By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria forward Kelechi Iheanacho scored his first goal for Middlesbrough, netting the only goal of the match in the 65th minute to secure a 1-0 victory over Oxford United at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
The Super Eagles forward’s decisive strike came as Middlesbrough, who are currently 5th in the Championship standings, sought to maintain their push for promotion.
Iheanacho’s goal, his first since joining the club, is expected to bolster both his confidence and the team’s prospects for the remainder of the season.
The win marked a crucial step for Middlesbrough as they aim to secure a strong finish in the race for promotion.
Oxford United, meanwhile, were left frustrated as they were unable to break down their hosts despite a competitive performance.
Iheanacho’s contribution comes at an important time for the club, which will now look to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the campaign.
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.
