Three Nigerian stars—Ganiu Olaniyan, Oladotun Olatunde-Matthew, and Emmanuel Ofoedu—took centre stage in FC Milsami Orhei’s 3-1 win over CF Sparta Selemet in the Moldovan National Division over the weekend.
From goals to own goals, the clash had everything, including moments of brilliance and bizarre twists involving the Nigerian trio, Footballrover reports.
Ganiu Olaniyan Finds the Net, but Too Late
The Super Liga Round 6 clash kicked off with high energy at the Complexul Sportiv Raional, and FC Milsami Orhei wasted no time asserting dominance.
The home side surged to a 3–0 lead within just 18 minutes, leaving the visitors stunned.
Sorin Chele opened the scoring in the 9th minute.
Then came a dramatic turn—Oladotun Olatunde-Matthew appeared to have scored Milsami’s second goal, but it was later credited as an own goal by Emmanuel Ofoedu, a moment that no doubt left the Nigerian defender frustrated.
Andrei Cobet completed the early blitz with a calm finish in the 18th minute, wrapping up a dream start for Milsami before halftime.
Despite their defensive lapses, CF Sparta Selemet showed some fight in the dying moments of the game.
In the 88th minute, 19-year-old midfielder Olaniyan scored what turned out to be a consolation goal—his second of the season and a personal highlight on an otherwise disappointing day.
Olatunde-Matthew Denied First Goal of the Season
The match had added sting for Olatunde-Matthew, who believed he had scored his first goal of the season.
Unfortunately, the strike was deemed an own goal due to a deflection off Ofoedu, robbing him of that exciting moment.
With momentum high, Olatunde-Matthew will look ahead to Conference League Qualification action against Buducnost Podgorica.
Meanwhile, his Nigerian compatriots Ganiu Olaniyan and Emmanuel Ofoedu will hope to bounce back in FC Milsami Orhei’s upcoming league clash against CS Petrocub on Sunday.
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