Nigerian Players Abroad: Victor Osimhen's red card and Taiwo Awoniyi's goal lead talking points

The 2021/2022 season kicked off over the weekend with a slew of Nigerian players in action. With the kickoff, the five major leagues in Europe are now in action, giving us more content from a Nigerian players' perspective. 

A lot happened this weekend from a Nigerian players' perspective. 

Victor Osimhen's fiery side got him in trouble. In his first match of the season, the Nigerian striker got a red card after he was adjudged to have slapped an opponent. 

It happened during a corner kick situation in the 22nd minute of Napoli's home game against Venezia. 

It's an unpleasant start to the season for the 22-year-old who was lucky that his second off did not cost his side all the three points. Napoli won the game 2-0. 

Nigerian right-back Tyronne Ebuehi was involved from the start of the Venezia and was taken off in the 52nd minute.

After his impact when he came on in the second half of Everton's 3-1 win over Southampton in the previous matchday, Iwobi returned to Rafael Benitez's starting XI for their trip to Leeds. 

The forward had some good moments from the right side of attack and did enough to retain his place in the next game. 

He was a threat, all through constantly pushing the ball forward and putting in good passes for his teammates. 

He would have had an assist if Dominic Calvert-Lewin had been more clinical. Iwobi beat a defender and split the defence with a fantastic pass to Calvert-Lewin, who could not beat the goalkeeper. 

An early red card did not help Leicester City at the London Stadium on Monday night, where they lost 4-1 to West Ham. 

Ndidi was not his usual self in that game; he struggled with the game's intensity and decisively failed to track Pablo Fornal for West Ham's first goal. 

His compatriot Kelechi Iheanacho came on in the game in the 81st minute for Jamie Vardy. 

It's still early days, but Taiwo Awoniyi is thriving in Germany with Union Berlin after signing a permanent move in the summer. 

On Sunday, he was on the scoresheet again for Union Berlin, who got a 2-2 draw away at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. 

It was a good goal, too, making a fine run into the box to take on a pass before attempting a shot. The goalkeeper saved his first attempt, the rebound bounced off a defender's body fell nicely to the Nigerian to fire into the net. 

He would have gotten an assist for the winner with a fine turn and pass in the box, but Hoffenheim goalkeeper pulled off a fine save. 

It was a Nigerian show at the Wirsol Rhein-Neckar-Arena where Super Eagles defender Kevin Akpoguma scored for Hoffenheim. 

Akpoguma netted the equaliser for his side in the 14th minute after they had gotten behind earlier. His goal was from a header in the box. 

Watching Nwakaeme this season, and it seems he has lost some of his pace and robustness but that has not stopped him from getting the goals. 

In a second straight game for Trabzonspor, Nwakaeme has been on the scoresheet. 

He had a hand in both goals as Trabzonspor got a 2-1 win over Sivasspor. Trabzonspor's first goal came from the penalty spot after the forward's shot was handled in the box by coincidentally another Nigerian Azubuike Okechukwu. 

Nwakaeme's goal came in the 47th with a fierce strike from the edge of the box.