How Nigerians Performed in Europe This Weekend: Alex Iwobi on Target, Victor Osimhen Struggles

• It was not a great weekend for many Nigerian players
• African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, didn't score
• Nathan Tella and Sadiq Umar helped their teams win

It was a difficult weekend for Nigerian stars in European football.

Victor Osimhen's goal-scoring form at Napoli hit a snag, while Alex Iwobi's goal wasn't enough to prevent Fulham from losing.

Over the weekend, Nigerian players on the fringes of the national team stole the spotlight as established internationals struggled to make their mark on their respective teams.

Here's a breakdown of the best and underwhelming players from this weekend:

Top Nigerian performers in Europe

Alex Iwobi - Fulham

The forward scored a consolation goal for Fulham late in the game, but it wasn't enough to help the Cottagers avoid defeat against Wolves. Marco Silva's side lost 2-1, two weeks after massive wins over Manchester United and Brighton. Iwobi has now scored five Premier League goals. Calvin Bassey was also in action for Fulham.

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Nathan Tella - Bayer Leverkusen

Tella scored Bayer Leverkusen's first goal in their 2-0 win over Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. Tella and Leverkusen stretched their lead on top of the table to 10 points. The Nigerian has now scored seven goals in all competitions.

Umar Sadiq - Real Sociedad

Sadiq and Sociedad beat Granada 3-2 away from home. The Super Eagles star scored his team's first goal in the 33rd minute after they conceded a penalty. Sadiq's tally for the season stands at three in 35 matches. The striker is just returning from a serious injury, and he is still getting back to his best.

Michael Folorunsho - Hellas Verona

On Sunday, Hellas Verona secured a narrow 1-0 win over Lecce in the Serie A. Folorunsho scored the only goal in the game.

Justin Njinmah - Werder Bremen

Njinmah scored against Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, but his team suffered a 2-1 home defeat. The forward was born in Germany to parents of Nigerian descent.

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Underperforming Nigerian players in Europe

Victor Osimhen - Napoli

After scoring in every game since returning from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Osimhen has not found the net in Napoli's last two matches. He had a hand in their 2-1 win over Juventus last week but didn't score. On Friday, he didn't score as they were held to a 1-1 draw of Torino. He has scored 13 goals in 23 games for Napoli this season, per Transfermarkt.

Terem Moffi - Nice

Moffi has scored once in the last five games for Nice. His side has lost three of their last four games. He didn't score when they lost at home to Montpellier on Friday.

Cyriel Dessers - Rangers

The Rangers striker has not scored in the last two games after bagging a brace a few weeks ago. He played 90 minutes against Motherwell FC, a game they lost 2-1.

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Taiwo Awoniyi - Nottingham Forest

The 26-year-old played 18 minutes in his team's narrow 1-0 defeat to Brighton. The Nigerian striker has scored twice in the last seven matches and six all season.

Nigeria names squad

Sports Brief earlier reported on Nigeria naming its squad for March, when the international break takes centre stage.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has unveiled a roster of 26 players, despite currently not having a head coach.

With Jose Peseiro out, the Super Eagles will need to focus on besting the Black Stars of Ghana and the Eagles of Mali.