It was a frustrating night for Fulham’s Super Eagles contingent as Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze all featured in the 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth, who stormed back to claim victory and climb to second in the Premier League table.
In stormy conditions at Craven Cottage, Fulham took the lead in the 70th minute when Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze made an instant impact after coming off the bench. Just three minutes into his appearance, he threaded a clever pass through to Ryan Sessegnon, who finished calmly past Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic to put the hosts 1-0 up.
However, the Cottagers’ lead did not last long. Antoine Semenyo equalised in spectacular fashion, weaving past defenders on the left wing before squeezing a low strike through Bernd Leno’s legs. Substitute Justin Kluivert then turned the game on its head with a thunderous 25-yard effort, before Semenyo capped his brilliant night with a late counter-attack goal deep into stoppage time.
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi, making his 298th Premier League appearance, pulled the strings in midfield and looked sharp before being replaced by Adama Traore in the 86th minute. Defender Calvin Bassey played the full 90 minutes but was left exposed as Fulham’s defence crumbled under late Bournemouth pressure. Despite his efforts, the Cottagers were undone by lapses at the back.
The result leaves Fulham ruing missed opportunities as Bournemouth leapfrog into second place, just one point behind leaders Liverpool, though with other fixtures yet to be played this weekend.
For Nigeria fans, the match provided mixed emotions: Chukwueze impressed with an assist, while Iwobi and Bassey endured a tough outing, underlining the Super Eagles growing presence in the Premier League spotlight.
