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Scorecard: Season of trophies for Oshoala, Iheanacho, others

Tell it to the mountain and all the inhabitants of the earth that the aura of success is hovering around Nigerian players abroad as they supported their clubs to win trophies towards the end of the season.

Super Falcons skipper, Asisat Oshoala, the latest in the series has just won the UEFA women’s Champions League trophy with FC Bacelona ladies, few days after Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho celebrated the FA Cup victory with Leicester City.

Also celebrated were the duo of Leon Balogun and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, whose club, Glasgow Rangers FC won the Scottish Premier League on Saturday.

Earlier, Paul Onuachu and Cyriel Dessers had pocked the Belgian Cup with Genk, as other prominent players also made their impact felt for club and country.

Nigerians are still basking in the euphria of celebrations for Oshoala after she played her part in powering Barcelona to lift the UEFA Women Champions League.

Oshoala was a 71st-minute substitute as Barcelona blasted four first-half goals past Chelsea at the Gamla Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The 26-year-old had a late goal ruled out for offside against the Blues but would be contented with the four goals she scored to help the Spaniards get to the final.

Oshoala netted Barca’s consolation goal when they lost 4-1 to French side Lyon in the 2019 final.

But with that disappointment now dumped into the bin of history, Oshoala becomes the first Nigerian and African to win female football’s premier club competition.

read also:JUST-IN: Oshoala’s Barca hammer Chelsea in Women’s Champions League Final

The four-time African women footballer of the year thus adds the Champions League trophy to the two league titles, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa Femenina, and the two Catalunya Femenina cups she has won during her successful three-year stay in Spain.

Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho also made history with Leicester City over the weekend when they helped their club to win the English FA Cup at the Wembley.

Leicester City won the FA Cup for the first time ever. After losing in the final of this tournament on four previous occasions, the last time in 1969, it was fifth time lucky for the club as a Youri Tielemans blast saw the Foxes earn a 1-0 victory over Chelsea.

After a dull first half with zero shots on target from either side, Tielemans shook up this final with a long-range strike past Kepa in the 63rd minute of the match, sending the few Leicester fans who were inside Wembley wild with delight.

The final moments were tense for those fans and Kasper Schmeichel had to make excellent saves from efforts by Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount.

Then, Chelsea had the ball in the back of the net after Chilwell caused havoc in his former club’s penalty area, provoking a Wes Morgan own goal. But, Chilwell had been in an offside position and VAR ruled the goal out.

That allowed Brendan Rodgers’ side to hold on for the 1-0 final scoreline, lifting another trophy just five years after their historic Premier League success.

Few weeks ago, Paul Onuachu won his first major trophy – the Belgium Cup – as Genk beat Standard Liege 2-1 to qualify for next season’s UEFA Europa League.

The giant striker assisted for his team’s second and winning goal in the 80th minute.

Cyriel Dessers has all season lived in the shadows of fellow Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu, but at the weekend he was the main hero as Genk kept the pressure on Club Brugge for the Belgian league championship with a win at Anderlecht.

Olanrewaju Kayode ended another stint in the Turkish Super Lig on a high when he scored for Sivasspor to qualify for the UEFA Europa League. He scored six goals in the league, four goals short of the tally he achieved last season with Gaziantep.

It has been a most eventful season for Onuachu after he also finished as top scorer in the regular Belgian league with 29 goals. This is Genk fifth Cup triumph.

read also:EPL: As usual we lost at home, says Everton boss Ancelotti

Nigeria striker, Simy Nwankwo scored in added time to help ten-man Crotone play out a 1-1 draw against Benevento in their Serie A clash at the Municipal Stadium Ciro Vigorito on Sunday afternoon.

Crotone had already been relegated, but Benevento were still in with a chance of survival going into Sunday’s clash.

Almeria forward, Umar Sadiq, may not be available for selection when Nigeria meet Cameroon for an international friendly slated for June 4th in Austria.

Chelsea loanee Victor Moses snatched an all-important equaliser for Spartak Moscow to qualify on final day of season in Russia for UEFA Champions League football next season.

Victor Moses salvaged a crucial point against Akhmat Grozny seven minutes from time.

He got to the end of a pass on the edge of the box before he let fly a shot into the left corner of the net for scores to be leveled at 2-2.

Victor Osimhen played for 84 minutes to help Napoli beat Fiorentina 2-0 in the Italian Serie A and move just one win away from securing Champions League football next season.

Napoli went into the clash, knowing a win would put them back into the top four ahead of the final round of games next weekend.

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