Some Nigerian strikers in Europe’s top leagues are enduring a difficult period in front of goal. PUNCH Sports Extra’s ABIODUN ADEWALE explores how these forwards are battling to rediscover their scoring touch in England, Spain and France
Paul Onuachu (Southampton)
Lanky striker, Onuachu, is known to be a prolific striker but he has been experiencing a drought in goal-scoring since returning to his parent club, Southampton, from his loan spell at Trabzonspor in Turkey.
At the Turkish club, the 30-year-old netted 15 goals plus four assists in 21 league games but has failed to replicate the same form in England. He is yet to score for the Saints since he joined them in January 2023.
After sitting out their first eight games of the season, Onuachu has got 13 appearances under his best this season but his few flashes haven’t translated into goals.
In Belgium, where he spent four years with Genk, he scored 79 goals in 114 appearances. Hopefully, he will be able to reproduce that soon.
Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla)
The undisputed ‘Cup King’ Iheanacho never runs dry of goals in cup competitions, scoring three in his last two for Sevilla but the Nigerian forward is yet to score a league goal since October 2023. His last league goal was during Leicester’s 3-1 win over Swansea in the Championship.
He went on to gain promotion with the Foxes back to the Premier League but he had to depart the King Power Stadium following the expiration of his contract and moved to Spanish La Liga side Sevilla.
At Sevilla, the 28-year-old has made nine La Liga appearances, five as a starter but he is yet to impact the club with any goal contribution in the league.
Although his impact has been felt in the Copa Del Rey, the forward must prove to the fans that he is up to the competition in the Spanish topflight as much as he is propelling them to the cup glory in the Copa Del Rey.
Sadiq Umar (Valencia)
Fresh from opening his Valencia account with a goal in their 2-0 win over third-tier side Ourense CF, Sadiq will be hoping to break his La Liga duck if he gets the chance to face his former club Real Sociedad on Sunday.
The Copa Del Rey goal was Sadiq’s first since March 2024, when he scored in Sociedad’s 3-2 win over Granada. He has struggled for game time since then before making the loan move to Valencia this January.
The striker is apparently in search of game time and hopefully, that will inspire him to rediscover his goal-scoring form which endeared him to Real Sociedad in the summer of 2022.
Akor Adams (Montpellier)
Since scoring a brace to earn Montpellier their first win of the season with a 3-2 victory over Auxerre in September 2024, Adams is yet to find the back of the net in all competitions and his club are struggling.
It’s not the first time the former Flying Eagles striker will be experiencing a goal drought, having gone 17 league games without scoring last season.
Currently on three goals and one assist this season, Adams might be the key to Montepellier’s resurgence as they have usually struggled in games in which he didn’t score.
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Publish date : 2025-01-18 15:23:00
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