- Ilenikhena becomes Monaco's youngest scorer in the Champions League at 18 years and 34 days
- The Nigerian striker has now broken Kylian Mbappe’s previous record
- Ilenikhena has handed Barcelona manager Hansi Flick his first defeat
Monaco’s teenage prodigy George Ilenikhena has burst onto the European stage with a performance that will be remembered for years, his late strike that sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League opener, the 18-year-old has made history for his club.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in Antony, France, Ilenikhena’s journey to the international stage has been as swift as his movements on the field.
Ilenikhena’s football journey began at the age of three when his family moved to France. His talent quickly shone through at his local club, and in 2021, he was snapped up by Amiens, where his knack for scoring was immediately apparent, netting an astonishing 24 goals at the France U-17 level.
The left-footed striker wasted no time transitioning to senior football, making his Ligue 2 debut on January 10, 2023, before setting a record as the youngest scorer in the league's history, at just 16 years and 150 days.
Fast forward to September 19, 2024, Ilenikhena has etched his name into Monaco’s record books, breaking a Champions League record once held by Kylian Mbappe. In an exciting match at Stade Louis II, Monaco took the lead in the 16th minute through Maghnes Akliouche. However, Barcelona’s wonderkid Lamine Yamal equalised 12 minutes later, keeping the Spanish giants firmly in the contest. The ill luck for Barcelona came when Eric García received a red card for a foul on Takumi Minamino, leaving Barcelona down to 10 men.
Ilenikhena’s coming on from the bench in the second half proved important at the end of the day, replacing Breel Embolo, the young Nigerian wasted no time making his mark. Twelve minutes after coming on, he started and finished a blistering counter-attack, and shooting past Ter Stegen to net the match-winner in the 71st minute.
Monaco’s 2-1 victory marked Barcelona manager Hansi Flick’s first defeat, and Ilenikhena’s winning goal also saw him eclipse Kylian Mbappe’s record as the youngest player to score for Monaco in the Champions League.
At 18 years and 34 days old, Ilenikhena has surpassed Mbappe’s feat, who scored his first Monaco Champions League goal at 18 years and 63 days against Manchester City in 2017. The performance earned Ilenikhena the Man of the Match award.
Former Super Eagles coach Peseiro shares why he didn't continue with Nigeria
Previously, TheRadar reported that former Super Eagles coach José Peseiro has finally revealed why he parted ways with Nigeria after leading the team to the 2023 AFCON final.
His decision to step down, despite coming close to winning Africa's most prestigious football tournament, was long concluded even before the AFCON final match in Côte d’Ivoire.
Despite attempts from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Sports Minister, John Enoh, to convince him to stay for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and upcoming AFCON qualifiers, Peseiro felt he had reached his limit.
