Philip Azango spearheaded a thrilling Nigerian goal rush abroad this weekend, with eight stars finding the back of the net for their respective clubs and another delivering an assist.
His late equaliser for FC Spartak Trnava in their 1-1 home draw against Podbrezova in Slovakia’s Nike Liga highlighted an action-packed weekend for Nigerian footballers worldwide, Footballrover reports.
Philip Azango’s late strike secure Spartak Trnava vital point
Azango played the full 90 minutes and came to his team’s rescue with a crucial goal three minutes before stoppage time, salvaging a point and keeping Spartak Trnava in third place in the Slovak Super Liga with 41 points.
The goal took his season tally to six contributions—four goals and two assists.
This marked the second consecutive game where Philip Azango and his teammates settled for a 1-1 draw.
Earlier in the match, Spartak Trnava struggled to break down their visitors.
Second-half substitute Lionel Abate broke the deadlock with his first touch of the game, but Azango responded in the dying minutes to ensure the spoils were shared.
Nigerian stars dominate leagues across the globe
Beyond Azango’s performance, several Nigerians left their mark in leagues around the world.
In Libya, Emmanuel Ogbole opened the scoring in Olympic Azzawiya SC’s 2-0 away victory over Al Nahda Sahba.
His 26th-minute strike set the stage before Zakaria Al Haraish sealed the win.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Ibitham netted a brace to inspire Al Ahly Benghazi’s emphatic 4-0 triumph over Al Mahdia.
Ibitham struck in the 18th minute and doubled his tally early in the second half before teammates Boubacar Traoré and Guily Manziba completed the rout.
In Algeria, Kingsley Eduwo got off the mark for ES Sétif, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 home victory against CR Belouizdad.
His 21st-minute strike at Stade 8 Mai 1945 lifted Sétif to seventh place with 24 points.
Elsewhere, Austin Amutu was on target in the Iraqi Stars League, netting in the 48th minute for Al Talaba in their 2-1 away loss to Zakho.
In South Africa’s Premiership, Etiosa Ighodaro scored the opener for AmaZulu FC.
But his team crumbled to a 4-2 defeat against Sekhukhune United after conceding a late brace to Linda Mntambo at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium.
In Malaysia, Ismahil Akinade found the net in the 58th minute of FC Terengganu’s 2-2 home draw with Kuching City.
Despite doubling their lead, Terengganu allowed their advantage to slip away in just one minute, settling for a frustrating draw at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium.
In Egypt, Tolulope Ojo sealed El Gouna’s 2-0 victory over Cleopatra FC with an 89th-minute goal.
Earlier, Kahraba had opened the scoring after Ojo was fouled in the box, setting the stage for a dominant home performance.
Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic, Solomon John capped off Mlada Boleslav’s 3-0 away win over FK Pardubice with a second-half strike at the CFIG Arena.
In another Czech fixture, Marvis Ogiomade provided a late assist as Ceske Budejovice secured a 2-1 victory over Sparta Praha.
From Slovakia to Libya, Algeria to South Africa, Nigerian players made a resounding impact in leagues worldwide this weekend.
Leave a comment