Aribo, Dessers Shine As Super Eagles Stars March On In European Club Competitions

Super Eagles players have helped their teams book places in the Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals.

Some Super Eagles stars are still in the hunt for glory across all the European club competitions following the impressive results secured Thursday night with their respective teams.

Twenty-four hours after Samuel Chukwueze progressed into the Champions League semi-final with Villarreal, his national teammates also booked places in the Europa League and the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals.

Europa League

At the Ibrox stadium, Super Eagles midfielder, Joe Aribo, had a good game; producing an assist in Rangers’ 3-1 win over Braga in their quarter-final second-leg tie.

Aribo’s sublime pass to James Tavernier gave Rangers a dream start as he shot his side into the lead two minutes into the game.

The Nigerian midfielder who worked tirelessly was substituted in the 106th minute for Fashion Sakala after an impressive display.

Rangers’ victory was not all about Aribo as the duo of Leon Balogun and Calvin Bassey were also in action as they produced a solid defence to prevent Braga from denying them a place in the semi-final.

Rangers will now travel to Germany to face RB Leipzig for their semi-final first leg on 28 April before returning to Ibrox the following Thursday for the second leg.

RB Leipzig edged out Serie A side Atalanta to set up the clash with Rangers.

The other Europa League quarter-final ties saw West Ham overpowering Lyon 3-0 away from home to book a semi-final date against Eintracht Frankfurt who surprisingly knocked out Barcelona.

The Bundesliga side picked a famous 3-2 win at Camp Nou after being held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

UEFA Europa Confernce League

Though less-fancied compared to the Champions League and Europa League, Nigerian players are in the run for glory in this maiden edition of the UEFA Conference League.

On Thursday, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ademola Lookman featured for Leicester as they came from a goal down to beat PSV 2-1 and qualify for the semi-finals.

This is the first time Leicester City have qualified for a European club competition semi-final.

Iheanacho was in the starting 11 before going off in the 65th minute.

For Lookman, who had a hand in Leicester’s winner, he came on for Harvey Barnes before the start of the second half.

Leicester have a tough hurdle ahead of them as they will battle Serie A giants AS Roma in the semi-finals.

Jose Mourinho’s men crushed Bodo/Glimt 4-0 on Thursday to progress with a 5-2 aggregate scoreline.

Elsewhere, out-of-favour Super Eagles striker, Cyriel Dessers, bagged a brace as Feyenoord defeated Slavia Prague 3-1 away and booked a place in the semi-finals.

Feyenoord qualified for the semis 6-4 on aggregate after the first leg ended 3-3.

Dessers’ Nigerian compatriots, Peter Olayinka, and Collins Sor were in action for Slavia Prague but they could not help their team to the semi-final ticket. Dessers and his Feyenoord teammates will take on Marseille in the semi-final.

The first legs will be played on April 28, and the second legs will come up on May 5, 2022.