Vitoria Setubal picked up a 2-1 away win against Belenenses with their Nigerian midfielder Mikel Agu once again playing a pivotal role in their win.

The 24 year old who is on loan from Portuguese giants FC Porto has been ever present for the team this season with 15 league appearances to his name this season.

Agu has thrice made the team of the week in Portugal, a sign of how well he has developed from the same player who couldn’t get a game for Belgian side Club Brugge last season.

His performances is closely been monitored by coach of the Nigeria senior national team Gernot Rohr who could hand him a call up for Nigeria’s next friendly game against Senegal.

Known for his hard tackling and near perfect ball distribution he has been at FC Porto since 2012 without breaking into the first team, no thanks to an injury which ruled him out of the 2014 season when he was close to breaking into the first team.

Little known Nigerian forward Patrick Igwe picked up from where he left off last year for Portuguese side Alcanenense scoring the lone goal that gave them all three points against Gafetense.

Igwe scored five goals in the first stanza of the third division league in Portugal to bring his goal tally this season to six, and in the process picked up his third Man of the Match award.

The 19 year old has been watched by several top teams in Portugal and beyond, and a transfer away from the team in the summer looks most likely.

Plucked from Geelec Football Academy of Jos, the pacy forward is having his best season since moving to Portugal one year ago.

” I am focused on doing well for Alcanenense, I have people who handle the business area of my career, a move away from here is in their hands. Every footballer wants to play in a big league, am no different but am calm”, he told Owngoalnigeria.com when asked about speculations linking him with a summer move.

The weekend games in Europe involving Nigerian players came to an end yesterday with some tasting the joy of victory while other had to swallow the bitter pill of defeat.

Owngoalnigeria.com bring to you the performances of some of the players in games that slipped under our radar during our monitoring of Nigerian players in Europe.

Turkey:

Eddy Onazi was a trojan in the middle for Trabzonspor, playing for the entire duration of their 1-0 win over Kasimpasa, who had Kenneth Otigba on the bench all through while Emem Eduok was introduced by the home team 17 minutes to the end.

Still in Turkey Aminu Umar started and ended the game for Osmanlispor but failed to provide the much needed goal as they slumped to a 1-2 loss against Antalyaspor, with Africa soccer legend Samuel Eto’o scoring the winner for the visitors on the dot of regulation time.

While Godfrey Obaboana lasted the entire duration of Rizespor 1-2 loss away to Konyaspor, new signing Bright Edomwonyi failed to alter the scoreline for the visitor after coming on in the 66th minute.

Super Eagles right full back Musa Muhammed was omitted yet again from the matchday squad of Istanbul Basaksehir who were beaten 1-0 by an inspired Fenerbahce side away from home.

Since joining tabel topping Basaksehir 18 months ago, the former captain of the Nigeria U-17 and 20 team is yet to play in the league for the team.

Netherlands:

Liverpool loanee Taiwo Awoniyi was for the second game running an unused substitute for NEC Nijmegen in their 2-0 win over Roda JC in the top league in Holland, while former U-20 captain Abdul Ajagun lasted the entire duration of the game for the losers.

On loan Arsenal midfielder Kelechi Nwakali had a game to forget as MVV Maastricht slumped to their first defeat in 2017 losing 2-1 to VVV-Venlo.

Belgium:

Former Nigeria Under-17 and 20 forward Saviour Godwin was made to take the walk of shame after his sending off in the 74th minute of Roeselare 0-1 loss at home to Union St.-Gilloise in the Belgian second division.

Newly appointed captain of Tiajin Teda Mikel Obi is yet to taste victory with his new team after four pre season games ahead of the start of the Chinese Super League.

Mikel joined the team in January and was subsequently appointed captain of the team and a new role as the play maker of the ambitious team.

However after four pre season games they have let in 12 goals in games against Borussia Monchengladbach II, St. Pauli, Dinamo Bucuresti and Dynamo Kiev respectively.

While they have scored four goals in the four games, yesterday they were taking to the cleaners by a classical Dynamo Kiev side losing 3-0 to the Ukrainian outfit.

Former Chelsea star Mikel started the game but failed to motivate his side, who are now into the final stage of preparation for the start of the CSL next month.

Manager of Arsenal Arsene Wenger has revealed the rationale behind the substitution of Alex Iwobi in Arsenal’s dramatic 2-1 win over Burnley shortly after Granit Xhaka was sent off.

