The Nation Newspaper

Tag: hat-trick

  • Adegbite promises hat-trick against Sunshine

    Adegbite promises hat-trick against Sunshine

    Rangers striker Rasaq Adegbite has promised to score a hat-trick against table toppers Sunshine Stars on Sunday in Enugu.

    Adegbite, who was Rangers match winner in Warri, said he is so optimistic he will score a hat-trick, when fielding questions ahead of Sunday cracker.

    The Lagos-born attacker boasted that no matter what Sunshine come up with, he cannot be stopped.

    “I am very sure it will happen (a hat-trick against Sunshine), mark this day. I know that I have opened my goal-scoring spree following the goal in Warri,” he declared.

    He played with the first team in Thursday’s training session.

    Rangers midfielder Emeka Eze said they will outshine the visiting Sunshine Stars.

    “We parade the best squad in the league coupled with a great technical that team selection may be the problem. When you look at it, every department is strong,” he told AfricanFootball.com.

    “Sunshine will fall in Enugu, they will move down the ladder after we must have beaten them.

    “I have no doubt we will out run them, though I know it won’t come easy, but I am opmistic we will get the maximum three points.”

  • First-ever hat-trick delights Moshood Kasali in Sudan

    First-ever hat-trick delights Moshood Kasali in Sudan

    Former JUTH FC and Enyimba striker Moshood Kasali has told AfricanFootball.com that he is delighted to have scored the first-ever hat-trick since he turned professional.

    The Jos-born forward scored three goals as Al Ahli club of Sudan beat Shemali 3-1 in the Sudanese league game. He is the leading scorer in the second division league in Sudan with seven goals in nine matches for the table topping Al Ahli.

    “I feel so happy and excited to score a hat-trick, that is the first time I will get three goals since I have being a professional player. I am so delighted with this and I look forward to more of such,” Kasali told AfricanFootball.com.

    He is also dreaming of taking his side to the top flight.

    “We are leading the table now and I am the top scorer in the league with seven goals. I thank God for his blessing. My dream is to help my team win promotion to the Premier league at the end of the season,” he said.

    “It is a great way to end the first round, getting a hat-trick in the last game of the first round, my team leading and I am the top scorer.”

    The former Plateau United forward has a Nigerian teammate, Ali idris, a midfielder who previously played for Spotlight FC of Katsina.

  • Olanrewaju Kehinde fires hat-trick in Israel

    Olanrewaju Kehinde fires hat-trick in Israel

    Hapoel Afula hitman Olanrewaju Kehinde was the hero of his Israeli second division club as they beat Maccabi Yavne 4-2 in a promotion play-off game on Friday.

    Kehinde has scored 16 goals during the regular season. He has now scored 19 goals in the league thus far.

    Hapoel Afula are fourth on the promotion table with 53 points from 33 games.

    It was 10 minutes of magic by the Nigerian striker on Friday.

    His first goal was a penalty in the 64th minute to bring the game to 1-1. He completed a brace in the 70th minute to give his side lead for the first time in the game.

    He went on to complete a hat-trick with a goal in the 74th minute and seal victory for his team.

  • Emem Eduok fires hat-trick for Esperance

    Emem Eduok fires hat-trick for Esperance

    Nigeria forward Emem Eduok fired a hat-trick for Esperance on Saturday in a 5-0 spanking of AS Gammarth Soliman.

    The former Dolphins hitman doubled Esperance lead in the 35th minute, when he powered a left-footed shot into the top corner off a pass from Cruz Bejaoui.

    Cruz Bejaoui once more set Eduok for his second goal of the game in the 49th minute to make it 4-0 for Esperance.

    Three minutes later, he completed his hat-trick.

    The Nigerian lasted for 76 minutes before he was substituted by Ghrab.

    The Tunisian league resumes on February 14 and Esperance will be away to Hammam-Lif.

    Esperance are fourth on the league table with 25 points from 15 games.

