Since Taiwo Awoniyi and Victor Osimhen silenced Jose Mourinho and Liverpool, respectively, last weekend, it is certain that no other African country now possesses the firepower of the Super Eagles. For the best sports betting offers of this fall check out our website.
In other news, Brian Brobbey shone as Ajax Amsterdam increased their lead atop the Dutch Eredivise table, while Baba Rahman made an encouraging comeback for Reading in the English League Championship.
After moving to Nottingham Forest for £17 million from Union Berlin, where he scored 15 goals in the German Bundesliga the previous season, Awoniyi has not had a smooth transition. He had never competed in the English Premier League, had never shown that he could sustain his excellent goal-scoring form for more than one season, and had mostly failed to win over a Forest club that was in transition following a flurry of summer additions.
Even though it was just his third goal in nine Premier League games against Liverpool this past weekend, and it came after his initial attempt had cannoned back off the post, there was enough about his performance and Forest’s unlikely victory to give the Midlanders hope that they could avoid the drop.
Throughout the game, Awoniyi was a threat to Liverpool’s defense and thrived with his awkward and muscular — if occasionally sloppy — forward play. With his directness and intensity of movement, he put an end to Joe Gomez’s recent comeback. As a result, the England defender was booked for trying to block his old partner.
The bittersweetness of Awoniyi’s 55th-minute victory was increased by his frustrating and forgettable past at Liverpool.
The striker was spotted by former Super Eagles player Seyi Olofinjana and came immediately from the Imperial Soccer Academy in Nigeria to Merseyside.
Although joining the club was a dream move for the youth, he spent six years there without making a senior appearance. Instead, he spent his playing time on loan in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium until being permanently sold in 2021. The reason given was that he would find it difficult to obtain a work permit in the U.K., which generously obscured the very lackluster pace of his growth over there.
Awoniyi was overcome with emotion after the goal and the final horn, and he celebrated as if Forest had already guaranteed their survival before describing what it meant to him to score against the team that had given him his big break. CasinoDaddy presents you with the best possible offers of the season on our pages.
The striker added in a statement: “To score against Liverpool is a day I will never forget. I will always to be grateful to Liverpool for scouting me from Nigeria and scoring against them is amazing. This kind of game we have to look back on it and build on it. The game is over and now we concentrate on the next one. For me I’m happy but the most important thing is the three points. Now we have to build on it.”
Jurgen Klopp, who is not usually kind in defeat, acknowledged the path Awoniyi had taken.
Forest is still in last place in the Premier League, but after beating a struggling Liverpool team, they are only two points behind their neighbors Leicester City in 17th. With Serge Aurier and Cheikhou Kouyate both flourishing, head coach Steve Cooper will also be pleased with the performances of two of his other African recruits.
Aurier made more tackles than any other Premier League player this past weekend, and the Ivory Coast captain also made seven successful recoveries throughout the game. Aurier displayed maturity, restraint, and discipline in this game, which contrasts greatly with some of his impulsive actions while playing for Tottenham Hotspur.
In a midfield three, Kouyate was equally productive; he had a match-high three chances for goals and made numerous significant defensive contributions.
With the possibility of more time to train together over the World Cup break, Forest will look to improve on this performance. Mohamed Salah, who has become weary, and Liverpool might benefit from the World Cup break’s rest and opportunity.
Alex Iwobi, who was slightly overshadowed by the other two stars, continued his impressive recent form by providing two more assists as Everton defeated Crystal Palace 3-0 at Goodison Park. Only Kevin De Bruyne has more goal assists in the Premier League this season than Iwobi, a player who was given new life by Frank Lampard.
Ola Aina, who scored the winning goal for Torino against Udinese and coincidentally last scored for Torino in a victory over the same opponents in February 2019, also stopped his goalless streak in Serie A, while Cyriel Dessers’ missed penalty cost Cremonese, who fell to Sampdoria 1-0 at home.
The majority of Ghana’s talents who play in the top leagues in Europe had a fantastic weekend, with Alexander Djiku’s injury for Strasbourg against Toulouse being the lone setback.
Baba Rahman provided the Black Stars a boost by making his first appearance in Reading’s starting lineup since September 23. He also played a key role in the Royals’ offensive set-up as they defeated Bristol City 2-0.
As Jonny Evans continues to fill in for Leicester, Daniel Amartey played in the 4-0 thrashing of Wolves by the Foxes, and Joseph Aidoo’s 89th-minute header for Celta Vigo’s 1-1 draw with Getafe. The defender’s first league goal since scoring for Hammarby in 2016 was his first in Spain’s LaLiga.
There was a Ghanaian hero for Ajax in the Netherlands who wasn’t named Mohammed Kudus.
Brobbey led the line for the Amsterdam heavyweights, serving as Alfred Schreuder’s more traditional center-forward option as the 22-year-old remained relegated to the sidelines.
His daring performance left RKC Waalwijk with no chance as Brobbey scored twice in the second half to put the game beyond the reach of the home team and give Ajax a comfortable 4-2 triumph.
After 11 games, Ajax lead by four points, and the Ghana Football Association wishes star player Brobbey, a young international for the Netherlands, had already declared for the Black Stars.
