The name Adeleke Akinola Akinyemi is not one that many Nigerians can relate to when discussing potential players who could represent the country in the nearest future but that name was on the lips of many who followed the Europa League Qualifiers last night.
With the likes of Efe Ambrose (Hibernian) , Usman Mohammed ( Sarpsborg) and the AS Trencin ‎Nigerian trio of Philip Azango, Reuben Yem and Abdul Zubairu all in action it was Akinyemi who grabbed the headlines.
The 19 year old forward who moved to Latvian side Ventspils last season showed his abilities in front of goal by scoring four goals in his club 5-0 win over Albanian opponents Lufetari.
His rise has been remarkable since his move to Latvia with as many as 16 goals to his name in just 24 professional appearance in Latvia. The tally also includes 8 in the first 13 games of this season.
Ventspils is slowly becoming the hub for Nigerian players trying to make inroads into the European football circle with as many as three of them in Abdullahi Alfa, Adeleke Akinyemi and Tosin Aiyegun who scored the fifth goal in yesterday’s rout also on the books of the club.
Osas Mahawi
