Super Eagles winger Chidera Ejuke was on target as CSKA Moscow thrash Spanish third division side Real Murcia 5-0 in a friendly game played on Thursday, Completesports.com reports.
Ejuke scored in the 63rd minute to put CSKA Moscow 3-0 ahead in the tune up game.
The last time he scored for CSKA was in a 3-1 win against Dinamo Moscow In the league on October 2020.
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The 23-year-old has scored two goals in 14 league appearances and has two goals in 19 appearances in all competitions this season.
CSKA’s next competitive game comes up on February 20 in the Russian Cup against SKA Khabarovsk.
By James Agberebi
5 Comments
Going to Russia was probably not the best move
Hmmm dont know what went wrong with this guy. Just 2 goals and 1 assist all season. Maybe he is still trying to settle into the teams style of play. Maybe he isn’t happy in Russia. I really hope his game picks up. He is a real talented player. Always thought he would take over from Ahmed musa, but with lookman firing on all cylinders im afraid he will have to wait. I dont think Rohr really believed in his ability. He hasn’t been given enough time to show what he can do in the national team. And now that lookman is coming in, he may not get the chance.
If osaze(lokomotive mosco) musa(cskamosco) emenike (spartakmosca) could set russia league on fire during their prime. Then ejuke should be able to make his own mark in the russia league. For now we should be enjoying lookman and kalu in contention with musa in that left wing position
This guy is just as good as every other. He is just being played out of position most times. I will advice Rohr not to make the mistake of ignoring this bundle of talent albeit I will always respect his choice. I am a big fan of Ademola, already leaking my lips in wait for his first game in SE Jersey, but will boldly say that Ejuke, Chukweze, Kalu, Ademola are all destroying at almost same level. Their selection is down to the gaffer as it fits game plan.
Without the benefits of watching a lot of CSKA Moscow games, it is difficult to see how Ejuke Chidera had performed when not scoring or assisting goals efforts.
But the stats are uninspiring: 2 goals and 1 assist in 14 league games scarcely jump at you from the pages of a blog. More so, Ejuke has not found the back of the net in his last 8 league games with his last goal coming against Dynamo Moscow on 18 October 2020.
So much fanfare accompanied his move to CSKA Moscow from Heerenveen. The Muscovites made no secret of the fact that they wanted Ejuke to follow in the footsteps of another Nigerian Ahmed Musa who was hugely popular with their fanbase and massively successful on the pitch.
In his CSKA Moscow Instagram unveiling, Musa (who had long left Russia) and Ejuke were featured in a Super Hero handover video. Ejuke was the new speed demon, the new Flash who raced with lightning speed to accept his inauguration from Musa who handed the club’s speed baton to Ejuke.
Ejuke has been running alright , but his goal scoring has not kept pace with that of his forerunner. In Ahmed Musa’s first 14 league games for CSKA Moscow between July and November 2012, he amassed 7 goals making him already a 1 goal per 2 games winger. In the same period, he had a cool 4 assists against his name to signal that he was in Russia to do the business.
And Musa did exactly that as he went on to be a CSKA Moscow legend with his goals, assists and all round brilliance which led to Ejuke himself saying: “It’s satisfying knowing that a big Nigerian player left a legacy at a club like this. I’m hoping by God’s grace that I can contribute to mine during my period with the club.”
It is still early days though and I have no doubt that Ejuke Chidera has all it takes to leave his own mark on Moscow. However well a winger plays, the truth is that goals and assists are the currency of success in that role. That is one currency Ejuke does not have in sufficient amount in his bank at the moment.
Hopefully, they will start to build up slowly.
As for the Super Eagles, with the glut of options rumoured to become available to Gernot Rohr in the coming months, Ejuke might just slip off the national team radar if lack of club competitive goals drop him off the map.
The goal he scored against Spanish third division side Real Murcia this week is helpful. He now needs to build on that when the league resumes so he can rightfully take his own place in the community of Super Heroes for club and country.