Nigeria’s George Ilenikhena Has Two UCL Records After Scoring For Monaco Against Barcelona

Nigerian youngster, George Ilenikhena made two records after scoring a goal and providing an assist in Monaco’s 2-1 win over FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League match on Thursday, September 19.

In a thrilling match against Barcelona, AS Monaco’s George Ilenikhena, made a significant impact by coming off the bench to score the winning goal in their 2-1 victory.

At just 18 years old, Ilenikhena etched his name in the history books as the youngest player to score for Monaco in the UEFA Champions League, surpassing the record previously held by Kylian Mbappe.

His historic goal came in the 71st minute as he skillfully outpaced the defence and coolly finished past Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

This memorable moment sealed Monaco’s victory, as Lamine Yamal had cancelled out Maghnes Akilouche’s opener earlier in the game.

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Ilenikhena moved to France 15 years ago, and he recently joined Monaco this summer from Royal Antwerp.

Apart from being the youngest player to score for Monaco in the UEFA Champions League, George Ilenikhena is now the first player to score against the same club in the UEFA Champions League with two different clubs successively.

Recall that Ilenikhena scored a goal against FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions on December 13, 2023, while playing for Belgian side Royal Antwerp F.C. The game ended 3-2 in favour of the Belgian side which means that Barcelona are yet to defeat Ilenikhena’s team after two attempts.