Ugochukwu opens Ligue 1 account aged 17 years and 254 days; 2 ex-Super Eagles stars younger scorers

Published: December 05, 2021

France U18 international of Nigerian descent Lesley Ugochukwu scored his first professional goal for Rennes on Sunday, finding the net for the Brittany club in their 5-0 hammering of Saint-étienne at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Making his 13th career appearance in the French top-flight, Ugochukwu made an immediate impact, scoring two minutes after his introduction to wrap up the scoring in the 83rd minute.

The French-Nigerian teenager spent 399 minutes in total on the pitch before netting his first goal in Rennes colours.

With his goal against Saint-étienne, Ugochukwu, nephew of former Rennes and Nigeria center back Onyekachi Apam, became the third youngest player of Nigerian descent to score in the French Ligue 1.

He is the third Nigeria-eligible player to score in Ligue 1 before turning 18, following in the footsteps of two former Super Eagles stars - ex-PSG wonderkid Bartholomew Ogbeche (17 years and 55 days) and former Lens playmaker Wilson Oruma (17 years and 218 days).

Ogbeche entered the history book as the youngest Nigerian goalscorer in Ligue 1 on November 25, 2001 when he found the net against Nantes, breaking the record set by Oruma on August 5, 1994 in Lens' 5-0 rout of Rennes.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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