Six Nigerian players – Rafiu Durosinmi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Cyriel Dessers, Leon Balogun, and Bruno Onyemaechi – have discovered their path to the Europa league final after the draw which took place in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.
The round of 16 draw has set up some intriguing matchups, including Rafiu Durosinmi‘s Viktoria Plzen against Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s Lazio, while Bright Osayi-Samuel’s Fenerbahçe will face off against Cyriel Dessers and Leon Balogun’s Rangers. On the other hand, Bruno Onyemaechi’s new side, Olympiacos will take on Bødo/Glimt.
Rafiu Durosinmi played a crucial role in Viktoria Plzen’s qualification for the round of 16, scoring a brace in the playoff tie against Ferencvaros to overturn a 1-0 deficit and lead his side to a 3-0 win. In contrast, Lazio didn’t need the playoffs as they topped the league phase with 19 points, losing only one game.
Viktoria Plzen will thus face a tough challenge to qualify for the quarterfinals, given Lazio’s impressive form. However, if they succeed, they will face either Bødo/Glimt or Olympiacos in the next round.
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Greek side, Olympiacos finished seventh in the league phase with 15 points, while Bødo/Glimt needed extra time to defeat Twente 6-4 on aggregate and seal qualification to the round of 16.
Fortunately, Bruno Onyemaechi, who joined Olympiacos in January, will be eligible to play for the Greek side having been registered for the knockout phase of the tournament.
Bright Osayi-Samuel’s Fenerbahçe secured their spot in the round of 16 with a convincing 5-2 aggregate win over Anderlecht in the playoffs while their opponents, Rangers, qualified without the playoffs as they finished eight in the league phase with Cyriel Dessers and Leon Balogun contributing to the Scottish side’s success so far.
While Bright Osayi-Samuel is suspended for the first leg, he will be back for the second leg, facing off against Cyriel Dessers and Leon Balogun as the winner of the intriguing tie will go on to face Roma or Athletic Bilbao in the quarterfinals.
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