Nigerian striker Kennedy Igboananike shone for his MLS side Chicago Fire Sunday night as they lost 4-3 to a Didier Drogba-inspired Montreal Impact.
The former AIK Stockholm of Sweden hit man assisted Gilberto to equalise for Fire at 2-2.
Igboananike went on to give his team a 3-2 lead in the 59th minute to take his league goals’ tally to seven.
But African legend Drogba netted twice in five minutes, 61st and 65th minutes, to complete a hat-trick and earn Montreal Impact a 4-3 win.
26 – year – old Kennedy Igboananike opened his goalscoring account for Chicago Fire in their victory against Montreal Impact on Sunday.
In his first few months in the United States, the former AIK Stockholm forward took time to adapt to the playing pattern in the MLS so much so that he was relegated to the bench in some matches.
But Igbonanaike was praised for his performance against Montreal Impact after contributing two goals in the 3 – 0 win at Toyota Park (Bridgeview, Illinois).
“I haven’t played my best game yet. My best is yet to come,” Igboananike told reporters at the press conference, according to mlssoccer.com.
“I’ve just started to get used to the players, getting used to everything around me, so I think I’m getting better and better every day.
“At least now I’ve broken the yoke, so more is going to come.”
Chicago Fire occupy the sixth position in the Eastern Conference standings after 11 rounds.
nigeria’s Daniel Chima Chukwu and compatriot Kennedy Igboananike scored in both half as Molde FK defeated AIK Stockhom 4-1 in a pre-season friendly in Spain.
The encounter was organised in Spain as a part of a pre-season friendly tournament porpularly known as Copa del Sol in Spain.
Both teams are just starting preparations for the new season, because Scandinavian countries start competition in the spring, not in the autumn like most of the European countries.
Nevertheless it was a very one-sided encounter and Molde were a far better side. Chukwu scored in the 22nd minute and it was first goal of the game. After a free-kick he headed smartly and lobbed surpised keeper. Before the break Molde bagged another goal.
At the beginning of second half AIK netted a contact goal through Igboananike.
Some websites even announced that he received a red card, but it is not true. Two AIK players were sent off, but none of them was 24-year old former Djurgarden player as Robert Quaison and Celso Borges were the victims. After that Molde were able to score two more goals.
Kick-off of league competition in both Norway and Sweden is scheduled for the last weekend of March.
•AIK hit Europa League
Nigeria’s Kennedy Igboananike emerged joint second most prolific goalscorer chart with T. Hysén (IFK Göteborg) with 14 goals each in the Swedish Allsvenskan goal chart after scoring in AIK’s 2-1 win over Helsingborgs in the last fixture of the season last weekend at the 54,329 capacity Friends Arena Solna with the I. Khalili (Helsingborg) emerging the best with 15 goals.
The Nigerian who was linked with a switch to the English Premier League side, Southampton last summer opened the goals for AIK in the 11th minute before Robin Quaison doubled AIK’s lead and set them on the way to a fifth successive win as Helsingborg could only net a late consolation through Imad Khalili but slumped to a third consecutive defeat, a loss of form that ultimately cost it dear with IFK Gothenburg securing the final UEFA Europa League berth in the Allsvenska standings after beating IFK Norrkoping 2-0 on the final day of the season.
Interestingly, Igboananike’s AIK alongside two other clubs had a chance of clinching third spot and joining champion Malmo in Europe next term, and they did allow it fly past much unlike opponents Helsingborg, the 2011 champion, who also had European ambitions at the start of the day, but a 2-1 defeat by Igboananike’s second-placed AIK put paid to those as it finished fifth.
