•Aribo scores but Southampton lose
Nigerian Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, scored his fifth goal of the season in his 270th appearance as they beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, moving top of the English Championship. PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Ndidi broke the deadlock after 22 minutes by firing in Alex Palmer's rebounded header. Jamie Vardy then doubled the Foxes' lead by heading in Abdul Fatawu's precise cross, redeeming himself after missing a penalty earlier.
Jed Wallace narrowed the gap 11 minutes later, finishing well from Cedric Kipre’s long ball, but despite a late rally, West Bromwich Albion were left to regret their poor finishing in the end.
The win strengthens the Foxes’ chance of returning to the Premier League and ends their consecutive losing streak.
Leicester now have 91 points from 43 games and are two points ahead of second-placed Ipswich Town.
The 27-year-old, who earned a six rating from the BBC, received a booking for time-wasting in stoppage time – his sixth of the season. He has also provided six assists in the 33 games he has played in across all competitions.
His compatriot Kelechi Iheanacho was included in Leicester City’s matchday squad, while Semi Ajayi was an unused substitute for West Brom.
Josh Maja, on the other hand, was brought into the game as a late substitute for West Brom’s goalscorer Jed Wallace.
Meanwhile, at the Cardiff City Stadium, Joe Aribo's fourth goal of the season was not enough as Cardiff staged a 2-1 comeback win, dealing a blow to Southampton’s automatic promotion hopes in south Wales.
Southampton dominated the first half but, due to some poor finishing, only led by one goal thanks to Aribo’s 12th-minute strike.
Substitute Famara Diedhiou equalized from close range in the 68th minute before teenager Cian Ashford secured the win for Cardiff in injury time with a deflected shot from 25 yards.
At the Vicarage Road, Emmanuel Dennis missed chances as Watford held Hull City to a goalless draw. The Hornets are 19 points behind the top six with three matches remaining.
In the Premier League, Frank Onyeka was an unused substitute for Brentford, who convincingly defeated Luton Town 5-1, extending their lead over the relegation zone to 10 points.
In Serie A, Victor Osimhen failed to score for the 10th time this season as Napoli suffered a humiliating 1-0 defeat to relegation strugglers Empoli on Saturday.
The Nigerian striker has scored 13 goals and contributed three assists in 21 league games so far.
In Turkey, Paul Onuachu’s return to Trabzonspor’s bench after recovering from a forearm fracture is positive for both him and his team, as they secured a 2-1 win over Kayserispor on Saturday.
The Nigeria international had missed his side’s last five games due to a forearm fracture he sustained in a match against Adana Demirspor. His presence could be crucial for Trabzonspor as they aim for success in their upcoming matches.
