By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian forward Saviour Godwin made an impact in the Saudi Pro League as his team, Al-Okhdood, suffered a 3-1 defeat to Al-Nassr on Thursday.
Godwin netted the lone goal for his side in a match that saw Senegalese striker Sadio Mane score twice for Al-Nassr, with Cristiano Ronaldo also finding the back of the net for the visitors.
The Super Eagles forward opened the scoring in the sixth minute, putting Al-Okhdood ahead with a clinical right-footed strike from the center of the box.
Godwin’s early goal gave his team a promising start, but Al-Nassr’s attacking firepower—led by Mane and Ronaldo—proved too much for Al-Okhdood to handle.
Despite a valiant effort from Godwin, who was substituted late in the game, Al-Okhdood could not maintain their lead and ultimately succumbed to a 3-1 defeat.
Godwin’s performance in the match was a reminder of his potential. He was a standout player for the Flying Eagles at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, contributing to three goals in four appearances.
After the tournament, he was promoted to Nigeria’s Olympic team and later made his long-awaited Super Eagles debut in a friendly against Algeria in September 2022.
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.
