Xinjiang 1-7 Qingdao: Kingsley Onuegbu at the double in China eight-goal spree

Nigerian forward Kingsley Onuegbu scored two goals as his second-tier Chinese Jia League side, Qingdao Hainiu thrashed host, Xinjiang Tianshan 7-1 on Monday.

The 36-year-old former Duisburg and Nea Salamis player opened the scoring for his side in the fifth minute.

Malian defender, Ibrahim Kane scored two goals for Qingdao Hainiu in the tenth and 17th minutes respectively to increase the visitors’ lead to 3-0.

Three more goals from Xie Wenneng, Zheng Long, and Jiang Ning lifted Qingdao Hainiu to a 6-0 lead at halftime.

Onuegbu scored in the 49th minute to increase his side’s lead to seven before Abdukerim Qaharman reduced the deficit for Xinjiang Tianshan.

The Nigerian saw 58 minutes of action before he was replaced by Chen Jiaqi and has scored 27 goals in 32 league games for Qingdao Hainiu this season. The latest goal means he is the Chinese second-tier league top goal scorer with seven ahead of Nantong Zhiyun’s Guinea Bissau player, Ze Turbo on 20 goals.

Qingdao Hainiu occupy the second position in the race to gain promotion to top flight Chinese Super League with 72 points after 32 games, eight points behind Kunshan and two points better than third-placed Nantong Zhiyun.

With two league games remaining, Qingdao Hainiu will host Shenyang Urban FC on December 2 before visiting Guangxi Pingguo Haliao on December 6.