Moses Simon, Umar, Arokodare Hit Goals; Dessers, Onuachu Fire Blanks

Moses Simon, Umar, Arokodare Hit Goals; Dessers, Onuachu Fire Blanks

By Editor

It was a day of hits and misses for Nigerian players across Europe, as Moses Simon scored during an international club friendly with FC Nantes of France, Sadiq Umar was on song in Serbia and Tolu Arokodare continued his burst of top form in Latvia with two strikes, but Cyriel Dessers and Paul Ebere Onuachu fired blanks in a home draw for Racing Genk of Belgium.

In France, Simon scored for FC Nantes in their last pre-season friendly ahead of the start of Ligue 1 action in the coming wakened as he helped them to a 3-1 win against Le Havre; with a lovely left-footed half volley in the 10th minute.

It means the 24-year-old former SK Trencin of Slovakia and KAA Gent of Belgium winger has now got his feet off on the right track after sealing a full contract with The Canaries, following their payment of five million Euro to his former club, UD Levante of Spain at the end of his loan spell.

During his time on loan at Nantes last season, Simon was converted from playing down the wings to a support-striker’s role in the team and it paid off, as he put up a brilliant show and ended up getting named the club’s best player of the season and made their Team of The Decade roster, following his haul of nine goals and eight assists in 30 appearances.

While Arokodare proved to be Nigeria’s most lethal player on Saturday, as he struck twice in Latvia, it was blanks for Dessers and Onuachu in Belgium, but their less-popular compatriot, Terem Moffi spurred KV Kortrijk to a 2-1 victory away to KAA Gent.

The 21-year-old Moffi, who got a rating of 7.5 over ten, opened scoring after 22 minutes, when he latched on to a through ball, held off his two markers and slotted past the goalkeeper for his first goal of the new campaign, as he continued his giant killing efforts from last season, when he scored against eventual champions, Club Brugge as well as highly-formidable Standard Liege.

Also in Belgium on Saturday, Dessers and Paul Onuachu fired blanks as Genk played out a disappointing 1-1 against Oud-Heverlee at home in the Match-Day two of the Belgium Jupiler League.

Dessers and Onuachu scored on the opening day of the season when they helped their side to a 2-1 away victory against Zulte Waregem but struggled to make the same impact the Luminus Arena.

After a goalless first half, Junya Ito gave the home side the lead as he finished off a pass from Joakim Maehle. Onuachu entered the fray in the 46th minute when he replaced Mats Moeller Daehli while Dessers evening ended when he was replaced by Benjamin Nygren in the 76th minute.

In Serbia, Sadiq Umar took his tally to three goals for the season and his 90th minute strike helped Partizan Belgrade secure a 2-0 win against Radnik Surdulica, after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games bronze medalist evaded the challenge of two defenders before slotting past the keeper.

Still in the Serbian top-flight, Eze Vincent Okeuhie equaled his last season tally of three goals when he scored in the 46th minute of Cukaricki’s 5-1 win over Zlatibor at Gradski Stadion in Užice and he has now scored in almost all matches he has played this season – except in week three against Rad.

In Scotland, Jonathan Obika opened his account for the season and helped St. Mirren return to winning ways by beating Hamilton Academical 1-0 at Fountain of Youth Stadium, where he made hay after 19 minutes of the game to give his side all three points against Hakeem Odoffin’s side.

In Sweden, Moses Ogbu scored for Mjällby IF in their fifth successive game but they fell 2-1 away to Djurgardens, as Emir Kujovic leveled for 1-1 after 51 minutes before Johnathan Augustinsson grabbed the winner four minutes after the hour mark to condemn his side to their sixth defeat of the campaign.

The 29-year-old Ogbu started his seventh league match of the campaign and initially put his side ahead with his seventh goal for the campaign that placed him joint-second with Jesper Karlsson on the scorers’ chart that is currently being led by FF Malmo’s Isaac Kiese on eight goals.

In Finland, Jerome Ogbuefi hit target for PS Kemi as they stormed from behind to beat visiting OLS 2-1, after the Nigerian lad equalized for the home team three minutes into the second half; while Anthony Okpotu also struck home a goal in Tunisia.

The former Lobi Stars of Makurdi hitman hit the bull’s eye either side of half time to help US Monastir get a 3-1 win against visiting Hammam-Lif and move up second on the log, while also putting an end to blanks he suffered in his first two games of the restart.

The 26-year-old former top scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) helped his side stretch their unbeaten run to eight games, having last tasted defeat in February; as he took just 90 seconds to put his side 1-0 up and take his tally to 11 goals for the season.

In Latvia, Arokodare scored twice for Valmiera and the in-form former player of Box-To-Box FC of Lagos helped his side to a 3-2 win over visiting Spartak Jurmala and took his side up to third place in the Optibet League.

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