By Saheed Afolabi
Nigeria forward Kelechi Iheanacho was absent from the Sevilla squad during their 4-2 defeat to Real Madrid on Sunday.
The match began with an early breakthrough for Madrid as Kylian Mbappe stunned Sevilla with a brilliant strike in the 10th minute. Just 10 minutes later, Federico Valverde doubled the hosts’ lead with a powerful shot, leaving Sevilla goalkeeper helpless.
Rodrygo then made it 3-0 in the 34th minute with a calm finish, before Sevilla’s Isaac Romero pulled one back for the visitors just a minute later, offering them a glimmer of hope.
However, Madrid restored their three-goal lead in the second half, with Brahim Diaz scoring in the 53rd minute after a skillful assist from Mbappe.
Iheanacho, who has yet to score in his nine appearances for Sevilla this season, was not included in the matchday squad, alongside his fellow Nigerian, Chidera Ejuke, who also missed the game for the visitors.
The defeat leaves Sevilla in 14th place on the LaLiga table, with 22 points from 18 matches, just seven points clear of the relegation zone.
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.