Xhaka was sent off by referee Jon Moss for a wild lunge on Steven Defour in the 65th minute, forcing Wenger into rearranging his team by bringing in Francis Coquelin for Iwobi four minutes after they were reduced to 10 men.

Iwobi’s substitution sparked mixed reactions from Arsenal fans, with many opposed to his substitution even though he was given a standing ovation by the fans as he walked off the pitch.

Wenger was berated for not taking off either Mesut Ozil or Aaron Samuel especially as Iwobi was pulling his weight in the middle to good effect before his substitution.

” We had to react to Xhaka’s red card by bringing on Coquelin for Iwobi, who was our alternate midfielder. Burnley played very well and made it hard for us to break them down, it was a hard fought win”, Wenger said at the post match conference.

Chelsea wing back Victor Moses was one of the top performers for Chelsea in their 2-0 win over Hull City in the English Premier League.

The Nigerian provided the cross from which Diego Costa scored the opening goal of the game in the 45th minute, and lasted the entire duration of the game.

His overall performance earned him praises from English Premier League legend Owen Hargreaves, who was in the studio as an analyst during the live broadcast of the game.

” You have to admire the cross from Victor Moses, he crossed the ball away from the defenders leaving Costa with no option but to score”, Hargreaves said.

” He (Moses) has added consistency to his game, and the more you look at the team of Chelsea, the more you see reasons to agree that at the moment he looks like one player who is irreplaceable”.

The unfortunate injury picked up by Oghenekaro Etebo in CD Feirense last weekend game has opened the door for little known Nigerian forward Iduitua David to take his spot in the team.

Etebo is set to undergo another scan on the knee injury that lead to his substitution against Vitoria da Guimaraes last weekend in 15 days time, and his absence has helped David make the step up to the main team.

David was the star of the 2012 edition of Copa Coca-Cola International Football tournament in South Africa, where he captained the Nigerian team to the tournament.

Comfortable as a striker or behind the main striker he was for the first time listed on the bench by coach Nuno Manta Santos since joining the team last summer.

The 19 year old didn’t get to play as CD Feirense beat Estoril 1-0, but his inclusion in the team will no doubt spur him on to push for playing time especially in the absence of his fellow countryman, who plays same role.

Former Nigeria U-17 goalkepper Francis Odinaka Uzoho has wasted no time in making the step up to the main team of La Liga side Deportivo La Coruna.

Uzoho joined the team on the 13th of January as exclusively reported by Owngoalnigeria.com, but the 18 year old was expected to spend more time with the B team than the main team.

However few weeks after joining the team, he appears to have made the step up to the main team training session judging by pictures picked up by Owngoalnigeria.com.

The talented shot stopper was a member of the 2013 Nigeria U-17 team, where he was one of the youngest in the team which won the World Youth Championship in style in the UAE.

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Wilfred Ndidi had a slightly above average performance as English Champions Leicester City crash to yet another embarrassing defeat losing 3-0 to Southampton.

Ndidi’s first league appearance for the Foxes ended with a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea, although he helped Leicester City to a 2-1 win in his first game for the club against Everton in the FA Cup.

The Nigerian who twice foiled attempts by Southampton to score in the first half, started as the basement of a diamond shape midfield consisting of Danny Drinkwater and Nampalys Mendy.

However shortly after the game, manager Claudio Ranieri dropped a big hint about a change of role for the 20 year old in their subsequent games.

” We didn’t do enough in central defence to deal with Southampton, we could try other options in our next game. There are players who can play there like Ndidi during the second half of our game against Chelsea”, Ranieri said at the post match conference.

Wolverhampton Wanderers shot stopper Carl Ikeme has reacted to the incident that got him sent off in yesterday’s 1-3 loss to Norwich City.

Ikeme was sent off in the 72nd minute after an altercation with Norwich City forward Wes Hoolahan, a situation which won the home side a penalty which they converted to put the game beyond the reach of Wolves.

However the Super Eagles shot stopper believes his sending off was harsh and criticized the forward for play acting to get him sent off.

The Super Eagles number one gave his reaction in a number of post on his official twitter handle.

“Ok then… been mulling over whether to say anything or not….Some will say don’t react. I understand ur point. It’s hard not to be frustrated when someone blatantly dives to win a penalty.Then dives again when pushed on his Chest. I supposed you live and learn but this one is hard to take. I Apologise if anyone feels let down” Ikeme wrote on Twitter

“A lot of Norwich fans not happy. I have nothing against your club or Wes . These things happen in football so we just move on”.