Super Eagles midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi featured for Zulte Waregem as they suffered a narrow 4-3 away defeat to Club Brugge on matchday 22 of the Belgian Pro League in a pulsating encounter at the Jan Breydel Stadion.
Club Brugge made a blistering start and went in front after just six minutes when Aleksandar Stankovic finished clinically to give the hosts an early lead. Waregem settled into the contest and gradually grew in confidence, drawing level in the 38th minute when Marley Ake found the net after a fine assist from Enrique Lofolomo.
The visitors then took control shortly before the break as Anosike Ementa struck two minutes later to put Waregem 2-1 ahead going into halftime.
Brugge responded immediately after the restart, restoring parity in the 46th minute through Brandon Mechele. The hosts kept pressing and were rewarded again in the 60th minute when Stankovic completed his brace to swing the game back in their favour.
Nicolo Tresoldi extended Brugge’s lead in the 78th minute to make it 4-2, seemingly putting the result beyond doubt. However, Waregem refused to go down quietly, and Ghana U-20 striker Joseph Opoku pulled one back late on to make it 4-3, but his effort proved too little too late as the visitors fell just short of a comeback.
Tochukwu Nnadi was introduced in the 64th minute for Lukas Willen and delivered a solid performance in midfield. He completed 18 of his 24 passes, won three tackles and prevailed in three of five ground duels. The Nigerian has now started 16 of the 17 league matches he has played for Waregem this season, accumulating 1,345 minutes in the Belgian Pro League.
Away from the pitch, reports suggest Nnadi has indicated his willingness to join West Ham United, with the Premier League club preparing a five year contract for the 22 year old midfielder in the January transfer window. The Nigeria international, who recently returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty, is attracting interest from several English and European clubs, but West Ham are reportedly leading the race for his signature. Sources add that talks over personal terms have been positive, and once an agreement is reached, negotiations over a transfer fee with Zulte Waregem are expected to follow.
