Super Eagles stars produced a weekend of contrasting fortunes across Europe and England from August 21 to 23, 2026, with Victor Osimhen leading an impressive group of Nigerian performers while several established internationals endured frustrating outings.
Osimhen delivered two goals and an assist for Galatasaray, while Semi Ajayi scored in Hull City’s stunning victory over Manchester United. Arthur Okonkwo also produced an outstanding performance for Charlton Athletic in the Championship, making eight saves against West Ham and finishing with an impressive 8.4 rating.
Chidera Ejuke, Nathan Tella, Kelechi Iheanacho and Samuel Chukwueze also made important contributions, while Raphael Onyedika, Ola Aina and Ryan Alebiosu offered encouraging displays for their respective clubs.
The weekend also produced a significant milestone for 19-year-old Zadok Yohanna, who made his Premier League debut for Brighton in their emphatic victory over Aston Villa.
However, it was not an entirely positive weekend for Nigeria’s leading players, with Frank Onyeka, Taiwo Awoniyi, Akor Adams, Paul Onuachu, Umar Sadiq and Ademola Lookman struggling to make the desired impact.
Super Eagles’ top performers list
1. Victor Osimhen – Galatasaray
Victor Osimhen scored twice and set up another as Galatasaray continued their strong start to the Turkish Süper Lig season with a 4-0 victory over Erzurumspor. Photocredit: Reuters
Victor Osimhen was the standout Nigerian performer of the weekend after producing two goals and an assist as Galatasaray defeated Erzurumspor 4-0 away from home on Friday.
After Roland Sallai opened the scoring, Osimhen turned provider in the 20th minute by setting up Yunus Akgün for Galatasaray’s second goal before taking advantage of a costly mistake by goalkeeper Matija Orbanic to score into an empty net shortly before half time.
The Nigerian completed his brace in the 80th minute when he met Gabriel Sara’s precise cross and finished from close range.
The performance took Osimhen to four league goals and one assist in just two matches this season, while he has now directly contributed to a goal in 14 consecutive league matches. His latest goals also took his Galatasaray tally to 63, moving him into third place among the club’s all-time foreign goalscorers.
2. Semi Ajayi – Hull City
Semi Ajayi has scored Hull City’s first Premier League goal in nine years. Photocredit: Getty Images
Semi Ajayi produced one of the weekend’s biggest individual performances by scoring in Hull City’s remarkable 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
The Nigerian defender reacted quickest to a loose rebound to open the scoring in the 17th minute, with the goal carrying added significance as Hull’s first Premier League goal in nine years.
Ajayi was later named Man of the Match despite being substituted in the 64th minute, while Hull went on to preserve their clean sheet and complete a memorable victory.
3. Arthur Okonkwo – Charlton Athletic
After joining Arsenal at just eight, the Nigerian goalkeeper has enjoyed back-to-back promotions with Wrexham, keeping 18 clean sheets in 32 league appearances across two seasons. Now at Charlton Athletic. PhotoCredit: Getty Images
Arthur Okonkwo made an early statement for Charlton Athletic with an excellent goalkeeping display against West Ham in the Championship.
The Nigerian goalkeeper played the full 90 minutes and made eight saves from nine shots on target, including two big-chance saves, while his 8.4 rating shows his importance to Charlton in they 2-1 away win over the hammers.
Okonkwo also prevented an estimated 1.07 goals, having faced an xGOT of 2.07, and completed his only high claim while adding one punch. His distribution was less convincing, with 14 of 27 passes completed, but his shot-stopping ensured that Charlton remained competitive.
4. Chidera Ejuke – Sevilla
Chidera Ejuke. Photocredit: Imago
Chidera Ejuke needed only a few minutes after coming off the bench to produce one of the weekend’s most impressive Nigerian moments.
The Sevilla winger entered the second half against Athletic Bilbao and scored in the 50th minute with a superb chip over Spain international goalkeeper Unai Simón.
The goal helped Sevilla secure a convincing 3-1 away victory and underlined Ejuke’s ability to make an immediate impact when given the opportunity.
5. Samuel Chukwueze – AC Milan
Samuel Chukwueze was named Man of the Match after helping Milan secure a 2-1 victory over Torino in their opening Serie A fixture on Sunday. Photocredit: Imago
Samuel Chukwueze produced an encouraging performance in an unfamiliar role during AC Milan’s 2-1 Serie A victory over Torino.
Playing as a right wing-back under new coach Ruben Amorim, the Nigerian created a game-high four chances and supplied the assist for Adrien Rabiot’s winning goal.
His adaptability was particularly encouraging, and the performance earned him the Man of the Match award despite playing outside his usual attacking position.
6. Nathan Tella – Bayer Leverkusen
Nathan Tella. Photocredit: Getty images
Nathan Tella needed just four minutes to make his mark after coming off the bench for Bayer Leverkusen in their DFB-Pokal first-round victory over Wehen Wiesbaden.
The Nigerian forward entered in the 65th minute and quickly timed his run perfectly to meet a cross and score Leverkusen’s third goal in a comfortable 4-0 victory.
