Nigerian footballers competing in 2024/2025 UEFA Champions league
The brand new 2024/25 UEFA Champions League (UCL) season began on Tuesday, September 17 with 36 teams in a new-look single-table group stage.
Nigeria will be heavily represented in this season’s edition with many of its stars featuring in the competition for their different clubs.
For some of them this would be their first ever UCL appearance, while others are quite seasoned in it.
Here are 10 Nigerian footballers competing in the 2024/2025 Champions league:
1. Victor Boniface (Bayern Leverkusen):
Boniface was crucial to Leverkusen’s unbeaten domestic run last season which guaranteed them a spot in the UCL this season. The 23-year-old won the 2023/24 Bundesliga Rookie of the Season award and would be looking to make a mark in his debut UCL season.
2. Samuel Chukweze (AC Milan): The 25-year-old winger will be making his first appearance in the UCL with new club AC Milan.
Chukwueze is however seasoned in European competitions, he won the Europa League title with Villareal in the 2020/2021 season.
3. Nathan Tella (Bayern Leverkusen): Just like his team mate, Victor Bonifac, Tella will also be playing in his first UEFA champions league tournament this season.
4. Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge): Despite his futile attempts to go to Galatasaray, the 23-year-old FC Ebedei product, who won the Belgian Super League with Brugge last season, is still considered a key member of the Bruges-based team and will be expected to feature heavily for the club.
5. Ademola Lookman (Atalanta): Atalanta’s maestro has found new form in Italy contributing goals and assists and also receiving a ballon d’or nomination. Lookman would be looking to continue this blistering form in Europe this season.
6. Elvis Isaac (Slovan Brastislava): The 22-year-old winger was on the bench in all eight of Slovan’s UCL qualifying round games and could be an impact player this season.
7. Victor Olatunji (Slava Prague): Nigeria’s new Victor has been an important player for Czech club Slava Prague since joining last year. In his first season, he won the League and Cup double. And has already recorded a goal and an assist in the UCL this season.
8. Peter Olayinka (Red Star Belgrade): The 28-year-old Ibadan-born player, has experience in the Europa League but moved up to the Champions league last season. The Serbian champions ended last in Group G, and he was utilized rarely. This term, he would look to appear more frequently.
9. George Ilenikhena (AS Monaco): Ilenikhena began his first UCL campaign in style after scoring the late goal that sealed a 2-1 win over Barcelona for the club’s first UCL win, and he could exceed expectations this season.
10. Victor Eletu (AC Milan): The 19-year-old has been with AC Milan’s youth team since 2018 and has played in the third-tier Italian football. The youngster was selected as part of the team’s UCL squad and is expected to get opportunities to show his talent.
