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by Sammy Wejinya
Shola Ameobi and Obafemi Martins were both part of the Newcastle and Levante sides that scored valuable draws in the first leg round of 16 games decided in Europe’s second tier club competition.
Victor Moses failed to travel with the Chelsea squad that lost 0-1 to Romanian side, Steaua Bucharest while John Obi Mikel was given the nod to start by the club’s interim manager, Rafa Benitez.
On a night that Nigerian stars in the diaspora shone brightly, supersport.com now reviews the best of the action.
Anzhi Makhachkala 0-0 Newcastle United (Luzniki)
Newcastle United will feel they are slight favourites going into the return fixture at the Sports Direct Arena on March 14 following this feisty 0-0 draw at Anzhi, captained by the competition’s top scorer, Samuel Eto’o.
Ameobi came on as a 64th minute substitute for Newcastle replacing the French international, Hatem Ben Arfa.
Steaua Bucharest 1-0 Chelsea (Stadionul National Arena)
Chelsea posted a pathetic display in Romania and deservedly lost 0-1 to a fired up Steaua side at the Stadionul National Arena.
Moses did not travel with the Chelsea squad but his compatriot, Mikel earned a starting berth and finished the game with a yellow card for a cynical foul on midfielder, Andrei Prepelita in the 66th minute.
Viktoria Plzen 0-1 Fenerbahce (Štruncovy Sady Stadium)
Cameroon striker, Pierre Webo’s 81st minute strike gives Fenerbahce an important away goal and even more importantly, an away win at Plzen.
Plzen put highly-rated Italian club, AS Napoli to the sword in the Round of 32 but Fenerbahce with Joseph Yobo on for all 90 minutes on the night, stood firm to claim a memorable win.
VfB Stuttgart 0-2 SS Lazio (Mercedes-Benz-Arena)
This may well be the game that sees Onazi announce his arrival at the global stage.
Onazi’s profile has risen since he won the 2013 Afcon with the Super Eagles in South Africa and he was given the nod to start on Thursday by the SS Lazio trainer, Vladimir Petkovic.
The attacking midfielder duly repaid his trainer’s faith by scoring an outrageous goal in the 56th minute.
He picked up the ball at the edge of the centre circle and honed in towards the target; leaving four Stuttgart players in his wake before dinking it past a stranded Sven Ulriech in the German goal to give the Romans a 2-0 lead.
Onazi has been invited to the Nigeria squad for this month’s 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Kenya in Calabar.
Levante 0-0 Rubin Kazan (Ciudad de Valencia)
Martins failed to score for Levante against his former club at the Ciudad de Valencia.
He was on for all 90 minutes and will be looking for a happier second leg at a stumping ground he’s all too familiar with; the Luzhniki in Moscow.
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