Super Eagles defender Onyemaechi stars in VAR drama

Published on by Andrew Randa

Super Eagles defender Bruno Onyemaechi played a pivotal role for his Portuguese side Boavista in their 2-2 draw away to Estrela de Amadora in a Portuguese top-flight league match on Monday night.

The Nigeria international, who has been in fine form recently, started the match and made an immediate impact, scoring the opening goal in the 23rd minute to give Boavista an early lead.

Estrela de Amadora equalised through the experienced Nani in the 35th minute, but Boavista regained their advantage just before half-time, courtesy of Ilija Vukotić’s goal.

Super Eagles defender Bruno Onyemaechi stars in VAR drama
Photo by IMAGO

However, Kikas brought Estrela back into the game with a second equaliser in the 68th minute, ensuring the match ended in a hard-fought 2-2 draw.

Bruno Onyemaechi vs Estrela de Amadora in numbers

In addition to scoring, Onyemaechi was also shown a red card during the proceedings. To his relief, a VAR review and intervention spared him the dismissal, and he stayed on.

The left-back was heavily involved throughout the match, making three clearances, winning 3 out of 6 aerial duels and 3 out of 8 ground duels.

He also made three successful tackles and had 43 touches on the ball.

His passing accuracy saw him complete 10 of 18 passes for a 56% success rate, a clear area of weakness in his overall display. He also registered a shot on target and provided one key pass.

Following this result, struggling Boavista sits in 13th place in the Portuguese league, with five points from their opening five games.

Super Eagles defender Onyemaechi stars in VAR drama

Andrew Randa

Andrew Randa is a veteran Nigerian sports journalist with over 20 years of experience covering the beautiful game across Africa. Andrew served as a Media Officer for Nigeria's U-20 Men's National Team for three years, offering a unique perspective on the future stars of Nigerian football.

Beyond reporting, Andrew is a pioneer in sports graphics creation within Nigeria. His expertise extends to sports kit design, making him a true multi-faceted talent in the African sports landscape.

Andrew's experience is vast, with collaborations encompassing prestigious names like Kickoff, SuperSport, the NFF (Nigeria Football Federation), and the NPFL (Nigeria Professional Football League)