Afrigather The 2 Nigerian gamers have been excellent for the reigning Jupiler Professional League champions in latest weeks
Royale Antwerp supervisor Mark Van Bommel has revealed his satisfaction with the contributions of teen George Ilenikhena and Tremendous Eagles winger Chidera Ejuke, Soccernet.ng reviews.
Born in Lagos and raised in France, Ilenikhena joined Antwerp from Amiens final summer season for a reported six million euros.
The large switch price made Ilenikhena, who was 16 years outdated on the time, Antwerp’s most costly signing in historical past, heaping added strain on the delicate shoulders of the teen.
Nevertheless, Ilenikhena responded brilliantly on the pitch, scoring 13 objectives in 38 video games for Antwerp, together with the winner in an exhilarating 3-2 win over Barcelona – the membership’s first-ever victory within the Champions League.
Van Bommel is delighted to see Ilenikhena doing effectively regardless of the large price concerned in his switch and has backed {the teenager} to proceed to enhance.
“He got here to us with a big switch price round his neck (6 million euros, ed.),” Mark Van Bommel stated, as per VoetbalKrant.
“Furthermore, he nonetheless needed to get used to our method of enjoying soccer. It’s getting higher and might solely get higher.”
Ilenikhena will not be the one Nigerian-born star doing effectively at Antwerp, with Chidera Ejuke, Victor Udoh, and Alhassan Yusuf contributing to the membership’s constructive leads to 2024.
Ejuke, particularly, appears to be bettering each week, with the previous Heerenveen winger beginning every of Antwerp’s eight league video games in 2024.
The Nigeria worldwide contributed a formidable 4 objectives (one purpose, three assists) throughout that run.
Greater than the objectives, Ejuke was all the time an thrilling dribbler. The 26-year-old has not stopped dazzling defenders along with his gorgeous footwork.
Opta data reveals that Ejuke has accomplished extra dribbles this season than another Antwerp participant over a single Jupiler Professional League marketing campaign for the reason that membership’s return to the highest flight in 2017-18.
50 – Chidera Ejuke accomplished 50 dribbles this @ProLeagueBE marketing campaign, greater than another @official_rafc participant over a single Jupiler Professional League season for the reason that membership’s return to the top-flight in 2017-18. Artistry. pic.twitter.com/DDfoTVbI91
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) March 3, 2024
Van Bommel is much more delighted to see Ejuke add extra defensive work to his glorious dribbling.
“Typically I additionally assume ‘wow’ after I see the boy’s dribbling,” Van Bommel admitted.
“He got here to us as a implausible dribbler, however an important factor he realized with us is how one can get again to defending.
“He can have enjoyable and make strikes on the ball, however then he additionally has to assist the staff defensively. He has develop into extra full.
“You’ve artists on the ball who let it run defensively; he now not does that.”
A Nigeria worldwide with eight caps, Ejuke was not within the Tremendous Eagles squad that claimed a runner-up medal on the lately concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
