Nigerian forward Friday Etim delivered a masterclass performance on Monday evening, scoring twice in the first half to inspire his team, CD Mafra, to a thrilling 4-2 comeback win over Penafiel in a fiery Liga Portugal 2 showdown.

The 22-year-old wasted no time making his mark, netting a stunning quick-fire brace that pulled his side level before the break after Mafra had gone two goals down, Footballrover reports.

The match, played at the Parque Desportivo Municipal de Mafra, was nothing short of a six-goal spectacle, with CD Mafra showing their resilience in front of a home crowd.

Friday Etim the hero, as CD Mafra crush Penafiel in style

Penafiel looked set for a dominant evening when Ze Leite opened the scoring in the 9th minute.

Things worsened for Mafra when Robinho converted a 26th-minute penalty, doubling the visitors’ lead.

But just when it seemed like another long night for the bottom-placed side, Friday Etim stepped up with ice-cold composure.

First, he found the back of the net in the 42nd minute off a clever assist from Vitor Goncalves.

Then, with the clock ticking down to halftime, Etim struck again to level the tie, completing a spectacular turnaround within minutes and reigniting belief among the Mafra faithful.

CD Mafra crush Penafiel as comeback ignites hope

Riding on Etim’s momentum, the second half was all Mafra. Andreas Nibe fired them ahead in the 61st minute after a slick pass from Bryan Rochez.

Stanley Iheanacho

The latter then turned scorer, adding a fourth in the 69th minute, assisted by Lucas Gabriel.

Penafiel’s chances of clawing back were dashed when Robinho received a second yellow card and was sent off in the 81st minute.

Late in the match, John Kolawole replaced Rochez while Stanley Iheanacho came in for the star of the night, Friday Etim, who left the pitch to loud applause.

This crucial win ended a rough patch for Mafra, who had suffered a 3-1 defeat to Academico Viseu in their previous outing.

While it’s only their third victory in their last ten games—with five losses and two draws—the comeback shows they’re not going down without a fight.

John Kolawole

Etim’s match-winning display will give CD Mafra much-needed belief as they prepare to face Marítimo next Sunday.

Still, the team remains at the foot of the table with 24 points from 33 matches—five wins, nine draws, and 19 losses.

But if Monday’s performance is anything to go by, Friday Etim might just be the spark CD Mafra needs to continue the fight for survival.

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