Babs Oyetoro
Nigerian players opened their European league’s campaigns across the globe on promising notes at the weekend.
Taiwo Awoniyi scored a superb strike to help Union Berlin to a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in their opening Bundesliga game of the season.
Awoniyi spent last season on loan from Liverpool with the Iron Ones, scoring five goals and registering three assists in 21 Bundesliga games.
His performance impressed the Union Berlin hierarchy, who took the option to sign him permanently. He has now continued from where he left off as he helped Urs Fischer’s men to a 1-1 draw.
Awoniyi put the home side ahead in the seventh minute with a powerful strike following a ball from Max Kruse. It, however, took Leverkusen just five minutes to restore parity through Moussa Diaby.
Both sides could not find the winner, although Union came close on four occasions. Nonetheless, Awoniyi would be satisfied with his start to the new season.
The 23-year-old now has one goal and one assist from two games after setting up the goal in the DFB Pokal Cup win over Türkgücü München.
It was also a dream debut for Nigerian players in the English Premier League.
Of course, Emmanuel Dennis will surely be relishing the moment he scored Watford’s first goal on their return to the top flight.
Dennis joined Watford during the transfer window alongside Nigeria teammate Oghenekaro Etebo.
It was a beautiful debut for the Nigerian mid-fielder as he was solid in the midfield for Watford in their first game of the season, although he picked up a yellow card, that will count for less as the fans will be pleased with his first outing.
Alex Iwobi came in as a sub to bag an assist for Everton in their 3-1 win over Southampton. The Nigerian international replaced Townsend in the 70th minute of the encounter.
Midfield general, Wilfred Ndidi, was just a little too slow for this to be a vintage Ndidi performance, his passes not played with the required urgency. When the game became stretched in the second half, he excelled with his reading of the game.
His compatriot, Kelechi Iheanacho, was a second-half substitute. The community shield hero saw only 18 minutes of action in the Foxes opener.
It was a relatively good first outing for the Nigerians in the EPL on Saturday and it could only get better as the season goes on.
Ahmed Musa netted the winning strike on his debut to help Fatih Karagumruk force a 3-2 defeat down the throat of ten-man Gaziantep FK in a matchday 1 Super Lig tie.
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The Super Eagles captain only moved to the Turkish side a few weeks ago and didn’t participate in any of their pre-season games.
But a player of his quality could not be kept on the pitch as manager Francesco Farioli named him in the starting eleven at the Vefa Stadium.
That late strike could not deny Karagumruk the three points at stake and Musa the dream debut in the Turkish Super Lig.
