Nigerian players round up

By Tunde Liadi

ENGLAND

Nigerian duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi will aspire for the maximum points when Leicester City  are way to  Tottenham tomorrow if they are to stay within the touching distance of Champions League slot with only two games remaining before the end of the season.

The Foxes started the season like house-on-fire but they have cooled off since the EPL season restarted last month after the COVID-19 lockdown.

With Manchester United and Chelsea on their trail for the remaining two Champions League tickets any further slip at the Tottenham Stadium may prove suicidal.

Alex Iwobi will on Monday hit Bramall Lane with Everton to try and improve on their mid-table position while Odion Ighalo and teammates will continue Manchester United top four chase with a home tie against  London side, West Ham United on Wednesday.

SPAIN

Samuel Chukwueze and Oghenekaro Etebo pin Europa League participation on great finish with Villarreal and Getafe respectively while Chidozie Awaziem and Kenneth Omeruo hope for miraculous turnaround with Leganes on La Liga season’s swansong

After a tough Thursday night league tie with Real Madrid, Samuel Chukwueze’s Villarreal will have their resolve to pick a ticket to Europe tested against 15th -placed Eibar in the final game of the season tomorrow.

The 21-year-old Nigerian got his fifth assist of the season from 35 games against Athletic Bilbao last weekend but it didn’t prevent a home loss. Anything other than a loss could see the Yellow Submarines missing out on a place in Europe next season.

Elsewhere, Super Eagles midfielder, Ramon Azeez is on the books of Granada who are neither troubled by relegation nor contesting for a place in Europe but they face erratic Athletic Bilbao who still have an outside chance of picking a Europa League ticket. The former Junior international will be gunning for his 25th game of the season if fielded tomorrow.

Leganes have only slim hope of surviving the relegation zone even with the battling performance of their Nigerian duo of Kenneth Omeruo and Chidozie Awaziem almost throughout the season. They could have been relegated before tomorrow’s game Real Madrid (if they are beaten by Athletic Bilbao on Thursday night when we had gone to the press).

ITALY

Ola Aina and William Troost Ekong in key away games with Torino and Udinese while Victor Moses’ Inter clash with Roma in a bid to close in on Juventus

After a grudge game with fellow basement side, Genoa last Thursday, Ola Aina and his Torino team will trade tackles with Fiorentina tomorrow in their bid to be completely safe from the relegation zone with only five games to the end of the season.

The former Chelsea Academy graduate will be hoping for his 29th game of the season if he tastes action at the Artemio Franchi, Firenze tomorrow.

William Troost Ekong and Udinese are not yet safe from the drop zone battle and at Naples they must put up their performance of the season if they are to return back home unscathed against Europa League ticket chasing Napoli.

The Super Eagles vice skipper has been rock solid in the defence for Udinese with over 60 league games in only his second season with the club after completing his move from Bursaspor in the summer of 2018.