Ilenikhena becomes youngest player to score in two consecutive JPL matches since Romelu Lukaku 

Royal Antwerp suffered their third defeat on the bounce on Sunday afternoon, losing 2-1 to Club Brugge in a Jupiler Pro League game staged at the Jan-Breydel-Stadion with three Super Eagles-eligible players in action.

Nigeria international Raphael Onyedika and Alhassan Yusuf went the distance for their respective teams, while Lagos-born center forward George Ilenikhena entered the game as a substitute in the 72nd minute. 

Twenty five seconds after coming off the bench, Ilenikhena brought the game back to parity when he deflected Corbanie's cross into the far corner but the home team snatched all three points right at the death when Hans Vanaken found the net.

Ilenikhena has now scored in back-to-back games in the Jupiler Pro League having netted his first goal in Antwerp colors in a 3-2 loss to Sporting Charleroi last weekend.

According to the statisticians at OPTA, the Antwerp number 9, who is 17 years and 74 days today, is  the youngest player to score in two consecutive Jupiler Pro League matches since Romelu Lukaku in 2010 (16 years and 312 days). 

Lukaku netted in two consecutive matches against Racing Genk and KSC Lokeren in March 2010.

Signed from Amiens SC in July 2023, Ilenikhena has appeared in fourteen matches across all competitions, including three in the Champions League.

Igho Kingsley 

Photo Credit: royalantwerpfc.be

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