news-engine

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi made a successful return from injury as he provided the assist for Besiktas’ winning goal in their 1-0 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round first leg victory over Hradec Kralove on Thursday. The Turkish giants travelled to the Czech Republic for the first leg of their Europa League qualifying tie and secured a crucial advantage after a hard-fought encounter at the Malsovicka Arena. Ndidi, who had been sidelined through injury, came off the bench in the 76th minute to replace Orkun Kokcu as Besiktas searched for a breakthrough. The Nigeria international quickly made an impact after his introduction, helping his side maintain control in midfield. The decisive moment arrived in the 80th minute when Ndidi delivered a crucial pass that led to Semih Kilicsoy finding the back of the net with a powerful header after a rebound fell kindly to the forward. The goal proved enough to give Besiktas a valuable first-leg victory ahead of the return fixture in Istanbul. Before the breakthrough, Besiktas had created several chances, with Orkun Kokcu and Hyeon-Gyu Oh testing the Hradec Kralove defence, while goalkeeper Alexander Nubel made important saves to deny the hosts late in the match. Ndidi’s comeback performance will come as a major boost for Besiktas and Nigeria, with the midfielder continuing to play an important role for the Turkish club. Wale Adejumo