Nigerian stars Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Victor Boniface are among the players set for high-profile UEFA Champions League battles following Thursday’s league phase draw.
The draw has handed the Nigerian contingent a series of demanding fixtures against some of Europe’s biggest clubs, providing the Super Eagles stars with an opportunity to showcase their quality on the continent’s biggest stage.
Osimhen, who plays for Galatasaray, is expected to be one of the main Nigerian attractions in the competition, with the Turkish giants scheduled to face Barcelona among their league-phase opponents.
Atletico Madrid forward Lookman will also face a stern challenge, with his side drawn against Liverpool and Manchester United.
Boniface and Nathan Tella will represent Bayer Leverkusen, who are expected to face another difficult European campaign as they compete against some of the continent’s leading sides.
Other Nigerian players involved in the competition include Raphael Onyedika of Eintracht Frankfurt, Moses Usor of LASK Linz, Zaidu Sanusi of Porto and Christian Nwachukwu of Sabah FK.
The league phase is scheduled to begin between September 8 and 10, with the new format set to provide the Nigerian players with several opportunities to test themselves against top European opposition.
The draw also produced a number of heavyweight encounters, including Barcelona versus Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, while Liverpool will face Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.
Manchester City will meet Paris Saint-Germain, while Barcelona will also take on Galatasaray. Atletico Madrid are scheduled to face Manchester United.
With several Nigerians drawn into challenging fixtures, attention will be on how Osimhen, Lookman, Boniface and their compatriots perform against Europe’s elite when the Champions League campaign gets underway.
