The 26-year-old becomes only the second player to score 30 league goals in Europe’s top ten leagues this season and the first Nigerian to reach that mark after he scored in Genk’s 3-2 win at Antwerp

Paul Onuachu continues to break new grounds in what has been a remarkable season after he scored his 30th league goal to help Genk to a 3-2 win over Royal Antwerp in the opening game of the Jupiler League Championship playoff round.

After coronavirus ended the Belgian top-flight abruptly last season, the championship round resumed again this season, with Antwerp playing host to Genk.

Theo Bongonda put Genk ahead in the 20th minute following a ball from Junya Ito, but goals from Maxime Le Marchand and Koji Miyoshi in the space of four minutes turned the tie around for Antwerp.

However, Onuachu restored parity for The Smurfs in the 71st minute for his 30th league goal of the season. By reaching this milestone, the former Midtjylland striker becomes the first Nigerian to reach 30 league goals in a single season in Europe.

Also, he is just the second player after Robert Lewandowski to score 30 or more goals in Europe’s top ten leagues this season.

But the Nigerian international is still 11 short of the record for most goals in a single Belgian top-flight season, set by Arthur Ceuleers and Jules Van Craen in the 1942-1943 season.

Nonetheless, Onuachu is well on course to become the third Nigerian player to finish as the top scorer in the Belgian top-flight after Tosin Dosunmu and Joseph Akpala.

Meanwhile, Bongonda, who provided the assist for Onuachu’s goal, combined once again with Ito to fire home the winner for Genk two minutes from time.

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The former Enyimba striker got the crucial opener in the first half for the Promise Keepers in their NPFL clash with southern rivals Rivers United

Akwa United secured a commanding 3-0 victory over high-flying Rivers United thanks to goals from Nigerian international Mfon Udoh, Charles Atshimene, and Morice Chukwu.

The visitors, still smarting from their CAF Confederations Cup aggregate loss to Enyimba last week, were the more enterprising team in the opening stages of the encounter at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

But the tide changed in favour of the home side when 2014 Nigeria Premier League top scorer Udoh found the back of the net five minutes before the break.

And Kennedy Boboye’s men bagged all the three points at stake with second-half goals from Atshimene and Chukwu.

Afonja Warriors Back At The Top

It was a comfortable afternoon for Kwara United as the Afonja Warriors defeated Warri Wolves 2-0 to return to the summit of the Nigeria Professional Football League table.

With league leaders Kano Pillars losing 3-2 in a thrilling clash at Dakkada earlier in the day, Kwara United knew any manner of win would be enough to take them back to the prime position.

And a brilliant victory they carved out thanks to a goal in each half from Jude Steven and Michael Ohanu.

NPFL Results

Dakkada 3 – 2 Kano Pillars

Akwa United 3 – 0 Rivers United

Jigawa Golden Stars 0 – 0 Enyimba

Ifeanyi Uba 0 – 0 Plateau United

Lobi Stars 2 – 1 Katsina United

Sunshine Stars 0 – 0 Adamawa United

Enugu Rangers 2 – 0 Heartland

Kwara United 2 – 0 Warri Wolves

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The on-loan Club Brugge striker got his Germany adventure to a bright start as he led his new club to a convincing home victory on Sunday

Super Eagles attacker Emmanuel Dennis began a new chapter in his career on a promising note as he helped Cologne to a delightful 3-1 win over Arminia Bielefeld in a game-week 19 Bundesliga clash at the RheinEnergie Stadion.

Cologne boss Markus Gisdol handed the Nigerian forward his first start, just days after moving in from Belgium, and the tactician was rewarded with a fine attacking display that has become a rare sight in the Billy Goats’ games this term.

A Marius Wolfe double in the opening half-hour and an Elvis Rexhbecaj effort shortly after the hour mark was all Cologne needed to secure all the three points at stake.

It was the first time the Billy Goats would score three times in the Bundesliga this term.

Dennis was replaced in the 82nd minute by Jan Thielmann, ten minutes after Cordova got the visitors’ consolation goal.

The 23-year-old will hope his performances in the coming days impress his German bosses before the expiration of his loan spell later in June.

In Spain, Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala was back to her deadly best as she found her target twice to inspire Barcelona to an exciting 4-1 home victory over ten-woman Real Madrid.

The visitors had goalkeeper Maria Rodriguez sent off in the 72nd minute, by which time Oshoala and co. had done all the damage inside the Estadi Johan Cruyff.

Oshoala ensured Barcelona went into the break with a three-goal lead, profiting off a Christine Hansen pass in the 37th minute after Alexia Putella and Jenni Hermoso had scored for the hosts.

The reigning African Women Player of the Year then added a fourth goal – her 13th strike of another prolific league campaign – in the 70th minute.

Rodriguez then received her marching orders shortly after before Olga Carmona struck from the penalty spot to give Real Madrid something to cheer about on a sad day.

Oshoala is now two goals short of catching up with the league top scorer, Levante’s Esther Gonzalez.

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The head coach of the Nigerian national team played against the late Argentine legend when they were both in their prime, and he does not doubt that the Napoli icon has few equals

Manager Gernot Rohr admits that Argentina hero Diego Armando Maradona was one of the greatest players to grace the game, highlighting the late playmaker’s qualities with the ball at his feet.

While comparing Diego Maradona to his fellow Argentine great Lionel Messi, the Super Eagles handler insists that the Barcelona forward is better than the 1986 FIFA World Cup winner.

Maradona arrived in Europe in 1982 in a world-record transfer to Barcelona and spent two excellent years at Camp Nou before departing for Italy’s Napoli in another world record transfer fee of £6.9 million.

He was instrumental as Napoli claimed two Serie A titles, the UEFA Cup, the Coppa Italia, and the Supercoppa Italiana, during his seven-year stay at the club.

En route to lifting that UEFA Cup in 1989, Maradona’s Napoli duelled against Girondins Bordeaux – which had a certain Gernot Rohr as a fullback – in the last sixteen round of the old UEFA competition in December 1988.

Rohr maintains that encounter and a similar one with Maradona convinced him that the former Barcelona star was an incredible footballer.

“I was lucky enough to play him twice,” Rohr told German regional newspaper, Mannheimer Morgen.

“In 1983, he was even my direct opponent at the 100th anniversary of Girondins Bordeaux against Barcelona, ​​and then again in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup, which Maradona then won with SSC Napoli.

“He was a gifted footballer. Maradona was smart, didn’t run much, but his left foot sucked the ball.

“Unfortunately, he had to fight hard after football. Applied to today’s conditions, one could compare him to Lionel Messi.”

But when asked if Maradona was the greatest footballer of all time, the German tactician claimed that Messi was better than his celebrated compatriot.

“I have a lot of sympathy for Messi. He’s a bit better because he was also very fair within a team and to the opponent – and didn’t have to score a goal with his hand (laughs),” said the Super Eagles coach.

1986 World Cup winner Maradona died aged 60 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November 2020.

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