Europa League Group Stage Best XI features only one Nigerian player

Football statistics website Whoscored.com has revealed its Europa League Group Stage Best XI, with only one Nigerian player making the cut. 

Victor Boniface (RUSG), Nonso Madueke (PSV), Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce), Lesley Ugochukwu (Rennes), Victor Olatunji (AEK Larnaca), Anthony Olusanya (HJK), Umar Sadiq (Real Sociedad) and Francis Uzoho (Omonia) all featured in this season's Europa League group stage.

Other Nigeria-eligible players given minutes in the Europa League include Sheriff Tiraspol duo Rasheed Akanbi and Iyayi Atiemwen, Freiburg's Kevin Schade and Noah Atubolu, Moses Simon (Nantes) and  Anderson Esiti ( Ferencváros).

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise star Victor Boniface is the only Nigerian representative in the Europa League Group Stage Best XI and starts in attack in a 4-4-2 formation. 

Boniface scored three goals in the Europa League group stage, against Malmo and Sporting Braga (2) and set up his teammates once. 

Only Sporting Braga star Vítor Oliveira and Feyenoord's Santiago Giménez scored more goals than Boniface in the group stage.

With the exception of the 1-0 loss to Union Berlin, he started all the matches played by RUSG in the Europa League.

Igho Kingsley 

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