After 23 English Premier League games, Super Eagles striker, Paul Onuachu finally ended his goal drought in England following his goal for the Southampton in their 3-2 loss to Nottingham Forest yesterday at the City Ground.
Onuachu played 11 games for the Saints two seasons ago on his EPL debut season without scoring a goal. He was loaned out to Trabzonspor last season while the club was struggling to make a return to the topflight from the English Championship.
His sojourn in Turkey was a success having scored 17 goals and four assists from 25 games in all competitions for Trabzonspor including 15 from 21 games in the Turkish Super Lig.
Southampton failed to extend Onuachu’s stay in Turkey and had to return to England to help the Saints on their EPL return.
It has been a nightmarish return for Southampton as they languished at the bottom of the table with just 6 points from 22 games.
They were beaten again by Nottingham Forest 3-2 but Onuachu ended his barren spell in the first minute of the stoppage time for the Saints second goal but it was too little too late as they went down again following their poor first half where they were three goals down at its end.
Apart from Onuachu’s goal, Joe Aribo played his 21st game of the season for Southampton in the loss while Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi also dressed for Nottingham Forest who earned their seventh win from eight games to remain third on the log with 44 points from 22 games. Aina who bagged his 22nd game of the current campaign also recorded his first assist of the season in the game when he set up the third goal. Awoniyi came on in the 83rd minute as a replacement for in-form Chris Wood for his 16th game of the season.
In France, Moses Simon netted his fifth goal of the season to help Nantes to an impressive point at Saint Etienne in his 16th league game of the season. He has contributed five assists as well.
Simon put Nantes at the driver’s seat in the 14th minute but Ghanaian Augustine Boakye equalised for Saint Etienne four minutes from the final whistle to ensure honours were shared.
Nantes earned a significant point off their relegation battling foes and are still 15th on the log with 17 points from 18 games. They are a spot ahead of their hosts on the log.
Still in France, Super Eagles defender, Gabriel Osho received his first topflight red card yesterday in the colours of Auxerre in their 2-0 loss at Angers.
Osho who bagged his 13th game of the season was sent off in the 22nd minute of the encounter. He received two red cards also in the 2022-23 season while playing for Luton Town but that was when the Hatters were in the English Championship.
In Holland, Super Eagles hopeful, Chuba Akpom proved to be a super sub for Ajax who secured a 2-0 win at SC Heerenveen to move within one point of Dutch Eredivisie leaders, PSV Eindhoven.
Akpom who came on in the 73rd minute took nine minutes to register his name on the score sheet in the 82nd minute for his third goal of the season from 16 games. He has an assist too.
Also in Holland, former Flying Eagles invitee, Hamdi Akujobi was on the losing side with Almere City at home to Heracles Almero. They were beaten 2-0 and are still in drop zone with just 10 points from 19 games. Akujobi has been ever present for the moderate Dutch League side who are in their second season in the topflight.
In Turkey, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce cut Galatasaray”s points gap at the top to six after they demolished Adana Demirspor 4-0 away with the Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi Samuel playing his 13th game of the season as a second half substitution.
Kenneth Omeruo is still not deemed worthy of a place in the Kasimpasa’s squad having only returned from a long injury layoff recently. His club was held to a entertaining 3-3 draw by Konyaspor. He has only featured five times for Kasimpasa this season.
In Germany, Frank Onyeka could not add to his 15 games in the Bundesliga following his suspension for Augsburg in their away tie with Werder Bremen which they won 2-0 yesterday.
Onyeka activated the one game suspension after he was booked in the 79th minute of their 2-0 away win at Union Berlin the penultimate weekend. It was his fifth booking of the season.
Despite his lack of action, Augsburg won without the Super Eagles midfielder and have won two successive games since their 1-0 home loss to VfB Stuttgart on January 12th to move to the 12th spot with 22 points from 18 games.
Elsewhere in Italy, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was a 66th minute introduction for Lazio who whitewashed their hosts, Hellas Verona 3-0 to strengthen their stronghold on fourth spot with 39 points from 21 games.
Bashiru has played 16 games with four goals and two assists in all competitions for Lazio this campaign since his move in the summer from Turkish Super Lig side, Hatayspor.
