SEVERAL Super Eagles stars have either achieved some form of success this season and in the hunt for more or are on the brink of glory in Europe this season.
Naija Times profiles seven of them and their key contributions to their clubs’ achievements in this 2023/2024 campaign…
VICTOR BONIFACE (BAYER LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY): The striker began the campaign, his first in Germany following his €20.5 million move from Belgium’s Union St Gilloise, sprinting out of the blocks like the legendary Usain Bolt.
Boniface scored seven goals in his first seven Bundesliga matches, including an unprecedented three braces, and he was named Rookie of the Month three times in a row.
A muscle injury kept the 23-year-old out of action for close to three months and made him miss the AFCON 2023 Africa Cup of Nations where the Super Eagles of Nigeria reached the final.
Still, Boniface is one of the biggest heroes of Bayer Leverkusen’s first-ever Bundesliga title triumph with his 11 goals and nine assists in 20 matches.
He has also been pivotal in the UEFA Europa League and German Cup where Leverkusen, unbeaten in all competitions after a record 46 matches, have reached the semi-finals and final respectively.
Boniface has contributed five goals and one assist in seven Europa League appearances as well as well as two goals in three in the German Cup.
STATS (ALL COMPETITIONS): 30 appearances, 18 goals, 10 assists.
NATHAN TELLA (BAYER LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY): He might not have been as influential in Leverkusen’s success this season as Boniface, but Tella has certainly played his part.
The 24-year-old winger has often come off the bench to great effect this season as Xabi Alonso’s side have kept winning.
Starting in only six of his 22 Bundesliga appearances, Tella has produced five goals and two assists for the champions, proving that having great options on the bench is as important as the starting 11.
STATS: 34 appearances, 6 goals, 3 assists.
WILFRED NDIDI (LEICESTER CITY, ENGLAND): It is usually tough for a club relegated from the English Premier League to bounce back immediately but Leicester City have achieved the feat.
Super Eagles of Nigeria midfielder Wilfred Ndidi played a huge role in that success despite missing weeks of action due to injury.
Ndidi was not without suitors and was one of the players expected to leave the Foxes following their relegation.
But he stayed and that decision has paid off, with the midfielder contributing immensely to their promotion and the quest for the Championship trophy.
Ndidi, 27, missed 10 Championship games with an injury between early January and early March, and Leicester City struggled within that period, losing four games and drawing one.
Before that spell, Ndidi had featured in 21 matches for the club in the Championship, 18 of which they won, losing only once.
To underline his importance to Enzo Maresca’s side, central midfielder Ndidi scored one of the goals in their 5-0 rout of Joe Aribo’s Southampton last week that all but sealed Leicester City’s promotion back to the Premier League.
STATS: 34 appearances, 6 goals, 6 assists.
KELECHI IHEANACHO (LEICESTER CITY, ENGLAND): The Super Eagles of Nigeria striker appears to have fallen out of favour with Enzo Maresca but there is no denying his part in Leicester City’s promotion to the top flight.
The 27-year-old’s last appearance was on April 9 as a substitute but Iheanacho has still produced five goals and one assist in 22 Championship matches (only 10 of them in the starting line-up).
STATS: 25 appearances, 6 goals, 3 assists.
ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (ATALANTA, ITALY): Atalanta are in the Coppa Italia final and the UEFA Europa League semi-finals, with Super Eagles of Nigeria star Ademola Lookman one of the key players driving them on towards success.
Lookman, 26, has scored 11 goals in 37 matches in all competitions as a wide forward this season as Atalanta are also in the hunt for a fifth-place finish in Serie A that will earn a UEFA Champions League spot.
He has contributed nine goals and six assists in 27 Serie A matches (19 starts), while his performance in the Coppa Italia semi-finals inspired Atalanta to the final.
Lookman came on with only 20 minutes left in the second leg against Fiorentina last week and produced one goal and one assist as Atalanta won 4-1 to advance to the final 4-2 on aggregate.
STATS: 37 appearances, 11 goals, 7 assists.
CYRIEL DESSERS (RANGERS, SCOTLAND): Rangers fans are torn between admiration for and frustration with Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers but nobody can deny the part he has played in their challenge for both the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup this season.
The 29-year-old striker has been criticised for missing chances but Rangers would not be in the hunt for the Scottish Treble without him.
Dessers contributed one goal and one assist in four games as Rangers won the Scottish League Cup and netted both goals in the semi-final against Hearts as they won 2-0 last week to reach the Scottish Cup final.
The former Feyenoord striker has also scored 13 goals from 22 starts to steer Rangers to second place, three points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership race.
STATS: 48 appearances, 19 goals, 8 assists.
RAPHAEL ONYEDIKA (CLUB BRUGGE, BELGIUM): Club Brugge are on a hot streak in the Championship round of the Belgian Pro League and Super Eagles midfielder Raphael Onyedika has been a key part of the surge in form.
The 23-year-old has scored three goals in the play-offs for the title as Club Brugge are neck-and-neck with Anderlecht at the top of the standings.
Having scored one goal in the regular season, Onyedika has turned into a goal-scoring machine in the Championship round, netting three goals from defensive midfield as Club Brugge have won five consecutive matches to go level on points with Anderlecht.
Overall, the all-action Onyedika has made 44 appearances with four goals and one assist this season as Club Brugge chase the Belgian title and the UEFA Europa Conference League, where they are in the semi-finals.
STATS: 44 appearances, 4 goals, 2 assists.
