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Following his brace against the Crusaders, the Nigeria international has beaten two records in the same game
Crotone striker Simeon Nwankwo has eclipsed Yakubu Ayegbeni’s European league mark to become the highest-scoring Nigerian in a single top-five European League campaign.
He also surpassed Obafemi Martins’ record to become Nigeria’s highest scorer ever in the history of Serie A. Both records fell in the game against Parma on Saturday.
The red-hot Nigerian forward scored in each half against the Crusaders as Pythagoreans secured a 4-3 away win in the Italian elite division outing.
Parma leveled matters through Hernani in the 29th minute after the visiting side had taken a 14th-minute lead through Lisandro Magallan.
Three minutes before the half-time break, Nwankwo put the relegation-threatened team ahead after tapping past goalkeeper Simone Colombi from an Adam Ounas cross.
In the goal-laden first half, Serse Cosmi’s men extended their lead through Algeria international Ounas with the last strike of the first 45 minutes.
Goals from Cote d’Ivoire international Gervinho and Valentin Mihaila put Roberto D’Aversa’s team back on equal terms. The 49th-minute goal ended Gervinho’s 15-game goal drought in the Italian top-flight – a run that lasted 1176 minutes after his last effort in the Serie A (a brace against Genoa in November).
19. Crotone’s #Simy has overtaken Yakubu’s record as the highest scoring Nigerian player in a single top-5 European League campaign in 2000s. The Yak scored 17 goals for Blackburn Rovers in 2011/12. #SerieATIM #ParmaCrotone pic.twitter.com/yQDYCadutC
— Shina Oludare ?? (@sportingshina) April 24, 2021
However, the towering Nigerian forward, Nwankwo had the final say via a penalty kick in the 69th minute. Thanks to his effort, he now boasts 19 goals in the 2020-21 Serie A campaign.
In a recent chat with Goal, Yakubu Ayegbeni expressed his desire for the 28-year-old to overtake his benchmark.
“Records are always meant to be broken. I hope he breaks it and I wish him all the very best in his quest to do that. Also, I want to say well done to him for his goalscoring form this season,” Ayegbeni told Goal.
After completing his loan spell at Leicester City, ‘the Yak’ joined the Riversiders for an undisclosed fee. In his maiden season at Ewood Park, he became an instant hit – scoring 17 English top-flight goals in 30 appearances.
Since his debut in the Italian top-flight in 2016 after a move from Portuguese outfit Gil Vicente, Nwankwo has scored 29 times in the process.
Simy (29 goals) has overtaken Obafemi Martins (28) as the best Nigerian scorer in the history of Serie A. #SerieATIM #ParmaCrotone pic.twitter.com/sWNYQNEwek
— Shina Oludare ?? (@sportingshina) April 24, 2021
Even with Crotone’s fifth win of the current campaign, they remain at the base of the log after accruing just 18 points from 33 matches. The Nigerian would be hoping to continue his impressive goalscoring run against Inter on May 1.
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