Two Nigerian internationals, Tolu Arokodare and Chrisantus Uche, marked their Premier League debuts on Saturday as club football resumed across Europe following the FIFA international break.
Arokodare, who joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Belgian side KRC Genk last month, started in Wolves’ narrow 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park. The striker, fresh from scoring for Nigeria in the World Cup qualifier against Rwanda, was replaced in the 66th minute by Colombian midfielder Jhon Arias.
At Selhurst Park, Uche, a deadline-day signing for Crystal Palace, was introduced in the 84th minute for fellow new recruit Yeremy Pino. His cameo helped Palace secure a 0-0 draw with newly promoted Sunderland.
Meanwhile, another Super Eagles star, Samuel Chukwueze, who recently joined Fulham from AC Milan, was not included in the squad as the Cottagers claimed a 1-0 victory over Leeds United.
The trio’s presence underlines the growing influence of Nigerian players in the Premier League, with fans eagerly anticipating their impact in the weeks ahead.