  • Ebimobowei sad despite scoring a hat-trick

    Ebimobowei sad despite scoring a hat-trick

    Peter Ebimobowei fired a hat trick to record his 18th goal of the season for Bayelsa United and thereafter showed his displeasure at his omission from the home based Super Eagles’ squad preparatory for the international friendly match at Uyo on Friday.

    Ebimobowei who netted three goals in his club’s 4-1 home win over Lobi Stars at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City disclosed that he ought to have been given a chance to vie for one of the shirts because of his form since the beginning of the season till now.

    He insisted that having top-scored at the end of the first stanza with 10 goals alongside Ighodalor Osaguona he ought to have been considered ahead of some of the players picked from the National League.

    “I am not happy even though I scored 3 goals. Imagine that I was not picked among the 24 best players in the league with all the goals and effort I have put in. I was the highest scorer in the first stanza with 10 goals and I have not stopped scoring ever since. It is a shame that I was overlooked,” Ebimobowei told Nationport.

  • Wenger: Kanu’s hat-trick one of my best

    Wenger: Kanu’s hat-trick one of my best

    Exactly 15 years ago, Nigerian legend, Kanu Nwankwo entered into Arsenal folklore with a well-taken hat-trick against Chelsea in the English Premier League.

    Kanu’s moment in the limelight capped one of the all-time great comebacks in the English top flight as Arsenal stunned Gianluca Vialli’s men.

    And Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has declared it as one of the best goals he has seen in his coaching career.

    Strangely, it was 2-0 to Chelsea (Tore Andre Flo and Dan Petrescu had scored earlier in the game) with a quarter of an hour left to play on that fateful day, October 23, 1999 at Stamford Bridge, before Kanu decided to mark his name on the sands of time.

    Papillo, as Kanu is fondly called, deftly brought a wild Marc Overmars shot under control before stabbing in to give Arsenal faint hope. He then levelled matters eight minutes later by drilling past Blues goalkeeper Ed de Goey.

    And with 90 minutes on the clock, the lanky striker completed the unbelievable comeback with a ridiculously-taken goal that fans still talk about to this day.

    De Goey rushed out to meet the striker on the byline, but Kanu jinked past him and curled his shot into the top corner to the delight of the delirious away fans.

    Kanu discussed those unforgettable moments with Fifa.com explaining that netting against “a formidable” Chelsea side still represents fulfillment.

    “I have very good memories of that game. It felt great to score against such a formidable team as Chelsea and it just shows the game is not over until it is over.

    “I was not particularly out to get the better of Marcel (Desailly), Frank (Lebeouf) or (goalkeeper Ed) de Goey that day, I just wanted to play my game and bring out the best of the tricks in my bag to outwit my opponent and score for my team.

    “I worked the goalkeeper into a position where I could sell a dummy to him, which of course he bought,” he recalled. “I lifted up my head and picked out the far top corner of the net, which I quickly curled the ball into pretty much from where I stood.”

    The Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger is still full of awe for his former Nigerian forward whom he admitted “proved him wrong” on the day.

    “I expected him to cross. If he hadn’t scored it could have upset you because he really should have passed. However, great players can prove you wrong. It is one of the best goals I’ve seen,” Wenger said.

    Kanu scored 30 goals in league appearances for the Gunners between 1999 and 2004.

  • Oshoala’s hat-trick sinks All-Stars

    Oshoala’s hat-trick sinks All-Stars

    Super Falcons on Saturday intensified their preparation for the African Women’s Championship (AWC) with an emphatic 5-2 mauling of Abuja All Stars.

    The Namibia-bound Falcons took the lead as early as the fourth minute, when Asisat Oshoala latched on to a through pass from strike partner Desire Oparanozie to chip over the head of the All Stars goalkeeper.

    Oshoala made it two in the 20th minute, when she scored from a goalmouth scramble and got her hat-trick in the 23rd by beating an off side trap to make it 3-0.

