Nigerians looking to soar in LaLiga

With a history of three Afcon titles, Olympic gold and some wonderful Fifa World Cup performances, Nigeria is a nation that has immense pride in the football heroes it has provided, with so many of them flourishing in the European leagues.

Here are the current Nigerians who are looking to emulate the likes of Ikechukwu Uche, Finidi George and Mutiu Adepoju as Super Eagles that soared in LaLiga.

Christantus Uche – Getafe CF

Plucked from the third tier at 21 years old, any doubts about how Christantus Uche would fare in LaLiga disappeared on the opening day of the season when he leapt up majestically for a towering header to equalise against Athletic Club.

He followed that up with goals in impressive away wins against Real Sociedad and Girona FC. He’s also provided for others in attack and has played an instrumental role for Getafe CF, who are on course to have their best league finish in five years.

Uche came to the club as a midfielder but has been having even more of an impact as a striker. His versatility will help his manager, Jose Bordalas, as his squad depth gets tested in the final stretch of the season.

Chidera Ejuke – Sevilla FC

After missing nine games in this campaign due to a hamstring injury, Sevilla FC will be left to wonder how much better their season would have been if Chidera Ejuke was available for more of it.

Back in September, Ejuke provided Sevilla FC fans with one of their best moments of the season when he went on a run late in the game, shot across the goalkeeper and found a late winner.

He was also a matchwinner in one of their most impressive victories of the campaign away to Real Sociedad. He grabbed the only goal from long range on a day when he constantly troubled the home defence.

Sevilla FC coach Garcia Pimienta has often used Ejuke as a second-half substitute, but after some impressive performances in his debut LaLiga season, the winger is making a stronger and stronger case to feature more in the starting team.

Umar Sadiq – Valencia CF

Valencia CF were in deep relegation trouble when Umar Sadiq was brought in January on loan from Real Sociedad. Now they sit six points clear of trouble after the striker has given them more of a focal point to play towards.

It was Sadiq’s purple patch over February and March, with four goals in four games, that helped with the rising self-belief in the Valencia CF team.

Sadiq’s ability as a goal scorer has never been in doubt (as he showed at UD Almería when he first came to Spain), but he’s only given glimpses of his ability in his time at Real Sociedad.

A period in new surroundings has clearly rejuvenated the 28-year-old, where his good form earned him a recall to the Super Eagles squad in the last international break.

Akor Adams – Sevilla FC

Signed in January to join his countryman Chidera Ejuke, Akor Adams has been eased into the Sevilla FC setup and shown plenty of promise to his new employers.

Like Ejuke, Adams also sustained an injury that made him unavailable for five games. After a couple of games being used off the bench, the centre forward made a big step in the last game against Atlético de Madrid when he made the team’s starting team for the first time.

As a 25-year-old who has gained experience in Norway and France before coming to Spain, Adams has a bright future in a Sevilla FC squad that’s looking to rebuild for the future.

With these four players making waves in Spain’s top flight, it's clear that Nigerian talent continues to thrive on the LaLiga stage.

As they chase more goals and greatness, their journeys serve as motivation for the next generation of Super Eagles dreaming of European success. The legacy of Nigerian excellence in LaLiga is alive and the future looks even brighter.