Chukwueze scores, degrees for Awoniyi and Aijbade, Troost-Ekong rejects Turkey
Spanish La Liga side Villareal started their campaign in this year's UEFA Conference League on a winning note as they recorded a 4-3 win over the visiting Lech Poznan.
The visitors scared the host by scoring the first goal in the 2nd minute through Skoras before Nigeria's Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze netted the equalizer in the 32nd minute.
Two quick-fire goals from Alex Baena put the Yellow Submarine in the driving seat going into halftime.
Ishak scored two goals for Poznan in the 47th and 61st minute before Chukwueze was subbed off in the 80th minute.
Coquelin got the winning goal for the host in the 89th minute and secured a win for the Spanish side
And in England, Super Eagles forward, Taiwo Awoniyi, has bagged a degree in Business Management from Buckinghamshire New University, Wycombe, United Kingdom.
The 25-year-old bagged the degree a few days after his fellow in the Super Eagles and Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi also got done with a Business and Management Diploma.
Elsewhere, Super Falcons forward Rasheedat Ajibade has obtained Diplomas in Sports Management and Coaching Psychology from the El Roi London University.
Ajibade, who plays for the Spanish Iberdola side, Atletico Madrid is definitely planning for life after football.
The versatile striker is one of the popular stars in the Super Falcons team.
The 22-year-old was joint top scorer at the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco where the Super Falcons finished in the fourth position.
Ajibade captained Nigeria in the 2-1 friendly defeat to world champions, United States of America on Wednesday.
She has also represented the country at the U-20 level.
And Super Eagles vice-captain, William Troost-Ekong, turned down a loan move to Turkish this summer.
According to The Athletic, a number of Turkish Super Lig clubs were keen on luring the centre-back from Watford for at least a season but he rebuffed the move.
Turkish Super Lig champions, Trabzonspor and Fenerbahce are among the top clubs who showed interest in the defender.
Kasimpasa and Ankaragucu are the two other clubs he turned down.
Troost-Ekong has struggled for regular game time at Watford since returning from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Nigeria early this year.
The player has made just one appearance in the Sky Bet Championship this season.
He once played in Turkey for Bursaspor.
The former Udinese star has a contract with the London club until June 2025.
Lastly, FC Sheriff Tiraspol’s forward Rasheed Ibrahim was the country’s star of the night among Nigerian players who featured for their various clubs in the first games of the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League.
Ibrahim also known as Goal Machine score an early goal and assisted compatriot Iyayi Atiemwen in FC Sheriff’s three nil defeat of Francis Uzoho’s Omonia Nicosia.
Ibrahim is the top striker of the Moldovan Champions, who are drawn in Group E with Manchester United and Real Sociedad which parades another Nigerian Sadiq Umar, who recently join from newly promoted Almeria.
Umar also gave a good account of himself but was substituted on the 46th minute mark before his side converted a penalty to give them a crucial away win at Old Trafford..
Striker, Victor Olatunji of AEK Larnac saw 80 minutes of action, but His efforts failed to see the back of the net when His Cyprus club battled Rennes of France.
Union St. Gilloise’s Victor Boniface was in action for 83 minutes as helped his Belgian side pip host, Union Berlin 1-0.
Super Eagles Winger Moses Simon was a 69th minute substitute’ when his French side Nantes got a vital victory at home against Olympiacos of Greece.
