Walk of shame: Nigerian forward emulates Szoboszlai’s hero to zero moment in eight-goal thriller

For Uche Collins, the Katsina United wonder forward, the past weekend was a dizzying journey across that line as he experienced the ultimate hero to zero moment in a match that defied both clock and common logic.

Collins delivered a performance for the ages, only to find himself mirroring the heartbreak of Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai in a dramatic 4-4 draw against Wikki Tourist on Monday morning.

The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi bore witness to goalscoring masterclass from the super forward.

Collins was unstoppable, firing home his second hattrick of the season to drag Katsina United back into a pulsating contest against their hosts Tourist.

His clinical strikes in the 20th, 35th, and 62nd minutes did not just earn his United team a foothold in the clash, they made him the first player to hit double figures in goals this season in the NPFL, sealing his position as the Football League’s most feared striker. 

However, the beautiful game has a way of humbling its protagonists. Much like Szoboszlai, who opened the scoring at Anfield on Sunday evening with a stunning free kick before he was sent off late on in their 2-1 loss to Manchester City, Collins saw his time come to an end in a cloud of frustration.

After the game was suspended on Sunday evening due to crowd trouble and resumed on Monday morning for the final 12 minutes, the tension reached boiling point. Therefore, in a frantic scramble to secure all three points, Collins was shown a red card.

But despite the dismissal of their star man, Katsina left the happier of both sides having managed to force a share of the spoils in a game that had everything - goals, crowd drama, and a two-way schedule.

For Collins, the weekend remains a paradox. He leaves Bauchi as the league’s top scorer and a hattrick hero, yet he will now face a spell on the sidelines watching from the stands as his teammates continue the fight to move up higher than their current mid-table spot at home to Nasarawa United on Monday.