Awoniyi, Fatai On Target; Mba, Azubuike Gain Promotion In Turkey

By Rilwan Musa Gawu -
Nigerian striker
Taiwo Awoniyi was target for NEC Nijmegen who beat Heerenveen 2-0 away from home in their final game of the Dutch Eredivisie (top flight) season on Sunday.
Awoniyi, who came on as a substitute on 55 minutes, scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 64th minute to give his team the win.
Arnaut Groenveld had put Nijmegen 1-0 up in the 23rd minute.
The goal was Awoniyi’s second in 18 appearances for Nijmegen this season.
The win means Nijmegen finished 16th on 34 points in the 18-team league and will go into the relegation play-offs.
Another Nigerian player whose team confirmed their relegation play-off spot on Sunday in the Netherlands is Abduljeleel Ajagun of Roda JC.
Roda JC, with Ajagun in action for 90 minutes, lost 3-0 away to Vitesse.
In the Russian Super League Nigerian striker, Kehinde Fatai, scored a last minute goal to give FC UFA a 2-1 home win against Anzhi Makhachkala.
Fatai scored in the 90th minute to give UFA the win.
UFA had gone 1-0 up through Dmitri Stotskiy before Pylyp Budkivsky equalised for Anzhi Makhachkala in the 41st minute.
Fatai has now scored five goals in 20 league appearances for UFA in this current campaign.
In the Belgian Championship title play-offs, Nigerian trio William Troost-Ekong, Anderson Esiti and Samuel Kalu were all benched as Gent played 1-1 at home against Sporting Charleroi.
Moses Simon and Rabiu Ibrahim did not make Gent squad for the game.
The draw leaves Gent in the third position on 38 points in the six-team play-off log. Leaders Anderlecht have 46 points, while Club Brugge in second place have 42 points.
In the Turkish second division, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations hero Sunday Mba and Rio 2016 Olympic Eagles star Azubuike Okechukwu gained promotion with their club Yeni Malatyaspor to the Turkish top flight with one game left despite playing a 1-1 home draw against Boluspor.
Malatyaspor’s promotion was confirmed after third-place Eskisehirspor were held to a 2-2 home draw by Gaziantep BB.
Mba, who has made 24 appearances, scoring two goals this season, was an unused substitute in Malatyaspor’s 1-1 draw against Boluspor. Okechukwu, with 28 appearances and no goal, played for 90 minutes in the draw.

Malatyaspor are top on 61 points, Sivasspor are second on 59 points and Eskisehirspor are third and have 56 points.

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