African star of the weekend: The light that outshone Suarez!

African stars are not only shining on the continent but all over the world too, and one individual rose as a giant among them with his performance on the weekend.  

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami side were off to a flying start as they kicked their latest Major League Soccer campaign off with two victories and a draw, but with the Argentine absent for their most recent clash against CF Montreal, it was 21-year-old Nigerian star Sunusi Ibrahim who stepped up and stole the show. 

Read: OFFICIAL: Egypt make big Salah decision 

The young striker started the game on the bench, and watched on as his side commanded an early lead when defender Fernando Alvarez headed the ball goalward from a corner kick, opening the scoring just 13 minutes into the encounter. The corner had come about as a result of some bizarre scenes, though, with Miami keeper Drake Callender rushing out of his box in an attempt to clear the ball, only to completely miss it, which led to a chance that Matias Coccaro just could not bury. 

Jordi Alba thought he may have equalised just a few minutes later when he made one of his trademark runs in behind the defence, but was ruled offside after slotting the ball into the back of the net. The Messi-less Miami side would eventually find an equaliser in the 71st minute through Leonardo Campana, who got his head on the end of a ball that floated towards the far post.

Montreal then took the lead once again via Coccaro in the 75th minute, when he headed the ball home from a free-kick.

Just two minutes after the goal, Ibrahim was introduced, and his impact was instantaneous! He made a late run into the box and guided the ball beyond the keeper who could not stop the shot that took a slight deflection on its way to the goal. Despite a stunning strike from Alba from outside of the box in the 80th, the Nigerian's strike would prove to be the winner as Miami could not claw their way back to level terms. 

Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets both made their way on to the pitch as second-half substitutes, but were unable to contribute to making a decisive difference in the same way Ibrahim was able to. In just 13 minutes, he was able to score as well as create a chance to help Montreal to two victories in three games, to see them sit second with seven points on the Eastern Conference table, level with leaders Miami. Montreal, however, have a game in hand.

Ibrahim has appeared in all of their matches thus far, but his goal over the weekend was the first of this campaign.

The 21-year-old will be hoping that it is just the beginning of many more after he penned a new deal with the side in December last year. The extension will see him stay at the club until the end of the 2026 season, with an option for 2027.

The forward joined the Canadian outfit when he was still a teenager, and the club hopes to hold on to him for much longer. 

"It was important to keep Sunusi with us for several more years," the side's vice president and chief sporting officer, Olivier Renard, said, per the official MLS website.

"We were his first club when he left Africa at only 18, but he is still very young today at 21, and we can see that he has potential.

"After three seasons in Montreal, he has learned a lot. He has managed to show us his qualities and it is now up to us to make sure he continues to improve and becomes even more consistent in the future so that he can help us achieve the club's objectives."

Read: OFFICIAL: Manager sacked after headbutting player!

Disclaimer: SNL24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on SNL24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of SNL24.

You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.