Nigerians Abroad: Ahmed Musa, John Utaka and Lukman Haruna score

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The Nigerian internationals helped their respective clubs to essential league victories this past weekend in Europe

ENGLAND

Victor Moses started for Chelsea on Saturday as they confronted Aston Villa at Villa Park. The Nigerian was playing his 51st match for the Blues and he was substituted at half time due to a red card to Ramires. David Luiz came on in his stead as Chelsea came from a goal down to win 2-1 courtesy of a brace from Frank Lampard. Lampard scored his 202nd and 203rd goals to become Chelsea’s all-time highest goal scorer. Moses has scored 10 goals in his first season at Stamford Bridge. Mikel Obi was not listed for the match but the Nigerian is back in training and hopes to be fit for the Europa League final on Wednesday in Amsterdam.
Victor Anichebe started the last league game at Goodison Park under David Moyes as Everton celebrated a 2-0 win over West Ham.
Anichebe was replaced in the 73rd minute by Nikica Jelavic but before then he had 27 touches of the ball and completed accurately 75% of his passes. He also won a third of his aerial duels while attempting five shots.
Anichebe attempted a left footed shot in the 10th minute which did not miss by much. Then in the 22nd minute, he had another shot from outside the box blocked.
He followed that up with another right footed shot which was saved. His fourth attempt at goal in the 33rd minute inside the box was also blocked.

Peter Odemwingie came off the bench to replace Romelu Lukaku in the 81st minute in what could be his farewell match for the Baggies as they lost 4-0 at Norwich City.

SPAIN

Nosa Igiebor started his fifth match for Real Betis as they recorded a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo on Sunday. The Nations Cup winner created two chances in the match – in the 21st minute, he set up Rubén Castro whose right footed shot from the right side of the box was saved. In the 38th minute, Igiebor set up Juan Carlos but his left footed shot from inside the box missed by inches.
He was substituted in the 55th minute by Salva Sevilla. He completed 52% of his passes and committed four fouls. He also completed two dribbles and one tackle.
SEGUNDA DIVISION
Ikechukwu Uche (pictured above) scored for promotion-chasing Villarreal on Sunday as they beat Alcorcon 3-1 away to move to third on the Segunda standings with 65 points from 38 matches.
With four matches to the end of the season, Villarreal are two points behind Grona - who sit in the second automatic promotion spot. Uche scored the first goal of the encounter in the eighth minute, the Nigerian striker's 11th goal of the season. He was replaced in the 86th minute by Senna.

FRANCE

John Utaka scored his sixth league goal for Montpellier on Saturday but the defending Ligue 1 champions lost 3-1 away to Bastia on Saturday. His goal in the 31st minute was an instinctive one – controlling with the right, swivelled and left footed shot past the goalkeeper. But Bastia restored their lead two minutes later and scored their third in the 87th minute.
Montpellier, in ninth position with 51 points, will have to re-evaluate this season after falling far away from the top.
Ejike Uzoenyi made his debut for Rennes in their 4-1 loss away to Valenciennes on Saturday. The former Enugu Rangers winger came on in the 88th minute for Julien Feret. His compatriot Onyekachi Apam was not listed for the encounter. Rennes are down in 12th position with 45 points and all hope of qualifying for Europe has now dissipated.

UKRAINE

Lukman Harunacontinued his goal renaissance in Ukraine with the only goal for Dynamo Kiev’s win over Illitchivets. Taye Taiwo and Lukman started the game and Brown Ideye appeared in the 58th minute to replace Marco Ruben. It was Lukman's third goal in three matches as Dynamo seek to overhaul Metalist in second position with two games left in the season.
Lukman scored in the 17th minute and received a yellow card in the 61st as the game grew fractious.

RUSSIA

Ahmed Musa scored his 11th league goal on Saturday as CSKA Moscow defeated Locomotiv Moscow 4-1 to maintain a five-point advantage at the top of the table going into the last two matches of the season.
Musa's goal in the 25th minute was a brave slide to a cross from Alan Dzagoev from the left wing.
Obinna Nsofor started for Locomotiv but he was substituted in the 66th minute by Alexander Samedov. The former Super Eagles has played 24 league games and scored two goals.

GERMANY

Joseph Akpala made another appearance from the substitutes' bench on Saturday for Werder Bremen in their 1-1 home draw with Eintracht Franfurt.
The striker who has been called by Stephen Keshi to replace the injured Emmanuel Emenike came on for Ozkan Yildirim in the 82nd minute. Akpala has scored one league goal in 20 appearances.

MLS

Obafemi Martins scored his second goal for Seattle Sounders in their 4-0 white-wash of San Jose on Saturday. Martins came on as a second-half substitute after he had missed the last two games because of a knee injury.
He got his second league goal of the season as he tapped home a ball bouncing around in front of the goal and he then celebrated with his famous somersaults.
Afterwards Martins said; “We played very well. … I hope to continue winning and scoring a lot of goals.”

 

source; Goal.com

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