Naija Stars Abroad: Maduka Okoye justifies Finidi George's call, forgotten Super Eagles star dims red-hot Ademola Lookman, Osimhen

It was a weekend to remember for Nigeria's contingent of top talent playing their trade across the European leagues, with a host of standout performances from some of the country's brightest stars led by Maduka Okoye and Ademola Lookman.

Leading the way was Okoye, the young goalkeeper recalled to the Super Eagles fold by new coach Finidi George. 

Okoye was in inspired form for Udinese, making five crucial saves to help his side secure their Serie A status with a crucial win over Frosinone.

The 22-year-old's heroics were a timely reminder of his quality, justifying Finidi's decision to bring him back into the national team setup ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Elsewhere in Italy, it was a bittersweet weekend for the Nigerian contingent. While Ademola Lookman continued his sensational season by netting his 10th goal of the campaign to guide Atalanta into the Champions League, forgotten Super Eagles striker Simy Nwankwo was the star in Italy.

Simy came off the bench to score a brilliant brace for Salernitana, but it was not enough to prevent his side from being held to a 3-3 draw by Samuel Chukwueze's AC Milan, who were without their injured Nigerian winger.

There was better news for Nigeria's stars in Germany, as Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface celebrated winning the domestic double with Bayer Leverkusen. 

The duo helped their side lift the DFB-Pokal, just days after their Europa League final heartbreak against Lookman's Atalanta.

And in Serbia, Peter Olayinka was also toasting title success, scoring twice as Crvena Zvezda wrapped up the league and cup double in style.

In England, there was also a reason to celebrate as another Super Eagle, Joe Aribo, returned to the Premier League following Southampton’s promotion.

The only disappointment of the weekend came for Victor Osimhen, who was unable to find the net on the final day of the Serie A season, 

But overall, it was a magnificent few days for Nigeria's top talent plying their trade across the continent.