Arsenal travel to Germany this week for a huge European night as they face Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash at the BayArena, Soccernet.ng reports.
The return match will be played at the Emirates Stadium in London next week, where the Gunners will hope to finish the job and book a place in the quarter-finals.
Interestingly, no Nigerian player will be directly involved in this particular game. Nathan Tella is currently injured, while Victor Boniface is not included in Leverkusen’s Champions League squad after returning from a loan spell at Werder Bremen.
However, the history of both clubs is strongly connected to Nigeria. Over the years, several Nigerian footballers have played important roles at Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen. Some became cult heroes, while others helped their teams win major trophies or achieve historic success.
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Here are five Nigerian stars who made memorable contributions to the two clubs.
5. Pascal Ojigwe – Leverkusen
Pascal Ojigwe may not be the most famous Nigerian to play for Bayer Leverkusen, but he was part of one of the most dramatic periods in the club’s history.
The midfielder moved to Leverkusen from 1. FC Kaiserslautern after spending time on loan at Köln during the 1999-2000 season. His transfer even caused a public disagreement between Köln and Leverkusen officials at the time.
Ojigwe became part of a talented Leverkusen squad that reached incredible heights in Europe and Germany. During the famous 2001-02 season, the club finished runners-up in three major competitions, the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, and the UEFA Champions League.
Although Leverkusen came close to glory, they ended the season with three painful second-place finishes. The team later earned the nickname “Neverkusen” because of those near misses.
Ojigwe played 55 matches in all competitions for the club and recorded three assists. While his statistics may not look spectacular, being part of such an important era in Leverkusen’s history ensures his place among notable Nigerian players at the club.
4. Nathan Tella – Leverkusen
Nathan Tella represents the new generation of Nigerian talent at Bayer Leverkusen.
The winger joined the German club in August 2023 on a five-year deal worth about £20 million. He made his debut just days later in a convincing 5-1 win over Darmstadt, coming on as a substitute.
Tella quickly settled into life in Germany. He scored his first goal for the club in October 2023 during a Europa League victory against Molde.
His first season with Leverkusen turned into a dream campaign. The club enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in its history, winning the Bundesliga title, the DFB-Pokal and the DFL-Supercup.
That historic treble confirmed Leverkusen as one of the strongest teams in Europe.
Tella played an important supporting role during that successful period. So far, he has scored 10 goals and provided 14 assists in 93 appearances for the club.
Although injury will keep him out of the upcoming match against Arsenal, he remains an important part of Leverkusen’s squad.
3. Alex Iwobi – Arsenal
Alex Iwobi’s connection with Arsenal began long before he became a professional footballer.
He joined the club’s academy in 2004 while he was still in primary school. His journey to the first team was not easy, as he came close to being released twice during his teenage years.
But his determination paid off.
Iwobi made his senior debut for Arsenal in October 2015 in a League Cup match against Sheffield Wednesday. Just a few days later, he made his Premier League debut against Swansea City.
Soon after, he began to show his talent. He scored goals in consecutive Premier League starts against Everton and Watford, quickly becoming an exciting young player in the squad.
Iwobi also played a role in Arsenal’s successful FA Cup campaign in the 2016-17 season, which ended with a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the final.
Another memorable moment came in 2019 when he scored Arsenal’s only goal in the Europa League final against Chelsea.
Although Arsenal lost that match 4-1, the goal showed Iwobi’s ability to perform on big European nights.
Before leaving the club for Everton in 2019, Iwobi contributed 15 goals and 23 assists in 149 appearances in all competitions.
2. Victor Boniface – Leverkusen
Victor Boniface has quickly become one of the most successful Nigerian players in Bayer Leverkusen’s history.
He joined the club in July 2023 and made an immediate impact. Boniface scored twice in just his second Bundesliga match, helping Leverkusen beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-0.
The striker played a huge role in the club’s historic 2023-24 season.
Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title for the first time in their history and also lifted the DFB-Pokal. They also reached the Europa League final before losing to Atalanta.
Boniface finished the league campaign as Leverkusen’s top scorer with 14 goals.
His performances were widely recognised. He won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season award and was also included in the Bundesliga Team of the Season.
So far, Boniface has scored 32 goals and provided 12 assists in just 61 matches for Leverkusen. That makes him the most productive Nigerian player the club has ever had.
Although injuries and loan complications have slowed his progress recently, Boniface still has plenty of time to add more chapters to his Leverkusen story.
1. Nwankwo Kanu – Arsenal
When it comes to Nigerian footballers at Arsenal, Nwankwo Kanu stands far above the rest.
The legendary striker joined the Gunners in February 1999 from Inter Milan for about £4.15 million.
Kanu quickly became one of the most loved players at the club. Fans admired his skill, creativity and ability to score crucial goals.
One of his most famous moments came in October 1999 when he scored a remarkable hat-trick against Chelsea. Arsenal were losing 2-0 before Kanu came off the bench and turned the match around to win 3-2.
It remains one of the greatest individual performances in Premier League history.
Kanu played 197 games for Arsenal, scoring 44 goals and providing 38 assists.
He was also part of the legendary “Invincibles” squad that went through the entire 2003-04 Premier League season without losing a single match.
During his time at Arsenal, Kanu won several trophies, including the FA Cup and the Community Shield.
His impact at the club was so great that Arsenal later named him among their greatest players ever.
Even today, he remains a popular figure among supporters and is often warmly applauded whenever he visits the Emirates Stadium.
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