Saturday, April 5, was a day of highs and lows for Nigerian footballers across Europe and beyond, with Nathan Oforboh and Olanrewaju Kayode grabbing headlines for their goalscoring exploits, while Umar Sadiq put in a strong showing against Real Madrid, Footynaija.com reports.
From England’s League Two to the UAE Pro League, Nigerian stars left their mark.
Oforboh on target as Swindon crush Fleetwood
Nathan Oforboh scored his second League Two goal of the campaign as Swindon Town recorded a dominant 4-0 away win at Fleetwood Town. The former Bournemouth and Rangers midfielder was impressive throughout and has now made 33 league appearances this season.
FLEETWOOD EMBARRASSED AT HOME…
— Knappers (@ftfcknappers23) April 5, 2025
Fleetwood Town are hit for FOUR at home in one of the worse performances in recent years.
Full credit to Swindon for the massive turnaround in the last 4 months
https://t.co/fP4G25LeBL#FTFC #STFC pic.twitter.com/l3Y4cvsH5w
Sadiq overcomes Real Madrid test
In Spain, Super Eagles striker Umar Sadiq featured for Valencia in their shock 2-1 La Liga win at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid. The forward, on loan from Real Sociedad, had a couple of decent chances but was denied by the goalkeeper. He remains on four goals for the season.
Valencia had gone 355 days without an away win in LaLiga before today
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 5, 2025
Stunner in Madrid pic.twitter.com/HzMobHZWyr
Chukwueze features as Milan mount comeback
In Italy, Samuel Chukwueze came off the bench to help AC Milan claw back a 2-2 draw at home against Fiorentina. Milan trailed by two goals before rallying late on in a thrilling Serie A encounter.
A great move for the first and a cool finish for the second #MilanFiorentina #SempreMilan
— AC Milan (@acmilan) April 6, 2025
Brought to you by @SN4IFUN pic.twitter.com/uvbsKF3DNO
Mixed fortunes in Germany
Kevin Akpoguma and Gift Orban were second-half substitutes for Hoffenheim in their 3-1 Bundesliga defeat at RB Leipzig.
Elsewhere, Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface started for Bayer Leverkusen in a tight 1-0 win at Heidenheim, although both Nigerians were subbed off before Emiliano Buendía scored the late winner.
FORZA BAYER ❤️ pic.twitter.com/4QoXVm0Rex
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 5, 2025
Fago Lawal strikes in Croatia
Former Flying Eagles star Salim Fago Lawal scored for Istra 1961 in a commanding 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian HNL. It was a crucial result against one of the league’s giants.
Yahaya gets off the mark in Czech Liga
In the Czech Republic, 21-year-old Mohammed Yahaya came off the bench to score Pardubice’s second goal in their 2-0 win over Bohemians 1905. It was his first goal of the season in what was his 23rd appearance.
Edomwonyi scores in defeat
Bright Edomwonyi opened the scoring for Diósgyőr in Hungary’s NB I, but it was not enough as they fell 4-1 to Debrecen.
Dessers misfires in Scotland
In the Scottish Premiership, Cyriel Dessers endured a frustrating afternoon for Rangers. Despite having multiple chances to score, the striker couldn’t find the net as the Glasgow side fell to a disappointing 2-0 home defeat against Hibernian.
Kayode nets 13th in Turkey
In Turkey’s 1. Lig, Olanrewaju Kayode continued his superb form by scoring for Esenler Erokspor in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Çorum FK. The forward now has 13 league goals, placing him joint-second in the division’s scoring charts.
Solomon-Otabor assists winner in UAE
Viv Solomon-Otabor provided a decisive assist in the UAE Pro League as Al Orooba fought back to beat Kalba 2-1.
After falling behind in the 31st minute, Al Orooba equalised through Mohamed Al Junaibi before Solomon-Otabor set up Sinisa Jolacić’s 74th-minute winner.