7. Kelechi Iheanacho – Bursaspor
Bursaspor’s star striker Kelechi Iheanacho provided significant support to his team with a performance of 3 goals and 1 assist in the 3 league matches he played. Photocredit: Naija Ballers/X
Kelechi Iheanacho continued his encouraging start at Bursaspor by finding the net again, scoring in the 86th minute against Fatih Karagümrük after the goal was confirmed by VAR.
Although Bursaspor eventually lost 2-1, Iheanacho’s late strike offered another positive sign as he continues to search for consistency and regular goals.
8. Ryan Alebiosu – Blackburn Rovers
Ryan Alebiosu was named Man of the Match for his impressive display in Blackburn Rovers’ EFL Championship opener against Wolves last night.
Ryan Alebiosu continued his promising start to the season during Blackburn Rovers’ 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough.
The full-back repeatedly pushed forward and operated almost like an additional winger, coming close to scoring before being denied by an outstretched save.
His attacking runs also helped create the move that produced Blackburn’s winning goal, adding further evidence of his growing influence from the flank.
9. Raphael Onyedika – Eintracht Frankfurt
Raphael Onyedika enjoyed an excellent competitive debut for Eintracht Frankfurt as they demolished SC St. Tönis 11-0 in the DFB-Pokal.
The Nigerian midfielder completed the full 90 minutes and helped control the midfield during a dominant performance, giving him an encouraging first competitive outing in Germany.
10. Ola Aina – Nottingham Forest
Ola Aina was one of Nottingham Forest’s brighter performers despite their narrow 1-0 defeat to Leeds United.
Operating as a wing-back, the Nigerian created three chances and completed a match-high three dribbles, remaining one of Forest’s more dangerous attacking outlets.
He also survived a tense early moment when his lunging tackle was reviewed by VAR, with the decision resulting in a yellow card rather than a red.
11. Zadok Yohanna – Brighton
Zadok Yohanna marked an important milestone by making his competitive Premier League debut for Brighton in their 4-0 victory over Aston Villa.
The 19-year-old came on for the final 13 minutes and completed all six of his attempted passes, giving him a perfect passing record on his first appearance at the highest level of English football.
There was little time for the young Nigerian to influence the game further, but the appearance represents another significant step in his development and places him among the latest Nigerians to reach the Premier League stage.
READMORE: Ademola Lookman is working hard for Atletico – but is Simeone limiting his best qualities?
The flops of the weekend
1. Frank Onyeka – Coventry City
Frank Onyeka endured a difficult return to the Premier League as Coventry City suffered a 3-0 defeat away to reigning champions Arsenal.
The midfielder had concerns over his fitness after a pre-season knock but was still required to play the full 90 minutes.
With Arsenal controlling possession and territory for long periods, Onyeka spent much of the afternoon chasing the ball and had limited opportunities to impose his physical and defensive qualities on the contest.
2. Taiwo Awoniyi – Coventry City
Taiwo Awoniyi also endured a frustrating Coventry debut after coming off the bench in the 69th minute against Arsenal.
The striker had only recently completed his £9 million move from Nottingham Forest and entered with Coventry already 3-0 down, leaving him with little opportunity to influence the match.
Service was a major problem, with Coventry struggling to reach dangerous areas and managing their first touch inside Arsenal’s penalty area only after almost an hour.
3. Akor Adams – Venezia
Akor Adams experienced a difficult first Serie A appearance after scoring twice on his Coppa Italia debut the previous week.
The Venezia striker played all 90 minutes against Lecce but could not reproduce that scoring form in a 2-0 home defeat, registering three shots without putting any on target.
He completed 12 of 15 passes, but Venezia’s lack of attacking threat ultimately left the Nigerian with little opportunity to make the decisive contribution he would have wanted.
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4. Paul Onuachu – Trabzonspor
Paul Onuachu failed to find the net despite Trabzonspor securing a 2-1 victory over İstanbul Başakşehir.
The Nigerian striker started the match, registered three attempts but failed to put any of them on target before being substituted late in the game.
With Mohamed Salah scoring both of Trabzonspor’s goals, Onuachu’s quiet outing was particularly noticeable after his Golden Boot-winning campaign last season.
5. Umar Sadiq – Valencia
Umar Sadiq’s search for consistent playing time continued with a difficult outing in Valencia’s goalless draw against Celta Vigo.
Still recovering from a recent hamstring injury, Sadiq started on the bench before entering in the 57th minute, but he was unable to provide the decisive moment Valencia needed.
The Spanish side also struggled creatively, producing only 0.58 expected goals, leaving Sadiq with limited opportunities during his 33 minutes on the pitch.
6. Ademola Lookman – Atlético Madrid
Ademola Lookman endured perhaps the quietest performance of his early Atlético Madrid career as Diego Simeone’s side were held to a 2-2 draw by Villarreal.
The Nigerian started as a central striker and played 79 minutes but finished without a shot or completed dribble and managed only nine accurate passes before being substituted.
The performance has intensified questions over whether Atlético are using Lookman in the role that best suits him. His strongest football at Atalanta came when he could receive the ball in wider areas, attack defenders and carry possession into dangerous positions, rather than waiting between centre-backs for service.
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Simeone has since admitted that the role is not ideal for the Nigerian, explaining that injuries and squad circumstances have forced the tactical experiment. The Atlético manager also acknowledged that Lookman is currently missing the things he enjoys most dribbling, scoring and taking on defenders one-on-one.
