Nigerian footballers heading into the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) camp closed out their club duties with standout performances that showcased their form and momentum ahead of the tournament.

Across Europe, several AFCON-bound Nigerians played pivotal roles for their teams, contributing goals, assists, and decisive plays.

In Spain, Sevilla cruised to a 4-0 win over Real Oviedo, with Nigerians Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke leaving their mark. Adams opened the scoring in the fourth minute, calmly finishing past Aarón Escandell for his third goal of the season. He later set up Djibril Sow, who doubled Sevilla’s advantage. Chidera Ejuke capped the victory with a stunning solo goal in the 77th minute, marking his first strike of the campaign.

In Croatia, new Super Eagles call-up Lawal Salim Fago continued his impressive scoring form for Istra 1961. He netted inside five minutes for his fifth goal of the season, scoring in consecutive matches since his AFCON invitation. Although the match was abandoned at 1-1, Fago’s early impact underscored his readiness for international duty.

Italy also witnessed strong contributions, with Gift Orban producing a match-winning performance for Hellas Verona. Introduced in the 35th minute, Orban scored just before halftime following a swift counterattack. After Fiorentina equalized, he struck again in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 win, taking his Serie A tally to four goals for the season.

Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye kept his third clean sheet of the campaign as Udinese edged Napoli 1-0, denying the league leaders crucial points with a composed display.

Other notable performances included Raphael Onyedika, who played 79 minutes in Club Brugge’s 5-1 thrashing of Dender in Belgium. In Turkey, Anthony Dennis followed up last week’s goal with another solid outing, helping Göztepe secure a 1-0 away win over Gaziantep, bringing his season total to three goals.

Additional contributions came from Wilfred Ndidi, who completed a full 90 minutes in Beşiktaş’s 3-3 draw at Trabzonspor before joining the Super Eagles camp. Bruno Onyemaechi returned from injury for Olympiacos, Cyriel Dessers made his first start in 17 matches for Panathinaikos, and Kelechi Iheanacho continued his recovery with another outing for Celtic.

These performances highlight the growing confidence and sharpness of Nigeria’s squad as they prepare to compete in AFCON 2025.