacker replicating the same feat that saw him emerge as an instant success in Belgium earlier this year.
So soon after his record eight million Euros transfer to Lorient, Moffi scored his team’s third of the evening, after he earlier earned a penalty that helped his side net their second goal of the game in the 65th minute, after which he was replaced in the 86th minute.
In Italy, ‘Simy’ scored for Crotone in a heroic 1-1 draw with Juventus, with the lanky lad making it hot on target for himself in back-to-back matches, after opening his goals account in a 4-1 loss to Sassuolo befoe the international break.
On Saturday, ‘Simy’ broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 12th minute, for his second goal in four games so far this season, but he could not lead his newly promoted side to victory, as Juventus drew level in the 21st minute through Alvaro Morata, and held firm despite being reduced to 10 men in the 60th minute, after Federico Chiesa was shown a straight red card.
In Austria, Obasi got off Rheindorf Altach’s bench to score twice in a 7-0 win over Seekirchen in Saturday’s Austrian Cup round of 16 tie, which turned out to be a one-side seven-goal thriller, in which the former Super Eagles’ attacker replaced Daniel Nussbaumer in the 66th minute.
Obasi made it four for the Austrian Bundesliga outfit four minutes after entering the fray and, with the goals looking to have stopped flying in, the former TSG Hoffenheim and Schalke 04 of Germany ace completed his double with 60 seconds left to play.
In England, two Nigerian-born kids were on song for Arsenal, as The Gunners’ youth team hit back from two goals down to eke 3-3 draw against Manchester United in the English Premier League 2 on Saturday.
Folarin Balogun led the way for the Nigerian-born Arsenal lot, in a game that also featured Ryan Alebiosu in action for 86 minutes, Miguel Azeez on at half-time, but Tim Akinola and reserve goalkeeper, Arthur Okonkwo both watched proceedings from the bench.
Pick of the pack was 19-year-old Balogun, who grabbed a six-minute brace in the second half; while Arnau Puigmal and Joe Hugill scored to put The Red Devils 3-1 up after 55 minutes, but Balogun helped The Gunners regain their stability.
Balogun gave Arsenal hope when he pulled a goal back in the 64th minute and he then made sure they got a point when he equalised with 20 minutes remaining, thereby taking his total tally for the season to three from six games in all competitions.
Same evening in England, Bryan Fiabema and Faustino Anjorin both scored for Chelsea’s youth quad and helped The Blues get a 3-2 victory over Derby County in an English Premier League 2 fixture on Saturday afternoon.
The duo got off Chelsea’s bench to inspire The Blues’ rookies to a dramatic comeback victory at Cobham Training Centre, with Anjorin opening the scoring while Fiabema twice got the better of Derby goalkeeper Foster-Theniger.
Anjorin scored within a minute of coming on in place of Marcel Lewis on the hour mark, after he got a pass that put him inside his marker, and he notched home after a reverse ball from Thierno Ballo; while Fiabema pounced on an intercepted pass from his compatriot on 73 minutes, eased through Derby’s defence line and fired home from 30 yards out.
Later on, the Nigerian duo combined well for Chelsea’s winning goal, with Fiabema finishing off smartly, after Ballo profited from a ball into space from the very impressive Anjorin, and they all helped the London club get a much-desired victory that sent them top of the EPL2 log.
