Afrigather With Wednesday evening’s thrilling conclusion to the UEFA Champions League group stage, Samuel Chukwueze and George Ilenikhena have etched their names into Nigerian soccer historical past, Soccernet.ng experiences.
Chukwueze’s late winner secured a exceptional 2-1 comeback victory for AC Milan in opposition to Newcastle, whereas Ilenikhena delivered a stoppage-time aim, clinching Antwerp’s 3-2 conquer Barcelona.
These are set to be the last-ever targets scored by Nigerian gamers within the conventional Champions League group stage setup because the competitors undergoes a transformative shift in 2024.
Farewell to the group stage format
As of 2024, the Champions League bids farewell to its acquainted group stage format, choosing a dynamic league format.
Now not confined to four-team teams, 36 golf equipment will interact in a single league competitors.
According to UEFA, this revamped construction will convey elevated competitiveness, with groups dealing with eight completely different opponents, splitting matches between residence and away fixtures.
Unlocking the New League format
The upcoming modifications, set to take impact from the 2024/25 season, introduce a recent perspective to European soccer.
The departure from group levels permits for a broader pool of opponents, fostering intense matchups and early clashes between top-tier groups.
Qualification will stay merit-based, mixing a membership’s earlier home league efficiency with the affiliation membership coefficient rating.
The knockout section retains its drama, with the highest eight league finishers robotically securing a spot within the spherical of 16.
Groups rating ninth to twenty fourth will interact in a knockout play-off, intensifying the competitors. The synergy between the league and knockout phases ensures each match issues, providing followers a chronic interval of pleasure main as much as the ultimate.
The winds of change contact not solely the Champions League but in addition the Europa League and the renamed UEFA Convention League. Each competitions embrace the same league format, widening the scope for golf equipment and enhancing the general European soccer expertise.
Legacy of Nigerians within the earlier format
Reflecting on the historical past of Nigerian gamers within the Champions League, Daniel Amokachi’s title echoes by means of time.
He scored the first-ever aim within the group stage format’s debut in 1992, securing a 1-0 victory for Membership Brugge in opposition to CSKA Moscow.
Obafemi Martins leads the Nigerian scoring charts with 9 targets within the competitors, intently trailed by Victor Osimhen (8 targets) and Victor Ikpeba (7).
