Southampton manager Russell Martin has praised Nigerian striker Paul Onuachu for his outstanding performance in the Saints’ 3-2 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
Onuachu, who was given his first English Premier League (EPL) start of the season, played a crucial role in his team’s attacking efforts.
The Super Eagles forward was a constant threat to Liverpool’s defense with his strong physical presence and impressive link-up play. His performance stood out, despite the team’s loss.
“Paul probably deserved to start earlier based on how he’s been training – he’s been so good,” Martin said after the match.
“He was really effective today, and I hope his injury isn’t too serious. It’s just a bit of fatigue, but I thought he played really, really well.”
Onuachu was substituted in the 52nd minute due to injury, and while his manager is hopeful that it’s nothing major, the forward’s contribution was still heavily praised.
The Nigerian striker has now made six league appearances for Southampton this season, though he is still waiting for his first goal of the campaign.
Martin expressed confidence in Onuachu’s potential, and the Saints will be eager for him to regain full fitness as they look to build on his impressive display in future matches.
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.
