By Wale Mustapha
Chuba Akpom has made his mark in Ligue 1 history, becoming the latest Nigerian to score on his debut for a French club, following a stellar performance for Lille in their 1-0 victory over Le Havre on Saturday.
Akpom, who joined Lille on loan from Ajax during the winter transfer window, scored the match-winning goal in the dying moments of the game.
The 29-year-old former Arsenal and Middlesbrough forward made a significant impact after coming on as a second-half substitute.
His goal came deep into regulation time, when he pounced on a loose ball in the box to secure all three points for Lille.
In doing so, Akpom joined an exclusive group of Nigerian players who have scored on their Ligue 1 debuts.
He became the fourth Nigerian to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of Victor Osimhen (Lille), Moses Simon (Nantes), and Terem Moffi (Lorient), all of whom have also netted on their first appearances in the French top flight.
While Akpom has been called up twice to the Super Eagles, he is yet to make his official debut for the Nigerian national team, but his impressive start in Ligue 1 is sure to bolster his chances for future call-ups.
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.
