Super Eagles weekend ratings: Osimhen 4th, Onuachu 2nd

The first weekend of September produced several strong performances from Super Eagles stars around the world, Soccernet.ng reports.

From Turkey to Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, England and South Africa, Nigerian players had plenty to talk about as the international break approached.

The weekend also brought some difficult moments for Nigeria. Victor Osimhen scored again for Galatasaray but left the pitch injured, while Paul Onuachu scored twice for Trabzonspor before suffering an injury of his own. Both strikers now face questions over their availability for Nigeria’s upcoming AFCON qualifiers.

There were also impressive performances outside the forward positions. Chibuike Nwaiwu helped Trabzonspor win a penalty, Semi Ajayi helped Hull City keep a clean sheet against Aston Villa, Stanley Nwabali was part of a goalless draw in South Africa, while Alex Iwobi made Premier League history despite Fulham’s defeat. Here is how the performances rank from lowest to most outstanding.

Top 10 Super Eagles stars of the weekend

10. Calvin Bassey, Fulham

Rating: 6.0/10

Calvin Bassey played all 90 minutes as Fulham lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage on Saturday. The Nigeria defender started at centre-back and wore the captain’s armband.

Bassey helped Fulham keep control during periods of the match, but Palace’s second-half comeback exposed problems in the home defence. Tyrick Mitchell scored twice, while Ben Chilwell completed the comeback in the 77th minute.

Bassey finished the game without a goal or assist and was part of a defence that conceded three times. His full-match involvement earns him a place in the list, but the result and defensive lapses keep his rating down.

9. Stanley Nwabali, Chippa United

Rating: 6.4/10

Nwabali did not have a spectacular match, but his clean sheet deserves recognition. The Super Eagles goalkeeper started for Chippa United in their 0-0 draw with Milford FC in the South African Premiership on Saturday The game produced several chances, with both goalkeepers making important contributions.

Milford goalkeeper Lungile Nkosi made a sharp early save from Azola Tshobeni, while Nwabali was called into action when the visitors tried to test him from distance. Chippa could not find a goal, but Nwabali helped them avoid defeat.

8. Alex Iwobi, Fulham

Rating: 6.6/10

Iwobi’s weekend was about history as much as football. The Fulham midfielder started against Crystal Palace and played 83 minutes, reaching 100 Premier League appearances for the club. That made him the first-ever African and only the fifth player in Premier League history to reach 100 appearances for three different clubs, after previously hitting the mark with Arsenal and Everton.

His landmark came in a difficult afternoon for Fulham. Joshua King put the hosts ahead in the 11th minute and César Palacios restored their lead in the 42nd, but Palace eventually won 3-2.

Iwobi was involved in Fulham’s midfield work and took responsibility from set pieces, but he did not produce a goal or assist. The historic appearance lifts his score, although his match impact was below the attacking stars higher up this list.

7. Semi Ajayi, Hull City

Rating: 6.8/10

Semi Ajayi delivered one of the weekend’s better defensive displays. The Hull City centre-back played the full 90 minutes in a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa at the MKM Stadium. Villa dominated possession and finished with 13 shots, but only one was on target. Hull defended with a five-man back line and refused to give Unai Emery’s side a way through.

Ajayi was booked in the 39th minute but stayed composed after the yellow card. His contribution was especially useful because Villa had 74 percent possession and created the higher expected-goals figure.

It was not a flashy performance, but a centre-back helping his team frustrate an established Premier League side for 90 minutes deserves credit.

6. Chibuike Nwaiwu, Trabzonspor

Rating: 7.1/10

Nwaiwu was one of the quieter Nigerian heroes in Trabzonspor’s 5-0 demolition of Gençlerbirliği. The centre-back started the game and played 82 minutes. His most important attacking contribution came in the 12th minute when he was brought down inside the penalty area. After a VAR review, the referee awarded Trabzonspor a penalty. Mohamed Salah converted it in the 14th minute.

Nwaiwu also helped Trabzonspor keep a clean sheet in a dominant home performance. He was booked in the 72nd minute and replaced by Samet Akaydin in the 83rd.

He did not score or provide an assist, but winning the penalty that helped make it 2-0 gave him a major role in the match. His defensive contribution also helped Trabzonspor protect the lead.

