1st December 2025
Lookman scores in back-to-back games
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It was a weekend to remember for Nigerians playing abroad, as Wilfred Ndidi and Tolu Arokodare reached landmark career appearances and Ademola Lookman returned to scoring form for Atalanta.
Wilfred Ndidi clocked his 400th club appearance on Sunday, starting for Beşiktaş in a 2-0 away victory over Karagumruk in the Turkish Super Lig.
The Nigerian defensive midfielder partnered Orkun Kokcu in a double pivot, anchoring the midfield as the visitors secured a vital win that preserved their sixth-place position.
Ndidi’s club career began at Genk in 2015, where he made 83 appearances, scoring seven goals and assisting three. At Leicester City, he amassed 303 appearances, 18 goals, and 22 assists.
At Beşiktaş, he has featured in 14 games, netting once and providing one assist.
Across competitions, Ndidi’s appearances include 220 in the Premier League with seven goals and 14 assists, 46 in the Jupiler Pro League with one goal and one assist, and 32 in the Championship with four goals and five assists.
He has also played in FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Europa League, Süper Lig, UEFA Conference League, and Champions League fixtures, contributing both defensively and offensively to his teams.
appearance on Sunday with a two-minute substitute cameo for Wolves in their Premier League defeat to Aston Villa.
While the appearance was brief, it symbolised a major milestone in his career across Belgium, France, Latvia, Germany, and England.
Arokodare’s club career spans Genk (113 appearances, 41 goals, 12 assists), Amiens SC (63 appearances, 21 goals, 4 assists), Valmiera (34 appearances, 22 goals, 4 assists), 1.FC Köln (11 appearances), and Wolves (11 appearances, 2 goals).
In the Villa game, his contribution included two touches, one possession lost, one clearance, and one aerial duel won.
Christantus Uche (Crystal Palace)
Uche made his fourth appearance for Palace, coming on as a late substitute in their 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United.
Replacing Yéremy Pino in the 78th minute, Uche completed 12 minutes with eight touches, 60% passing accuracy, three successful ground duels, and one foul won.
He lost possession four times and was dribbled past once, showing glimpses of defensive commitment in a limited window.
Italy
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)
Lookman returned to form at a crucial stage for Atalanta, providing the clinical spark his club and the Super Eagles need to turn the season around. Following a dazzling midweek display against Eintracht Frankfurt, where he opened the scoring and supplied an assist, Lookman built on that momentum to find the net again in Bergamo.
Lookman’s decisive goal came from a 51st-minute corner, which Fiorentina failed to clear. The Nigerian forward reacted swiftly to rifle the loose ball into the net, marking Atalanta’s only goal from a set-piece this season while sealing a 2-0 home victory. The result also gave manager Raffaele Palladino his first Serie A win in charge of the club, ending Atalanta’s eight-game winless streak.
His goal secured back-to-back matches on the scoresheet for the first time since May, when he scored against Monza and AS Roma.
This strike marked his second Serie A goal of the season from eight appearances as he works to recapture the prolific form of last campaign, which saw him register a career-high 15 league goals and 20 in all competitions. Lookman was substituted in the 77th minute for Ghanaian teammate Kamaldeen Sulemana, having made a measurable impact across the pitch.
In the game, he had 39 touches, 86 per cent passing accuracy, three key passes, two big chances created, one successful dribble, and eight times losing possession.
His combination of technical skill, movement, and situational awareness demonstrated why he remains pivotal for Atalanta’s push for consistency and for Nigeria’s attacking options ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations this month.
