Nigerian Footballers Abroad End Season Strong As Dele-Bashiru Scores, Roma Duo Seal Double

Several Nigerian footballers concluded their European seasons impressively over the weekend, featuring goals, assists, and celebrations of titles that marked the end of the campaign.

In Italy, the Super Falcons duo of Rinsola Babajide and Shukurat Oladipo achieved a national double with AS Roma Women after securing a hard-earned 1-0 victory against Juventus Women in the Coppa Italia Women final held at the Romeo Menti Stadium in Vicenza.

Manuela Giugliano netted the decisive goal in the 80th minute, allowing Roma to add the cup to the Serie A Femminile title they claimed earlier this month.

Babajide remained on the sidelines the entire match, whereas Oladipo played a crucial role in defense, helping Roma maintain their narrow advantage until the match concluded.

The Nigerian defender participated in a total of 31 games across all competitions this season. Roma recorded 11 clean sheets in her 18 league matches, with Oladipo achieving 70 clearances and 104 recoveries.

Having joined Tenerife on a two-year contract, Babajide made 14 appearances throughout all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists.

At the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru concluded his season on a high note for Lazio, scoring during their comeback win after Stefano Moreo had shocked the home fans with an early goal.

Pedro Rodríguez later helped to complete the comeback as Lazio finished the season on a victorious note.

Maduka Okoye also showcased his skills, despite Udinese's narrow 1-0 loss to Napoli. The Super Eagles goalkeeper made five saves out of six shots on target, concluding the season with 10 clean sheets.

This made him the first Nigerian goalkeeper to achieve double digits in clean sheets in a major European league since Vincent Enyeama had 17 for Lille during the 2014/15 Ligue 1 season.

In England, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey took part as Fulham ended their Premier League season with a 2-0 win over Newcastle.

Fulham ultimately placed 11th with 52 points after their European aspirations dwindled in the latter part of the season.

Iwobi contributed four goals and three assists across 29 league games, while Bassey scored once in 30 matches.

Taiwo Awoniyi appeared for Nottingham Forest in their 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, coming off the bench for the last 29 minutes. The striker wrapped up the season with four goals and one assist across 17 appearances, which included a double against Chelsea earlier this month.

In Spain, Umar Sadiq was instrumental in Valencia’s successful efforts to avoid relegation. The striker recorded four goals and two assists in 20 league matches as the team distanced itself from danger during the final stretch.

Akor Adams also stepped up when Sevilla needed him the most. The forward emerged as the team’s leading scorer with 10 league goals and three assists across 32 appearances.

His compatriot Chidera Ejuke had a less impactful season, managing only one goal and one assist in 27 league games, though Sevilla relied on his speed and dribbling during crucial moments in their fight for survival.

Sevilla secured a 13th place finish with 43 points after spending a significant portion of the season at the bottom of the table.
Elsewhere, Raphael Onyedika sat on the bench as Club Brugge defeated Gent 5-0 to conclude their season in Belgium.

In contrast, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro faced a challenging match with Pisa and was taken off at halftime after finding it hard to make an impact on the game. The midfielder achieved an 87 percent pass completion rate and recorded three recoveries before his substitution.

The 21-year-old is anticipated to head back to Inter Milan after finishing his loan period, although multiple clubs are said to be keeping an eye on his situation as the summer transfer window approaches.

Both Akinsanmiro and Dele-Bashiru have already received calls from Nigeria's coach Eric Chelle for the forthcoming international matches later this year.