The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ilenikhena

  • Eagles Tracker: Ilenikhena, Olawoyin shine as Nigerian stars make mark across Europe

    Eagles Tracker: Ilenikhena, Olawoyin shine as Nigerian stars make mark across Europe

    Super Eagles prospect George Ilenikhena was on target for AS Monaco as they thumped Metz 5-2 in a French Ligue 1 clash yesterday.

    The 18-year-old forward, who also featured in midweek for Monaco in the UEFA Champions League, came off the bench in the 68th  minute and sealed the victory with Monaco’s fifth goal in stoppage time. The result lifted the Principality club to second place on the log with 12 points from five matches, level with defending champions PSG who face Marseille later tonight.

    Elsewhere in France, Moses Simon could not add to his tally of two league goals as Paris FC suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Strasbourg. The winger featured for 69 minutes before being substituted in what was his fifth league appearance of the season.

    In Italy, Ademola Lookman made his long-awaited return for Atalanta in their 3-0 win away to Torino. The Nigerian forward came on in the 87th  minute for Kamaldeen Sulemana, marking his first appearance since a failed summer transfer to Inter Milan. The victory moved Atalanta up to fifth on the Serie A table with eight points.

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    Meanwhile, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru endured a disappointing afternoon as he was forced off injured in the 14th  minute of Lazio’s 1-0 defeat at home to Roma. The Super Eagles midfielder, replaced by Reda Belahyane, has now featured four times this season for the struggling side, who sit 13th with just three points.

    In Turkey, Ibrahim Olawoyin opened his account for the campaign in Caykur Rizespor’s 1-1 draw away to Kocaelispor. The winger struck just after halftime in the 46th  minute, though the hosts equalised 12 minutes later. Olawoyin has now featured in five matches this season for Rizespor.

  • Eagles Tracker: Free fall for  Ilenikhena, Aribo, Onuachu in mid-week duels

    Eagles Tracker: Free fall for  Ilenikhena, Aribo, Onuachu in mid-week duels

    George Ilenikhena made a cameo appearance for  Monaco who were beaten 4-2 at home by French Ligue One leaders, Paris Saint Germain  yesterday.

    Ilenikhena who joined Monaco from Royal Antwerp at the beginning of the season,  was introduced in the 89th  minute for  Mohammed Salisu of Ghana. 

    The Nigerian played his 20th game of the season yesterday and has scored two goals and made two assists in all competitions.

    His club, Monaco has slipped to the third spot with 30 points from 16 games and are 10 points behind runaway leaders, PSG.

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    In England, Super Eagles duo of Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu impressed in the second half with Southampton but they still fell 2-1 to the superior firepower of Liverpool who bundled them out of the Carling Cup at the quarter final stage.

    Onuachu who played his second game in the competition was brought on in the 73rd  minute to salvage the game having trailed 2-0 at halftime to Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliot’s goals but he could not convert the few chances he had. The towering hitman has played additional six league games too but has not scored nor assisted this term.

    His compatriot, Joe Aribo played for 84 minutes before his coach called on former Liverpool midfielder, Adam Lallana to replace him. Aribo who has played 18 games in all competitions has complemented it with two goals for the Saints who are last on the EPL log. 

    The two Nigerians will hope to help Southampton return to winning ways when they face Fulham at the Craven Cottage on Sunday in a league game. They will come face to face with Cottagers’ Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey who returns after a game suspension.

  • Monaco celebrate Ilenikhena for breaking Mbappe’s CL record

    Monaco celebrate Ilenikhena for breaking Mbappe’s CL record

    Monaco are celebrating their new teenage sensation, George Ilenikhena after the Nigerian striker scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 win over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.

    Ilenikhena’s match-winner not only gave Monaco a famous victory but also saw him break a club record previously held by French star Kylian Mbappe.

    The Nigerian striker’s pivotal moment came in the 71st minute, as Ilenikhena profited from a defensive error by Barcelona to score the winner for Monaco.

    The goal against Barcelona marked Ilenikhena’s first goal in Europe for Monaco and made him the youngest player to score for the club in the Champions League at just 18 years and 34 days old.

    Read Also: Victor Boniface makes Champions League debut, reflects on early days

    In doing so, Ilenikhena broke the record previously held by Mbappe, who scored his first goal for Monaco in the competition at 18 years and 63 days against Manchester City in 2017.

    Monaco wasted no time in celebrating their young talent, taking to social media to praise Ilenikhena’s performance and his record-breaking achievement.

    The Nigerian teenager’s goal also marked his second against Barcelona, having scored in the competition last season with Royal Antwerp in another record-breaking

  • Ilenikhena: Monaco completes signing of Nigerian forward

    Ilenikhena: Monaco completes signing of Nigerian forward

    French Ligue One Club AS Monaco has confirmed the arrival of the Nigeria’s forward George Ilenikhena.

    After agreeing a deal, the player went through a successful medical on Wednesday evening before his announcement yesterday.

    Born in 2006 in Lagos, Nigeria, Ilenikhena arrived in France at the age of 3, in Antony (Hauts-de-Seine) where he began his career as a young footballer.

    Read Also: Arsenal ditches Osimhen for Girona’s Dovbyk as NFF denies banning Napoli strike

    ” AS Monaco are pleased to announce the arrival of striker George Ilenikhena from Royal Antwerp”, the club said.

    Ilenikhena who scored 16 goals for Royal Antwerp last season was given jersey number 21.