Nigerian footballers delivered notable performances across Europe on Thursday, with Bamidele Yusuf, Wilfred Ndidi, Cyriel Dessers and Toluwalase Arokodare all finding the net in UEFA Europa League and Conference League action.
Nigerian scorers shine in Europe
Yusuf played a key role as Hungarian champions Ferencvaros continued their flawless Europa League campaign, while Ndidi was on target in Besiktas’ draw against Crystal Palace. Dessers struck twice for Panathinaikos, and Arokodare produced a decisive late contribution as Ajax overcame Atalanta.
- Ferencvaros claimed a third successive victory after defeating Portugal’s Torreense 4-1.
- Besiktas extended their unbeaten run and reached seven points following a 2-2 result against Palace.
- Panathinaikos registered a second consecutive win with a 5-1 victory at Kairat Almaty.
- Ajax secured their first competition win after two fixtures by beating Atalanta 2-0.
Yusuf put Ferencvaros ahead in the 20th minute against Torreense. Manuel Pozo levelled only three minutes later, but Mariano Gomez returned the Hungarian side to the lead in the 58th minute. Mohamed Diadie then scored an own goal in the 80th minute before substitute Krisztian Lisztes added the fourth in the 89th. Yusuf received a yellow card in the 68th minute and was withdrawn six minutes later.
In Greece, Bayer Leverkusen made it three wins in a row without allowing a goal by beating OFI Crete 2-0. Midfielder Jonas Hofmann scored both times, striking in the 35th and 38th minutes after being included in the squad following Martin Terrier’s injury. Victor Boniface could not feature because he was not registered for the tournament, while Nathan Tella came on for Patrik Schick in the 63rd minute.
Tochukwu Nnadi remained on the bench throughout Marseille’s 1-0 away defeat to Sturm Graz. Oumar Diakite scored the only goal in the 13th minute as the French side suffered a third straight loss in the competition.
Milan struggle as Besiktas fight back
Samuel Chukwueze was absent through a hip problem when AC Milan travelled to England and were beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth. Justin Kluivert converted an eighth-minute penalty, before Marcus Tavernier made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute. Milan had already lost goalkeeper Mike Maignan to a red card in the 28th minute, and Amine Adli completed the scoring in the 84th. Ruben Loftus-Cheek also picked up an injury during the match, leaving Milan with three points from their opening three games.
Super Eagles skipper Ndidi was booked in the 15th minute before giving Besiktas the lead shortly before the interval against Crystal Palace. Palace responded through Yeremy Pino in the 51st minute, then went ahead four minutes afterwards through Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Junior Olaitan earned Besiktas a point with a 73rd-minute equaliser. Their winning sequence came to an end, although they remain unbeaten and have moved on to seven points. Palace, who lifted the Conference League trophy last season, were left disappointed after surrendering their advantage.
Bruno Onyemaechi completed 67 minutes as Olympiacos edged Sparta Prague 1-0 on home soil.
Dessers and Arokodare provide decisive attacking moments
Dessers led the way for Panathinaikos in Kazakhstan, where the Greek club overwhelmed Kairat Almaty 5-1. Vicente Taborda had opened the scoring for the visitors in the sixth minute before Dessers converted a penalty in the 24th minute. The Nigerian added his second goal two minutes into the second half.
- Kings Kangwa made it 4-0 in the 57th minute.
- Elmin Rastoder added Panathinaikos’ fifth goal in the 75th minute.
- Ismail Bekbolat pulled one back for Kairat in the 79th minute.
Getafe were beaten 5-2 at home by Swiss club Lugano, with Chrisantus Uche unavailable as he continues his recovery from the knee injury he sustained at the beginning of pre-season.
Brighton’s run of six consecutive victories ended with a goalless draw away to Jablonec. Neither Yohanna Zadok nor Femi Azeez was named in the matchday group.
Trabzonspor defeated Hearts 2-0 without Chibuike Nwaiwu and Paul Onuachu. Mohamed Salah converted a penalty in the 32nd minute, while Franculino Djú doubled the margin in the 58th after a move created by Salah. Trabzonspor controlled 61 per cent of possession and recorded 11 attempts compared with Hearts’ 10, but finished the contest with 10 players after Sidny Lopes Cabral received a second yellow card in stoppage time.
Arokodare made the difference late on as Ajax beat Atalanta 2-0. He scored the breakthrough in the 87th minute before creating the second goal in the third minute of added time, handing Ajax their first victory in the tournament after two matches.