5. Samuel Chukwueze, AC Milan

Rating: 7.4/10

Samuel Chukwueze made an immediate impact from the bench as AC Milan drew 1-1 with Juventus at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday.

The Nigerian winger entered in the 61st minute and needed only seven minutes to make a difference. In the 68th minute, Chukwueze received the ball during a Milan counter-attack and sent a clever cross-field pass towards Alphadjo Cissé. The teenager controlled the ball, cut inside and fired into the bottom corner to give Milan the lead.

It was a particularly valuable contribution because Milan had struggled to create clear chances before Chukwueze’s introduction. The assist also came against Juventus in Turin, with the match level at 0-0 and the contest finely balanced.

The late equaliser from Federico Gatti in the 92nd minute denied Milan all three points, but it did not take away from Chukwueze’s contribution.

4. Victor Osimhen, Galatasaray

Rating: 7.5/10

Osimhen only played 33 minutes against Istanbul Başakşehir, but he still had enough time to change the match.

The Galatasaray striker opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a superb strike from outside the penalty area. The effort hit the underside of the crossbar before crossing the line, giving Galatasaray an early advantage in the eventual 3-2 victory.

His sixth goal of the season arrived during another productive spell for the Nigerian forward. He had also scored a winning penalty against Göztepe and twice against Çorum in his previous matches.

The concern came in the 33rd minute when Osimhen signalled that he could not continue. Barış Alper Yılmaz replaced him, and the striker later underwent checks for a groin/adductor problem.

Scoring before leaving injured means Osimhen ranks highly, but the limited minutes prevent him from taking the top places.

3. Tolu Arokodare, Ajax

Rating: 7.7/10

Arokodare continued his remarkable start to life at Ajax by scoring against PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie’s major weekend clash.

Ajax fell behind to Ricardo Pepi’s fifth-minute goal at the Johan Cruijff Arena, but Arokodare responded in the 23rd minute. The Nigerian striker finished low to level the match at 1-1.

The goal was his fifth of the season and extended his scoring run to four consecutive matches. He was eventually substituted in the 61st minute, with Ajax later losing 3-1 after PSV scored through Lutsharel Geertruida and Esmir Bajraktarević.

Arokodare therefore did not get the result he wanted, but scoring against one of the strongest teams in the Netherlands gives the performance extra weight. His goal also strengthens his case for a return to the Super Eagles squad.

2. Paul Onuachu, Trabzonspor

Rating: 8.4/10

Onuachu produced the weekend’s most explosive performance among Nigeria’s established Super Eagles strikers.

The 32-year-old scored twice in the first 22 minutes as Trabzonspor crushed Gençlerbirliği 5-0 at Papara Park on Sunday.

His first goal arrived in the fifth minute when he rose at the far post to meet Aral Şimşir’s cross and headed the ball into the top corner. Seventeen minutes later, he struck again, finishing from inside the penalty area after Wagner Pina’s delivery.

The brace ended an eight-game scoring drought and opened his league account for the new season. He had scored 22 league goals last season, so the return to form was badly needed.

There was one major downside. Onuachu was substituted in the 43rd minute after picking up an injury. That means Nigeria could now face a serious striker problem, with Osimhen also injured just a couple of days earlier.

1. George Ilenikhena, Al-Ittihad

Rating: 9.2/10

George Ilenikhena produced the standout Nigerian performance of the weekend. The young striker scored twice inside the opening 22 minutes as Al-Ittihad defeated Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr 2-1 in Jeddah on Saturday. The result ended Al-Nassr’s unbeaten start to the Saudi Pro League season.

Ilenikhena needed only four minutes to open the scoring. He reacted first after Steven Bergwijn’s cross struck the crossbar and finished from close range.

His second arrived in the 22nd minute. Houssem Aouar supplied the ball, and Ilenikhena acrobaticly finished again to put Al-Ittihad 2-0 ahead. Angelo pulled one back in the 36th minute, but Al-Ittihad held on.

Ilenikhena was substituted in the 67th minute, having already done the damage. His two goals came against a team containing Ronaldo, Sadio Mané, Kingsley Coman and João Félix, making the performance even more impressive.

The Nigerian forward also received the Player of the Match award after producing two goals from four shots, with two efforts on target.

That combination of goals, opposition quality and direct influence on a major derby makes Ilenikhena the clear No. 1 Super Eagles performer from the weekend.