Al-Ittihad have congratulated George Ilenikhena after the young striker scored on his Super Eagles debut in Nigeria’s 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The 20-year-old forward marked his first senior appearance for Nigeria in memorable fashion, scoring the equaliser in first-half stoppage time at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday.
Madagascar had taken the lead in the 16th minute through Ehsan Kari, putting Nigeria under early pressure.
Ilenikhena then restored parity shortly before half-time, finishing an Alex Iwobi pass to give the Super Eagles a much-needed boost going into the break. (Premium Times Nigeria)
Nigeria completed the comeback in the 65th minute when fellow debutant Moses Usor scored to secure all three points for Eric Chelle’s side.
The victory gives Nigeria a positive start to their Group L qualifying campaign, with the Super Eagles set to face Guinea-Bissau in their next fixture on 29 September. (Premium Times Nigeria)
Ilenikhena’s international breakthrough comes after an impressive start to the season with Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. The Lagos-born striker has established himself as one of the club’s emerging attacking talents and had already attracted significant attention with his goalscoring form before receiving his first Nigeria call-up. (Saudi Pro League)
His debut goal against Madagascar adds an international milestone to a rapid rise that has seen him move through clubs including Amiens, Royal Antwerp and Monaco before joining Al-Ittihad.
For Nigeria, his timely equaliser was more than just a debut goal. It helped spark a comeback and ensured the Super Eagles began their journey towards AFCON 2027 with three points.
