By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigerian midfielder Onuche Ogbelu delivered a composed performance for Tunisian side Esperance despite their 2-0 defeat to Brazilian heavyweights Flamengo in a Group D fixture at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The match, held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and kicking off at 2 a.m. Nigerian time, saw Flamengo dominate from the outset.
Goals from Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Luiz Araujo secured a comfortable win for the Copa Libertadores champions.
While the loss was a setback for Esperance, Ogbelu stood out with a solid 90-minute display. The 21-year-old impressed with his well-timed tackles, precise passing, and ability to link defense and attack — earning praise despite the result.
Esperance’s best spell came after the break, with Algerian forward Youcef Belaili injecting urgency into the attack.
He came close to scoring in the 63rd minute with a curling effort that narrowly missed the target and later forced a sharp save from Flamengo goalkeeper Augustin Rossi.
Esperance will aim to rebound in their next Group D match against Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC, who also suffered a 2-0 defeat, falling to Chelsea in their opening fixture.
The North African giants now face a must-win situation to keep their hopes of advancing in the tournament alive.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
