By Daily sports on April 18, 2021

Red-hot Crotone striker Simeon Nwankwo has equalled Yakubu Ayegbeni’s European league mark with his latest effort against Udinese.

The lanky forward was on target for the Black and Whites, albeit, the Pythagoreans lost 2-1 at home in an Italian elite division outing.

With the visitors leading thanks to Rodrigo De Paul’s 41st-minute effort at Stadio Ezio Scida, the Nigeria international levelled matters for his team via the penalty spot in the 68th minute.

Nonetheless, De Paul sealed victory for Luca Gotti’s side six minutes later before he was given his marching orders by the referee in the 90th minute.

Thanks to his effort, he now boasts 17 goals in the 2020-21 Serie A campaign. In the process equalling Ayegbeni’s mark to become Nigeria’s joint-top scorer in a single top-five European League campaign.

In a recent chat with Goal, ‘the Yak’ expressed his desire for the 28-year-old to overtake his benchmark.

“Records are always meant to be broken. I hope he breaks it and I wish him all the very best in his quest to do that. Also, I want to say well done to him for his goalscoring form this season,” Ayegbeni told Goal.

After completing his loan spell at Leicester City, ‘the Yak’ joined the Riversiders for an undisclosed fee. In his maiden season at Ewood Park, he became an instant hit – scoring 17 English top-flight goals in 30 appearances.

Should Nwankwo score at least one goal in his club’s remaining seven matches left, he will surely eclipse his compatriot’s mark that has stood for a decade.

Also, Nwankwo (on a stretch of seven goals) is now closing in on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s mark as the first African player to find the net in more consecutive matches in the top five European Leagues.

Aubameyang was the last player from Africa to achieve that – scoring in 10 games at a stretch during his time at German elite division outfit Borussia Dortmund in 2015.

Crotone’s 24th defeat of the ongoing term sees them remain at the base of the log after accruing just 15 points from 31 matches.

For their Nigerian import who is next to Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan) and Luis Muriel (Atalanta) on the topscorer’s chart, he would be hoping to continue his impressive goalscoring run against Sampdoria on April 21. (Goal)

•PHOTO: Red-Hot Crotone striker Simi Nwankwo

Source Daily sports

Posted April 18, 2021

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