Eagles invitee Fago scores in Croatia as Payne causes Chelsea pain

A former Flying Eagles striker Salim Fago. (File photo)

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On the weekend that precedes the release of Nigeria’s final AFCON 2025 squad, former Flying Eagles striker Salim Fago made a statement in Croatia with his fourth goal of the season. ABIODUN ADEWALE recaps the performances of Nigerian players abroad

CROATIA

SALIM FAGO (NK ISTRA 1961)

Super Eagles potential invitee for AFCON 2025, Fago, justified his inclusion in coach Eric Chelle’s 54-man provisional list on Sunday, as he scored his fourth goal of the season in NK Istra 1961’s 5-1 win at Osijek in the Croatian topflight. Fago wrapped up scoring in the 73rd minute after a hat-trick by30-year-old Bosnia forward Smail Prevljak and Emil Frederiksen. The 22-year-old Fago is in his third season in Croatia after emerging at the 2023 U-20 World Cup in Argentina.

ENGLAND

IWOBI, BASSEY, CHUKWUEZE (FULHAM)

Nigerian trio, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey and Samuel Chukwueze were caged as Fulham suffered a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage in the London derby on Sunday.

The three players started the game, thanks to their impressive forms in recent weeks, but their efforts were not enough to prevent a second straight defeat at home.

Before the game , Chukwueze had set an impressive EPL record, averaging a goal or assist every 46 minutes in the Premier League this season, scoring two and assisting three in just 229 minutes.

It’s the best minutes per goal involvement of any player in the competition’s history (min. 200 minutes).

CHIAMAKA NNADOZIE (BRIGHTON)

Super Falcons goalkeeper, Nnadozie, kept her third clean sheet in her 10th Women’s Super League appearance on Sunday, helping Brighton Women secure a 1-0 win over London City Lionesses away from home. She saved all five shots she faced in the encounter as Japanese midfielder Kiko Seike scored the only goal in the sixth minute.

ROFIAT IMURAN (LONDON CITY LIONESSES)

Defender Imuran was on for 90 minutes in her eighth WSL game of the season, as London City Lionesses lost at home to Brighton Women.

TONI PAYNE (EVERTON)

For the second consecutive match, Payne has had a goal contribution for Everton Women. The Super Falcons midfielder turned up on Sunday again, setting up Honoka Hayashi’s 12th-minute goal, which sealed their 1-0 win at Chelsea. Payne now has one goal and three assists in 13 games across all competitions.  The win also ended their eight-game winless run in the WSL, while they ended Chelsea’s 34-game unbeaten run in the WSL, which spanned 585 days.

FRANCE

MOSES SIMON (PARIS FC)

Simon has failed to score in five consecutive games for club and country, after being caged in Paris FC’s Ligue clash against Le Havre on Sunday. During his 66-minute involvement, Simon attempted three shots and two of them were blocked, while the last was off target. His last goal for the club was on November 1, during their 1-0 win at Monaco. He seems to have been out of sorts, as he was also unimpressive for Nigeria in the last FIFA window. With three goals and two assists in 14 Ligue 1 games this season, Simon is regarded as a proven player and might be on the plane to Morocco for AFCON 2025.

GERMANY

VICTOR BONIFACE (WERDER BREMEN)

Another day, another start from the bench for Boniface, who still has a lot of convincing to do at club and national team levels. He played 21 minutes as Werder Bremen lost 3-2 at Hamburger.  In 12 games on his loan spell at Werder Bremen, he has two assists.  The 24-year-old last featured for Nigeria in May during the Unity Cup in England.

ITALY

FISAYO DELE-BASHIRU (LAZIO)

Dele-Bashiru started from the bench again in Lazio’s Serie A clash with Bologna. The Nigerian midfielder has just returned from a hamstring injury which has kept him out since September. He has only played six matches this season and it remains to be seen if Eric Chelle will be convinced to name him in his final squad.

SPAIN

ADAMS, EJUKE (SEVILLA)

Akor Adams started for Sevilla in their 1-1 draw against Valencia on Sunday but the striker’s goals drought in the La Liga has now entered the seventh game. His last goal in the league was against Barcelona, when they beat the Catalans 4-1 in October. He has however impressed Chelle at the national team level, scoring two goals in his last four games for the country and he might just be on his way to his first-ever AFCON in Morocco.

His compatriot, Chidera Ejuke was an unused substitute in the game.

AUSTRIA

NWAIWU, MICHEAL (WOLFSBERGER)

Former Enyimba midfielder, Chubuike Nwaiwu, saw red in Wolfsberger’s 2-1 win over Austria Vienna on Sunday. He got the matching orders after a second bookable offence. He was first cautioned in the 54th minute and then picked up another yellow in the 60th minute. It was his second sending off this season, having played 12 games already.

BELGIUM

CHUKWUBUIKEM IKWUEMESI (OH LEUVEN)

Ikwuemesi was named on the bench in Leuven’s hime game against Waregem. The 24-year-old forward has played 11 games in the Belgium topflight before Sunday, scoring one goal.

CZECH REPUBLIC

EMMANUEL AYOASI (KARVINA)

Hat-trick hero for Karvina two weeks ago, and two assists master last week, Ayoasi’s run of goal contribution was halted on Sunday, as he failed to score in their goalless draw at home to Ostrava. The former Dakkada player has four goals and three assists in 18 league games this season.

GREECE

CYRIEL DESSERS (PANATHINAIKOS FC)

For the third game in a row, Dessers started from the bench for Panathinaikos. He had just recovered from an injury that has kept him out since September.

SCOTLAND

KELECHI IHEANACHO (CELTIC)

Iheanacho returned to the bench for Celtics on Sunday, but the 29-year-old was an unused substitute in their 2-1 defeat at home to Hearts. After a bright start to life in Scotland, when he contributed three goals in his first three games, he sustained an injury in October, which has kept him out for almost two months. Ihenacho, who has played for Nigeria at two AFCON tournaments (2021 and 2023) is running out of time to prove himself to coach Chelle. He has also not featured under Chelle, since the Franco-Malian’s appointment in January 2025.

TURKEY

PAUL ONUACHU (TRABZONSPOR)

Super Lig top scorer and AFCON 2025 hopeful, Onauchu might have the freedom to resume camp as early as possible after he received a booking, which has caused him to be suspended for their next game. The striker was cautioned in the 73rd minute and will miss their next game against Besiktas. The Super Eagles camp opens on Wednesday in Egypt.

Onuachu has 11 goals and one assist in the league this season.

ANTHONY DENNIS (Gotzepe)

Little-known Nigerian midfielder Dennis stole the show with a stoppage time screamer as Gotzepe beat Trabzonspor 2-1 at home. It was his third goal in 14 Super Lig games this season. The HB Academy of Abuja product played the entire duration of the game.

DELE-BASHIRU, ONYEKURU (GENÇLERBİRLİĞİ)

After missing their last game, Tom-Dele Bashiru returned to the starting lineup for Gençlerbirligi, playing all 90 minutes in their 3-0 win at home to Karamguruk. He has played 10 games in the Turkish topflight this season with one assist.

His compatriot, Henry Onyekuru was a second half substitute and his involvement didn’t yield any goal. He is yet to score in 10 league games this season.

SWITZERLAND

PHILIP OTELE (BASEL)

Also listed in the AFCON 2025 provisional squad, Otele played 73 minutes in Basel’s 2-1 away win at Winterthur. He had four shots in the game, keeping three of them on target. The 26-year-old has four goals and three assists in 16 league games this season. He also has two goals in three cup matches, taking his tally to six goals and three assists in 19 games.

Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years

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