Lille head coach Bruno Genesio has commended Nigerian striker Chuba Akpom following his goal against Le Havre on his Ligue 1 debut.
Despite the Nigerian striker’s late strike, Lille fell short, losing 2-1 at the Decathlon Arena.
Akpom, 29, struggled for game time during his spell at Ajax and opted for a January loan move to Lille in search of regular football.
READ MORE:akwa-united-shock-enyimba-as-rivers-united-snatch-late-winner-in-npfl-match-day-23
He first featured for the club in a Coupé de France match against Dunkerque before making his league debut.
Introduced at halftime, Akpom found the net deep into stoppage time in the 97th minute. However, his effort came too late to alter the outcome, as Lille had already conceded twice before his introduction.
Akpom born in London to Nigerian parents becomes the 3rd Nigerian to play in the Ligue 1 for Lille after Victor Osimhen and Vincent Enyeama.
Akpom celebrating his debut goal
Following the match, Genesio expressed his satisfaction with Akpom’s performance while highlighting the need for him to adapt to the team’s playing style.
“Scoring is always important for a striker, and Chuba showed great awareness to take his chance,” Genesio told Le Petit Lillois.
“He still needs to adjust to our system and integrate certain tactical aspects, but this goal will help his confidence and add depth to our attacking options for the rest of the season.”
The Lille boss also acknowledged the contributions of Ethan Mbappé and Ayyoub Bouaddi, who came off the bench alongside Akpom but admitted that it was a difficult situation to influence the game.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE ATHLETIC NG WHATSAPP CHANNEL NOW!
Currently, Lille sit fifth in the Ligue 1 standings, five points behind second-placed Marseille, while Paris Saint-Germain maintain a commanding 13-point lead at the top.
Source: The Athletic NG
