Obah inspires Shakhtar Donetsk to Ukrainian title, joins Super Eagles greats on elite list

Shakhtar Donetsk have been crowned Ukrainian Premier League champions on Sunday after thrashing Poltava 4-0 at Arena Lviv, sealing their 16th league title with three matches still left to play, Afrik-Foot reports.

The victory completed another commanding domestic campaign for the club, who have spent much of the season setting the pace ahead of rivals Dynamo Kyiv and surprise challengers Polessya. It has been a dream first season in charge for former Turkey midfielder Arda Turan, who arrived in Ukraine last summer and immediately delivered the biggest trophy in the country.

Shakhtar only needed to avoid defeat in the 27th round to mathematically secure the title, but they removed every trace of tension before a packed crowd in Lviv.

Dmytro Kryskiv struck in first-half stoppage time after Poltava had frustrated the champions-elect for long periods, before Brazilian forward Isaque Silva scored twice within six minutes after the break. Burkina Faso striker Lassina Traoré added the fourth goal in the 67th minute as the celebrations began long before the final whistle.

The result lifted Shakhtar onto 66 points, 11 clear of second-placed Polessya, with the gap now impossible to close.

One of the biggest stories behind the title run has been the emergence of Nigerian winger Prosper Obah, whose January arrival transformed Shakhtar’s attack during the decisive months of the season.

The 20-year-old joined from LNZ Cherkasy in a deal reported to be worth around €4.5m after scoring seven league goals during the first half of the campaign. Since moving to Donetsk, he has quickly become one of the league’s most dangerous wide players.

Obah finished the campaign with a total of eight goals and several decisive performances, including a crucial strike in the 2-1 victory over Zorya Luhansk on 23 April. That win stretched Shakhtar’s lead at the top during a tense title race and gave the club breathing space ahead of the closing weeks.

His pace, direct running and ability to attack defenders one-against-one gave Turan a new dimension on the right flank. Shakhtar also benefited from his sharp understanding with Isaque Silva and Traoré during the run-in.

The title-clinching victory over Poltava shows how quickly Obah has settled into one of Eastern Europe’s biggest clubs. Reports in England have already linked him with interest from Championship side Southampton and newly-promoted Premier League club Coventry City.

Nigerians who conquered Ukraine before Shakhtar Donetsk’s Obah

Obah’s success now places him alongside a distinguished list of Nigerian footballers who previously won league titles in Ukraine, particularly with Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv.

Perhaps the most celebrated Nigerian player in Ukrainian football history remains Julius Aghahowa. The former Super Eagles striker won five league titles with Shakhtar between 2002 and 2011 and became a cult hero among supporters because of his speed, acrobatic celebrations and knack for scoring in big matches. His winning goal against Dynamo Kyiv in the 2006 championship playoff remains one of the defining moments of the modern Ukrainian league era.

Defender Isaac Okoronkwo was part of the Shakhtar side that secured the club’s first-ever Ukrainian title in the 2001-02 season, helping begin the rise that would eventually challenge Dynamo Kyiv’s long-standing dominance.

Former Manchester City forward Olarenwaju Kayode also lifted the title with Shakhtar during the 2017-18 season after impressing on loan before making his move permanent.

At Dynamo Kyiv, retired midfielder Ayila Yussuf became one of the club’s most reliable foreign players, winning three league titles during a career that lasted more than a decade in Ukraine. Lucky Idahor won two championships in the early 2000s and made history as the first African player to feature for Dynamo.

Former Nigeria youth international Lukman Haruna also won the league with Dynamo Kyiv in 2015, while ex-Super Eagles defender Taye Taiwo earned a winner’s medal during his loan spell in the 2012-13 campaign.

Prosper Obah has added his own chapter to that beautiful Nigerian story in Ukraine and, at just 20 years old, this could be only the beginning.