Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze scored the opening goal as Spanish club, Villareal, beat Spartak Moscow of Russia 2-0 at the Estadio de la Cerámica ,Villarreal, to top Group G and secure a place in the knockout round of the UEFA Europa League, reports Completesportsnigeria.com.
It was Chukwueze ‘ s first ever European goal for Yellow Submarines and the first under new manager, Luis Garcia Plaza.
The 17-year-old netted the opening goal for Villareal in the 11th minute, with Toto Ekambi scoring the second three minutes after the break.
The former Nigeria youth international has now scored four goals in 12 games in all competitions for Villareal this season.
Uzoho: I Want To Keep Improving
In another Europa League game played on Thursday at the Groupama Aréna, Budapest Chelsea held their hosts, Vidi to a 2-2 draw.
Former Super Eagles winger, Victor Moses missed the game due to injury.
Brazilian winger, Willlan gave Chelsea the lead on the half hour mark, but rallied back through a Ethan Ampadu own goal and Loic Nego strike.
Substitute Olivier Giroud equalised for Chelsea 15 minutes from time.
Chuba Akpom came in as a substitute in Greek side, PAOK 3-1 home defeat to Belarusian side, BATE Borisov in their Europa League clash.
He replaced Dimitris Pelkas in the 55th minute of the game.
FULL RESULTS (Thursday First Kickoff Games)
Villarreal 2-0 Spartak Moscow
Rapid Wien 1-0 Rangers
Sevilla 3-0 Krasnodar
Akhisarspor 0-0 Standard Liege
Marseille 1-3 Apollon
Lazio 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Rennes 2-0 Astana
Dynamo Kyiv 0-1 Jablonec
Beşiktaş 0-1 Malmö FF
Genk 4-0 Sarpsborg
PAOK 1-3 BATE
Vidi 2-2 Chelsea
By Adeboye Amosu
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COMMENTS
This kid is destined for great things. Nwakali can learn a thing or two from him.
Now that is how to impress a new coach. Well done Chukwueze.
This is Guy is the next BIG THING to happen to our national team. You need to see how he ran Spartak Moscow’s defence rag from the middle to set up Toko Ekambi for the second goal.http://v.duta.us/nsLQWwAA
Iheanacho can learn from him.
Iheanacho doesn’t seem hungry enough for me. No passion, anger or zeal.
Mark my words, Samuel Chukwueze will take Iheanacho’s position in the Super Eagles.
Only once this season has he produced less than a sublime performance for his club. He was the best player in his clubs jersey yesterday as well as when they played Barcelona. Barca had to have a specific plan for him and that meant that Jordon Alba could not join their attack as he was kept back to Mark Chukwueze.
Iheanacho will now drop to the standby list when the AFCON squad is announced as long as Chukwueze is fit. The two right wingers will be the two Sammys: Chukwueze and Kalu. Chukwueze can also play attacking Midfielder (number ten position) and second striker in a two man attack. All positions that Kelechi provided the versatility for
I disagree BigD.
For all the criticisms that have come Iheanacho’s way -righly so as we want him to improve into a star player – he has done very well for himself.
Comparing him with Chukwueze or asking Iheanacho to learn from Chukwueze is premature in my view for the following reasons:
-1) if Chukwueze wants to have in his C/V as having played under the best manager on the planet (Guardiola), in the best league on the planet for one of the richest clubs on the planet, it is him who has something to learn from Iheanacho and not the other way around.
-2) if Chukwueze wants to learn how to work his way into a senior world cup squad, I suggest he speaks to Iheanacho.
-3) actually, they are 2 different types of players. Chukwueze is an out-and-out winger whilst Iheanacho is a centre forward/support striker/further forward attacking midfielder. They are not like-for-like when it comes to
skillset.
Summary: Yes, Iheanacho needs to improve certain aspects of his game. However as things stand, he is ahead of Chukwueze in achievements, experience and accomplishments.
For all the criticisms that come his way, even from me at times, Iheanacho deserves respect which he seldom gets from some quarters.
No bro, Chukweze would definitely replace iheanacho.
Do you intend to back up that statement with a cogent analysis or should I just take your word purely on face value?
Let’s just chill for this guy a bit. I am very happy he is doing well and I also believe like many people that this guy has a good future..but what saddens me is how our players have been unable to remain consistent with their performance at the top level..Kelechi at a point was doing magic with Man City and even held records as a youngster…how he has now fallen from that level to become a bit part player with Leicester still baffles me…Am afraid Samuel Kalu might be towing that line already not forgetting Kelechi Nwakali but if what Santi Carzola said about Chukwueze is to be taken seriously then I am very hopeful this guy won’t go the way of the ones I have mentioned earlier
You’ve made a good point @luomo. But I think it’s because Kelechi was thrust into the big limelight with a big club a bit too early by Pelegrini. Then Guardiola (a top, top level coach) came and felt he needed top, top level players like Aguero, Silva, Sterling who are mostly from top European or South American football countries or clubs like Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Barcelona, Liverpool etc. Where was Iheanacho coming from? Straight from FIFA U17 World Cup. He was not the finished product yet and perhaps burnt out quickly. I think all these factors could have contributed to his struggles to coping with footballing philosophy, tactics and life at the mid level (Leicester).
