By Monsurah Olatunji
Southampton head coach Ivan Juric has praised Nigeria international Paul Onuachu following his first goal for the club in their thrilling 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
Onuachu, who had struggled to adapt to the Premier League after his summer 2023 move from Genk, broke his long goal drought by netting his first goal for the Saints.
The striker had previously been loaned to Trabzonspor, where he regained his form, scoring 17 goals and providing four assists.
His return to Southampton has been marked by a renewed determination to prove himself, and his goal against Forest could signal a turning point for both the player and the team.
Despite Southampton’s loss, Juric expressed optimism about Onuachu’s potential impact on the team’s survival fight in the Premier League. The coach highlighted the striker’s qualities and his determination to succeed.
“I think Paul has quality. He wants to score, he is a fighter. This is the quality, and I want players with quality. I think Paul can give us a lot,” Juric said after the match.
After his effort, Onuachu could be a key player for Southampton in their battle to maintain their Premier League status.
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.
