Nigeria’s Super Eagles players wasted little time making an impact for their clubs after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, delivering goals and strong displays across Europe on Saturday.
Barely a week after Nigeria’s AFCON third-place playoff victory over Egypt — sealed by penalties to secure a record ninth bronze medal — several members of the national team were back in club colours, carrying their confidence into domestic competitions.
In England, Samuel Chukwueze made a telling return to action with Fulham following a challenging AFCON outing. The winger, who endured a difficult semi-final against Morocco and missed a decisive penalty that ended Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the final, found redemption in the Premier League clash against Brighton.
Introduced in the 59th minute, Chukwueze needed just 13 minutes to make his presence felt, scoring Fulham’s equaliser in the 72nd minute after Brighton had taken the lead. His strike ignited a comeback that ended in a 2–1 victory for the London club, easing pressure on the forward and highlighting his resilience.
Alex Iwobi also featured for Fulham in the win, continuing his steady run of form this season, while defender Calvin Bassey was not included in the matchday squad.
In Spain, Akor Adams delivered another decisive contribution for Sevilla in their 2–1 La Liga victory over Athletic Bilbao. The Nigerian striker converted a penalty in the 56th minute to seal the win after Bilbao had gone ahead through Robert Navarro.
Sevilla had earlier drawn level just two minutes after conceding, courtesy of Gerard Fernández, setting the stage for Adams’ match-winning moment. The goal took Adams’ tally to five league goals and two assists in 15 appearances this season.
Chidera Ejuke also saw action for Sevilla, coming on in the 81st minute to replace Isaac Romero. It marked his 13th appearance of the campaign as he continues to adapt to Spanish football.
In Turkey, Victor Osimhen resumed his prolific scoring form for Galatasaray, finding the net in a 3–1 Super Lig victory over Fatih Karagümrük. The striker, fresh from leading Nigeria’s attack at AFCON, scored Galatasaray’s third goal with a composed finish.
Osimhen controlled a precise cross from İlkay Gündoğan before driving the ball into the roof of the net, sending the home crowd into celebration. The goal lifted his season tally to 13 goals in 17 appearances across all competitions and marked his fourth goal in his last three league matches.
The former Napoli striker was substituted in the 78th minute, with Galatasaray maintaining control to secure a morale-boosting win ahead of a Champions League trip to Manchester City.
More significantly, Osimhen reached the milestone of 50 goals in just 59 appearances for Galatasaray, further cementing his status at the club.
His club form reflected the leadership he displayed with the Super Eagles in Morocco, where Nigeria combined defensive organisation with attacking quality to finish third despite falling short of the final.
Elsewhere in Turkey, Paul Onuachu had already set the tone for Nigerian returnees. The striker scored the winning goal as Trabzonspor edged Kasimpasa 2–1 on Friday night, coming off the bench shortly after returning from AFCON.
Onuachu replaced Kazeem Olaigbe after halftime and struck six minutes later, taking his season total to 12 goals across all competitions.
The immediate influence of Nigeria’s AFCON returnees once again underlined the growing impact of Super Eagles players across Europe, with decisive performances in England, Spain and Turkey reflecting both individual quality and confidence gained on the continental stage.
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