Kevin Akpoguma recovered from his facial injury in time and provided an assist in Hoffenheim’s 5-1 home win against Holstein Kiel, and qualify to the round of 16 in this season’s DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, Completesports.com reports.
Akpoguma sustained the injury and had to be replaced in the first half of last weekend’s heavy defeat to Bayern Munich.
But the Super Eagles star was passed fit for the knockout tie and went on to provide the assist for Hoffenheim’s third goal.
It was Akpoguma’s third assist in nine appearances in all competitions so far this season.
Also Read: SERIE A: Simy Bags Assist, Ebuehi Benched As Salernitana Pip Ebuehi’s Venezia
In the Spanish LaLiga, Samuel Chukwueze featured as Villarreal fought from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 at home with Cadiz.
Chukwueze came on in the 61st minute for Manuel Tigueros while Villarreal were 3-1 down.
But goals from Boulaye Dia and Arnaut Danjuma in the 80th and 95th minutes, saw Villarreal claw their way back into the game.
Pau Torres scored Villarreal’s first while Anthony Lozano got a hat-trick for Cadiz.
And in Serie A, Ola Aina was in action for Torino who lost 1-0 away to AC Milan.
Former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud got the only goal in the 18th minute.
Aina, who featured in his ninth league game, was brought off with 10 minutes left.
The defeat means Torino have only won one of their last five games, suffering three defeats and one draw.
By James Agberebi
2 Comments
Thanks be to God for quick recovery from the injury. Watched Wazza Dazzler Chuzzy yesterday coming back to his very best. Looking forward to these quartet; Ejuke, Chuzzy, Ademola Lookman n Kalu( at his best) serve us some mouth watering delicacy pretty soon.
Quite a few eyebrows were raised when coach Rohr casted Akpoguma as a right fullback role in his earlier games for the Super Eagles with many simple concluding that the German tactician had lost the plot. Up to that point, Akpoguma – who actually played against Nigeria in Under-20 football – was known predominantly as a centre defender.
To make matters worse, Rohr rode robustly against the tide of general opinion by claiming that Akpoguma performed “pretty well” as a full back against Algeria and Sierra Leone : a view that made many Super Eagles fans sick!
More so as the likes of Aina, Ebuehi, Shehu (not entirely a fan-favourite!) and Awaziem were available for selection.
However, coach Rohr had an ace up his sleeves and was truly up to something special.
This season, Hoffenheim have utilised Akpoguma as Right fullback no less 5 times in 7 outings and the 26 year old never failed to deliver.
Two assists and one goal in the league this season as a full back is testament to how offensive he can be in that position and further evidence that critics should sometimes just take a back seat and allow Rohr do his job. His judgments might not be apparent to start with but in time, he (by and large) gets his vindication.
In effect, Nigeria now has two Awaziems: One made in Nigeria and the other made in Germany. Both quite capable fullbacks and centre backs. This adds value and dynamism of the Super Eagles.
Akpoguma’s return from injury is sure to please Rohr who would be only to happy to play him as a full-back for the Super Eagles as a lesson to many fans on the art of ‘patience’.