The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League season began on Tuesday, with Nigerian players also taking part in the match
Super Eagles striker Samuel Chukwueze was disappointed in the AC Milan team’s victory despite his dominant performance in the 0-0 draw with Newcastle United in the opening game of the UEFA Champions League of the 2023/24 season. I couldn’t contribute.
Soccer Net reported that the Champions League season began on Tuesday with Nigerian players taking part in matches for various clubs.
Chukwueze made his UCL debut with AC Milan early on. Although he played 60 minutes, he could not contribute to changing the score of his team. The former Villarreal player lacked impact and was replaced by Christian Pulisic after 30 minutes. Chukwueze recorded his 36 touches on the ball and his two goal tries.
It was a tough time for the Nigerian players involved in the second half kickoff. In Antwerp’s 5–0 win over Barcelona, Al Hassan and Cidera Ejuke watched from the bench while Yusuf came on as a substitute in the second half.
The Blaugrana won 5-0 thanks to goals from Joao Félix, Robert Lewandowski, Gabi and an own goal from Gers Bataille. Yusuf played his 30 minutes, while Ijuk sat on the bench for the entire match.
Meanwhile in Manchester, Peter Olayinka’s Red Star Belgrade team succumbed to Manchester City’s dominance. Cityzens dominated the match, having 22 shots on goal in the first half, but the Serbian club took the lead in the final minutes.
However, an energetic performance in the second half helped the team win 3-1. Osman Bukari scored for Red Star Belgrade, while Julian Alvarez and Rodri scored for the reigning champions. Olayinka played 22 minutes but couldn’t do much.
Finally, it was a memorable night in Ukraine as Zaydu Sanusi and the Porto team won 3-1 against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Nigerian defender played 45 minutes of the match and was substituted at half-time. All goals were scored in the first half.
Galeno gave Porto the lead, but Kevin Kelsey equalized for the Ukrainian giants. However, Galeno scored again and Mehdi Taremi scored the third goal.
