Crotone of Italy striker, Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo (Simy) set two Nigerian scoring records on Saturday, as he struck twice in his side’s Italian Serie game versus AC Parma, megasportsarena.com reports.
In netting a brace during the encounter, for his 18th and 19th goals of the campaign, ‘Simy’ went past Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s former highest mark of in a single top-five European League season as well as bettered Obafemi Akinwunmi Martin’s feat as the top-scoring Nigerian in the Serie A.
Simy’s brace against The Crusaders makes him the highest-scoring Nigerian in Europe’s big-five leagues and highest from the West African country ever in the history of Serie A, as he scored in each half to help The Pythagoreans secure a rare 4-3 away victory.
After Crotone first went ahead in the 14th minute lead through Lisandro Magallan, Parma got on level terms through Hernani in the 29th minute, but Simy put his relegation-threatened team ahead three minutes before the half-time break.
Simy made hay by tapping past goalkeeper Simone Colombi from an Adam Ounas cross, and the side coached by Serse Cosmi extended their lead through Algeria international Ounas with the last strike of the first 45 minutes.
Goals from Cote d’Ivoire international Gervinho and Valentin Mihaila put the hosts, coached by Roberto D’Aversa, back on equal terms, but Simy had the game’s final salvo, as the former Gil Vicente of Portugal giant striker converted a penalty kick in the 69th minute.
It marked another milestone for Simy, who emerged top scorer in the Serie B last term when scored 20 goals during the course of the season to help Crotone achieve promotion to Italian topflight Serie A.
The Super Eagles’ fringe striker to Russia 2018 World Cup, who has scored 29 goals since making his debut in the Italian top-flight in 2016, will now aim to continue his impressive goals scoring run against Inter Milan next Saturday, May 1.
