Ignored-Flying Eagles youngster shines brightest in United's shock Enyimba win

Teenager Sani Suleiman enhanced his reputation with a brilliant match-winning brace as Akwa United humiliated Enyimba 3-1 on Monday evening.

Pulse Sports Nigeria reports that the 18-year-old forward continued his recent hot streak by netting two excellent goals to inspire the surprise victory over the reigning NPFL champions.

Suleiman opened his account by rounding Super Eagles goalkeeper Ojo Olorunleke to double Akwa's lead after David Philip's early opener.

Enyimba fought back, hitting the bar three times before Mbaoma Chijioke pulled one back from the penalty spot late on.

However, there would be no denying the struggling United this time on their return to the Nest of Champions since October 2023, as Suleiman had the final say by adding a dramatic third in stoppage time.

It capped a man-of-the-match display from the talented youngster, who also scored a wonder solo goal in the previous game against Sporting Lagos.

Suleiman now has three goals in his last two NPFL outings as he looks to fire relegation-threatened Akwa to safety.

The brace against the People’s Elephant underlined his potential to be a key player in Akwa's survival bid during the second half of the season.

Suleiman was surprisingly overlooked for the Flying Eagles' recent African Games squad despite his scoring prowess by head coach Ladan Bosso.

But performances like the one against Enyimba will make it hard for national team coaches to continue ignoring the clinical finisher's claims.

For now, Akwa will be just relieved to have such a precocious talent leading their frontline as they target climbing away from the drop zone.