Naija Stars Abroad: Echegini leads Super Falcons' dominance as Akpom, Dessers & Tella impress

It was a mixed weekend for Nigerian players across Europe, with the Super Falcons women's national team players stealing the spotlight from their male counterparts in the Super Eagles.

Led by the brilliant midfielder Joe Echegini, the Nigerian women's players put on a show for their clubs across Europe.

Echegini seems the biggest contender for the Player of the Week award after she netted a first-ever hat-trick for Juventus Women in Italy.

The 22-year-old was the inspiration as her three goals propelled Juve to a convincing 4-0 win against Fiorentina.

Echegini has now scored an incredible eight goals in eight matches for Juventus following her switch from the NWSL.

Another Super Falcons star who delivered at the weekend was the Russia-based Francisca Ordega. Ordega put the disappointment of missing out on the Falcons' crucial Paris 2024 qualifiers against South Africa to inspire CSKA Moscow to a resounding 5-0 win against Yenisey.

The superstar forward scored two of the goals for her Russia outfit, sending a clear message to Nigeria coach, Randy Waldrum.

Elsewhere, Toni Payne and Rasheedat Ajibade showed their readiness for South Africa with brilliant displays for their respective clubs in Spain.

Payne wrapped up the proceedings as Sevilla thrashed Real Sociedad 4-2, while Ajibade was the heroine as Atletico Madrid edged Valencia in Liga F.

For the men and Super Eagles, it was a quieter weekend, but some players still managed to shine, with ignored Eagle Chuba Akpom leading the way.

Akpom continued his impressive form for Ajax, delivering a stunning brace to guide the Dutch giants back to winning ways in the Eredivisie.

Terem Moffi reached double figures for the season in a thrilling clash between Nice and Nantes in the French Ligue 1, while Cyriel Dessers netted his 13th goal of the season for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Emmanuel Dennis scored for the second game in a row for Watford in the English Championship, and Nathan Tella proved his worth as a late substitute for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, helping the league leaders extend their unbeaten run to 39 matches.

However, it was not a good weekend for the likes of Victor Osimhen, Umar Sadiq, Alex Iwobi, and Calvin Bassey, who all struggled to make an impact for their respective clubs.

Osimhen and Napoli suffered a mauling against Ademola Lookman, who was a substitute, and his Atalanta side while Samuel Chukwueze looked lively for AC Milan during their 2-1 win at Fiorentina in the Serie A.

Sadiq continued his bench role in Real Sociedad, with Iwobi and Bassey surviving a remarkable scare with Fulham against Sheffield United in the PL.

The award for Player of the Week goes to the brilliant Echegini whose impressive first hat-trick ensured she continued her remarkable debut season for Juventus.