By Wale Mustapha
Southampton manager, Russell Martin, has confirmed that Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu will be available for selection when they take on Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
Onuachu, who has been sidelined since Southampton’s English Premier League (EPL) clash with Liverpool, is set to return to action for the Saints.
Martin revealed that the 30-year-old forward would be included in the Matchday squad for the game, scheduled for St. Mary’s Stadium.
During a press conference, Martin said, “Jan Bednarek’s back, Paul Onuachu’s back, which is really good, and apart from that, we’re all good.”
The Super Eagles striker has yet to score for Southampton in his 16 league appearances since joining the club.
Despite this, Martin expressed his satisfaction with Onuachu’s contributions to the team and is optimistic that the striker will soon find the back of the net.
“Paul gives us a real alternative option that’s different from anyone in the squad and most people in the league, actually.
“He was really unfortunate at the timing of his injury as he was in such a good place and was going to really help us, I think, and now he’s going to help us moving forward,” Martin added.
With Onuachu’s return, Southampton will hope to capitalize on his unique qualities as they prepare for their upcoming match against Tottenham.
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.
