Iheanacho, Babajide and Uchendu Crowned Champions as Sadiq Fires Valencia to Safety: Nigerian Stars Abroad Roundup

It was a weekend of contrasting fortunes for Nigerian footballers across Europe and beyond, with three Super Eagles stars lifting silverware while others battled for survival or endured defeat in high-stakes league encounters.

The standout moment for Nigerian football came at Celtic Park, where Kelechi Iheanacho claimed the first top-flight league title of his senior career as Celtic secured a dramatic 3-1 victory over Hearts on the final day of the Scottish Premiership season. The result sealed the title in emphatic fashion for the Glasgow club.

In women’s football, Super Falcons forward Omorinsola Babajide added a Serie A winner’s medal to her collection after Roma lifted the Italian women’s league trophy, while Chinaza Uchendu celebrated triumph in the southern hemisphere, winning the Australian A-League grand final with Melbourne City.

Additionally, Ademola Lookman maintained his rich vein of form for Atletico de Madrid, netting his 12th goal of the LaLiga campaign — a match-winning strike in the club’s final home fixture of the season. The winger has been one of the standout performers in Spain this term.

In France, Moses Simon played a prominent role as newly promoted Paris FC caused one of the weekend’s biggest upsets, defeating city rivals PSG in a heated local derby. The result rounded off a historic campaign for Paris FC, who finished 11th in Ligue 1 in their debut top-flight season.

The most dramatic action of the weekend unfolded in Spain, where the LaLiga relegation picture remained in flux. Umar Sadiq came off the bench for Valencia CF and contributed to a breathless 4-3 victory over Real Sociedad — a result that provides Los Che with a significant cushion as they push to preserve their top-flight status heading into the final matchday.

However, not all Nigerian forwards in Spain could share in that relief. Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke were both involved as Sevilla suffered a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Real Madrid. The loss leaves Sevilla under considerable pressure as they enter the final day of the season still in danger of relegation.

In Italy, Maduka Okoye produced a determined performance between the posts for Udinese, registering three saves, but his efforts were not enough to prevent a defeat at the hands of Cremonese — a side that included Nigerian forward David Okereke. Udinese’s top-flight survival hopes were dealt a setback as a result.

In Turkey, Victor Osimhen was absent from Galatasaray’s squad entirely, having been rested following the club’s midweek title parade celebrations. Galatasaray went on to lose 1-0 away at Kasimpasa, though the result held no broader significance given the title had already been secured.

Finally, in the Premier League, Fulham and Wolves played out a draw in what amounted to a mid-table Nigerian gathering. Alex Iwobi made his return from injury, starting alongside Calvin Bassey for Fulham, while Wolves featured Tolu Arokodare in attack and Samuel Chukwueze, who came on for an 11-minute late cameo.