I can imagine Chukwueze starting with Barca or Madrid, he may burn out quickly and maybe even wrongfully and quickly labelled “sub-par.” Both he and Iwobi started slowly at the academies or Team C and Team B. With the forms of Chuwkwueze and the way he impressed in his first full international against Uganda, Afcon 2019 final list might hold some big surprises. Some players would just have to make way for Chuwkwuze, Kalu, Osimhen, Ajayi, Ebuehi etc. I think Ezenwa, Kelechi and co would be suspect.
@Kel I agree with your angle as well…and I also agree with Deo that Kelechi gets more sticks than his contemporaries..that might not be unconnected with how he started with Man City which is a big team compared to where the likes of Success and Awoniyi started from
The problem with Iheanacho is that he peaked too early in Man City.
From 0, he went to 80% level performances but it was hard, even impossible for him to sustain that.
These days, he averages 50%-55% level performances which clearly leaves massive scope for improvement.
But, Iheanacho gets so much bashing from fans when many of his contemporaries – Isaac Success, Taiwo Awoniyi or Nwakali senior – are not particularly bringing houses down either.
Well said early promises but sustainability was absent same applies to Samuel Kalu and most SE upcoming players Samuel Chukwueze pls take note!
Well said every one, how ever I will rather see Kelechi’s form at Leichester as the problem of the team rather than that of a player.A player at any level or club is a product of his team.In other words a great player is great cos of the support of the team,if the team is average it will make an excellent player also average ie you are as good as your team.Jayjay was fantastic with Bolton but yet could not win the African footballer of the year cos Bolton was just an ordinary team at that time.The big question we should ask is is Leichester creating enough chances to allow the strikers to score goals? is there any time this season Kele as a striker was given a through ball by his partners and he failed to score? Come to think of it even the almighty Verdy is having a bigger problem.How many goals has Verdy scored this season injury aside.90% of goals he has scored where created by Kele ie kele is playing well,most often he withdraws to the mid session to create chances for other players such that he does not get.Gray and maddisson are not doing enough is either they are not good enough or they simply don’t know wat to do with the ball when they have it,they get lots of the ball and yet .cant do nothing with it.Against Toteham the only good pass Kele got was from Indidi.Sincerely kele has simply found himself in a bad team a team that needs overhauling,kele or any other striker at that will have serious problems with that kind of team.In all I think kele needs trust of his manager he’s a great player.
Asoko, thank for your contribution but some of your points are flawed to me and I will tell you why:
Asoko’s points:
-“if the team is average it will make an excellent player also average ie you are as good as your team.” I disagree and these are my reasons:
1) in France 98 second round match between Nigeria and Denmark, Okocha was in a very poor team (because they were not in form on that day, not because they are normally bad), however, Okocha distinguished himself and had a world class performance still remembered until this day despite being surrounded by players who were asleep. My point is that it is possible to be around poor player but still distinguish yourself as a player of class.
2) referenced when Okocha was playing at Bolton. Although the team was average, Okocha still won the BBc Africa footballer of the year in 2003. Also, his individual brilliance in an otherwise average team have cause the Bolton fans to idolise him until this say – they often chant: “he is so good they had to name him twice (Jay Jay).
Leicester is a modest team with decent players. If Iheanacho doesn’t shine in Leicester is it in Real Madrid that he will shine?
Iheanacho had that unexpected blistering season in Man City. He is now slowly finding his feet. The boy is talented no doubt but his skillset appears to be shrinking and I really don’t know why.
Pace: he should have but it appears to have depreciated.
Aggression: he doesn’t show it enough.
Finesse: where have his deft touches gone???
Vision: those passes made-in-heaven where are they???
Movement: what movement??
It is really frustrating at times but I still believe the potentials are there (in abundance) they just need to be unlocked. It has not to with the team he is playing with. In fact, if he was playing to his full potentials, he would be a big fish in a small pond at Leicester.
I wonder y people add kalu’s name to underperforming players.d guy will not just turn to messi over nyt and i watch his games at his club.he does well he only need to add more.
Deo sweet point,if u do not agree with any point of my point,u should agree that a striker might be bad yet still finds a way to score if the team rallies round him ie if he has the class of players that can give such killer passes that will enable him to score.Benzima is in that category of very average players who found himself in a classic team.A lot of persons complain of kele now cos he’s not scoring goals and he’s not scoring cos he does have such class of players that could creat the chance for him.This much was re-affirmed by his coach,Puel when he said in reference to Toteharms game that there was nothing Kele could do as chances was not created for him at all.Plss don’t get me wrong am not saying Kele is there yet,a lot still need to be done by him, but the team needs to also improve .