    The All Stars were  quick off the mark in the second half and deservedly reduced the tally with a goal in the 47th minute. The veterans piled up pressure but the Falcons defended well to ward them off.

    Francesca Ordega and Ngozi Okobi increased the lead to 5-1 in the 73rd and 80th minutes respectively, before the All Stars scored from the spot to bring the final scores to 5-2.

  • Igboun top scorer in Denmark after hat-trick

    Igboun top scorer in Denmark after hat-trick

    NIGERIAN forward Sylvester Igboun is now the joint top scorer in the seven-week-old league in Denmark with five goals after a hat-trick against OB Odense.

    Mads Hvlisom of Hobro IK has also scored five goals thus far this season.

    Igboun smashed a treble for Danish Super league team FC Midtjylland to stop visiting OB Odense 3-2 on Friday. Last season,the 24-year-old striker scored 10 goals in 28 games.

    FC Midtjylland set the pace in the league with 18 points from 7 games.

    Igboun opened the scoring in the 42nd minute to give the host 1-0 lead.

    He made it a brace in the 56th minute to restore his side’s lead at 2-1.

    He then struck from the penalty spot in the 90th minute when the visitors were almost sure of a point to earn his side three points to complete his hat-trick.

  • Iheanacho nets hat-trick for Columbus Crew

    Iheanacho nets hat-trick for Columbus Crew

    Manchester City  youth –  teamer Kelechi Iheanacho bagged a hat – trick for Columbus Crew in their 5 – 1 defeat of Dayton Dutch Lions FC on Wednesday afternoon.

    The attacker is not a candidate to be acquired or loaned by the MLS outfit as he is only keeping fit there until mid – October before he rejoins Manchester City, subject to the approval of the Home Office.

    But if the Citizens fail get a green – light from the authorities,the Flying Eagles star will be farmed out on loan to another team to continue his development.

    That said, the transfer window in most parts of the world would have been shut, meaning the earliest time Kelechi Iheanacho can start playing professionally is January 2015.

    The Golden Ball winner at the 2013 FIFA Under 17s is strongly being linked with a shift to New York City FC.

  • Awoniyi fires hat-trick

    Awoniyi fires hat-trick

    • As Flying Eagles maul Basa Utd 8-0

    Taiwo Awoniyi fired a hat-trick as the Flying Eagles continued their preparations for the final AYC qualifier against Lesotho with an 8-0 pounding of non-league Basa United on Friday.

    The Nigeria U20 team will host Lesotho on August 15 with the reverse tie in Maseru two weeks later.

    The overall winners of this match-up will qualify for the 2015 AYC in Senegal in March.

    Awoniyi hit target in the 8th, 20th and 24th minutes as the Flying Eagles again ran up another big win.

    But Enugu Rangers ace Obinna Nwobodo also shone in midfield even though he did not get his name on the scoreboard.

    Awoniyi got going after just eight minutes when he smashed home a superb shot.

    Bernard Bulbwa doubled the advantage after 14 minutes, before Awoniyi got his second goal in the 20th minute, when he was set up by right back Ifeanyi Nweke.

    Alhassan Ibrahim ‘Muazam’ should have made it 4-0 three minutes later, but he failed to do so from inside the box.

    However, he then set up Awoniyi to complete his hat-trick a minute later.

    Muazam’s penalty was saved by the goalkeeper in the 26th minute and on the half hour mark, his clever chip failed to find its mark.

    Ifeanyi Matthew buried a fifth goal from the penalty spot in the 59th minute after substitute Chisom Eze was brought down inside the box.

    Eze then got his own goal three minutes later after he was put through by Abubakar Lawal. Ifeanyi Ifeanyi headed a corner by Ifeanyi Matthew for the seventh goal on 72 minutes.

    Wilfred Ndidi will complete the rout with a well-taken shot in the 79th minute, before Wasiu Jimoh and Lawal failed to convert begging chances in the closing moments of the encounter.