By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
FC Basel suffered a narrow 2–1 defeat to KRC Genk in their UEFA Europa League clash on Thursday, November 27, 2025, despite a spirited second-half push led by Nigerian forward Philip Otele.
Genk dominated the opening period and converted their momentum into goals, with Hyeon-Gyu Oh and Konstantinos Karetsas striking to give the Belgian side a comfortable 2–0 halftime lead.
Even without captain Xherdan Shaqiri, Basel created the game’s first major chance when Otele forced a save with a powerful long-range effort. But defensive lapses left the Swiss side chasing the match by the interval.
Basel returned from the break with renewed urgency and were rewarded just before the hour mark. Bénie Traoré slipped a well-timed pass through to Otele, who finished neatly with the inside of his boot to halve the deficit.
The goal swung momentum Basel’s way, and they pressed relentlessly for an equaliser. Otele struck the post moments after scoring, while Jeremy Agbonifo drew a brilliant late save from Hendrik Van Crombrugge.
Shaqiri, introduced off the bench, also tried to influence the game, but the visitors could not force the leveller their second-half performance merited.
Despite the improvement, Basel again left empty-handed in European away action, with Otele’s effort not enough to rescue a result.
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.
