Nigeria forward Umar Sadiq may have revived his international prospects after scoring his first-ever Copa del Rey goal for Real Sociedad in their 2–0 win away to Reus FC Reddis on Wednesday evening, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 28-year-old, who has struggled for opportunities this season, was making just his sixth appearance of the campaign and arrived at a moment when injuries to key Sociedad attackers have opened a fragile window for him to re-establish himself.
Once transfer-listed in the summer, and close to deadline-day moves including talks with Valencia, Sadiq has battled for form and visibility for much of the past few months.
But recent performances have shown signs of fitness and sharpness returning, and Wednesday’s outing in Catalonia marked his clearest statement yet.
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Super Eagles door reopens as Umar Sadiq delivers another timely reminder
Umar Sadiq’s competitiveness had already been highlighted late last month when he registered an assist in the 1–1 draw away to Elche, followed by his first La Liga start of the season in the 3–2 home loss to Villarreal on 30 November.
Days later, he earned a place in Nigeria’s provisional 54-man list for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, a noteworthy development given he had not been invited since Eric Chelle became head coach in January.
While breaking into the final 28-man squad remains a challenge, Sadiq offers a profile different from the other Super Eagles attackers, and Chelle will be aware of his ability to impact matches from the bench.
That quality was on display again on Wednesday.
Though Real Sociedad’s No 15 had been expected to start, coach Sergio Francisco opted for youngster Carrera, leaving Sadiq on the bench. Sociedad laboured through a flat first half, and Francisco turned to the Nigerian at the interval.
The change proved decisive. Four minutes into the restart, Spaniard Mikel Goti broke the deadlock.
Then, in stoppage time, Sadiq produced a clever piece of play to win a penalty, before stepping up to calmly convert it himself. It was his fifth goal for the club since arriving in 2022 and his first since March 2024. The win sealed Sociedad’s place in the Copa del Rey third round.
As per Marca, coach Francisco praised the striker’s influence afterwards, saying:
“Sadiq always contributes when he comes on, and today he won balls, threatened the opposition, and won that penalty that gave us peace of mind.
“I think the changes worked well, that in the second half the team had a bit more strength, and we achieved our objective of advancing to the next round and focusing on the next one.”
However, Sadiq’s long-term future in San Sebastián remains uncertain. The impending return of Oyarzabal, Karrikaburu and Óskarsson could again push him down the pecking order, with a January exit still very possible.
For now, though, Chelle will be watching closely.
Sadiq, part of Nigeria’s 2021 AFCON squad, may yet force his way into Morocco 2025, with timing and form suddenly swinging in his favour.