Nigerian stars Jennifer Echegini, Rinsola Babajide, and Shukurat Oladipo were all in action for their respective clubs as UEFA Women’s Champions League fixtures were decided in Portugal and Italy.
In Portugal, Echegini found the net for Paris Saint-Germain Women, who were held to a 1–1 draw away to Benfica, the club of fellow Nigerian Christy Ucheibe. The midfielder gave PSG an early advantage, scoring in the fifth minute, before Benfica drew level in the 32nd minute through Carole Costa’s penalty.
While Ucheibe was an unused substitute for the hosts, Echegini completed the full 90 minutes for PSG. Rasheedat Ajibade was absent from the matchday squad as she continues her recovery from injury.
Despite the draw, PSG are still searching for their first win of the campaign and sit 17th on the table with two points, one place below Benfica, who also have two points.
In Rome, AS Roma recorded their first victory of the competition in emphatic fashion, thrashing Austria’s SKN St. Pölten 6–1.
Super Falcons duo Babajide and Oladipo featured prominently in the dominant display.
Babajide did not get on the scoresheet but provided the assist for Roma’s second goal in the 19th minute, which was finished off by Alayah Pilgrim. The former Real Betis forward was substituted in the 66th minute, while Oladipo continued her ever-present run in the competition, featuring in her sixth match.
The victory lifts Roma to 14th place in the standings with four points from six matches.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
