Nigerian players on rampage

[SunNews]

Nigerian stars, Obafemi Martins and Lukman Haruna were on target for their overseas clubs on Saturday. Martins, who has been sidelined by a nagging knee injury, returned to action for Seattle Sounders in the American Major League Soccer (MLS) to score as his team beat San Jose Earthquake 4-0.

The former Levante striker sealed the victory for Seattle in stoppage time as a defensive miscue from centre backs Morrow and Bernardez allowed him to tap in a fourth goal for the home side. Martins was a 55th minute substitute for Evans. He has now scored two goals for Seattle. The 4-0 loss to the Sounders kept the Earthquakes in fifth place in the Western Conference with 14 points from 12 matches played, but Seattle is only two points adrift with three games in hand. Lukman Haruna was the hero of his Ukrainian team, Dynamo Kiev, when he netted the match winner against Illichivets. Haruna scored in the 16th minute and was booked in the 61st minute before he was substituted in the 79th minute by Aliyev.

Dynamo now has 59 points and has secured Europa League spot. Compatriot Taye Taiwo was on for the entire duration of the match, while Brown Ideye was a 58th minute substitute for Marco Ruben. Former Under-17 and Under-20 captain, Haruna, has now scored five goals in the Ukraine league. He said he was thrilled to be Dynamo's match winner. "I am happy to have done it again. I will keep doing my best in terms of scoring and see if my goals could lift the club to secure a Champions League ticket," he said.

"I am still very much confident that we can play in Champions League next season, but we must be very ruthless and be thoroughly focused in the remaining games. "It's great for me to score every week. I hope to keep this form, so that it will yield something good for me at the end of the season. Hard work has really paid off for me and I have shamed my critics."

Via: Sun News Online