Obafemi Awodesu and Ibrahim Aliyu were in action for Houston Dynamo FC as the club suffered a bruising 4-1 home defeat to Inter Miami on Monday night, Soccernet.ng reports.
Houston went into the clash hoping to capitalise on the absence of Lionel Messi, but Luis Suarez rolled back the years with a stunning performance to power the visitors to victory.
Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano turned to his former Barcelona teammate in Messi’s absence — and Suarez delivered in style, contributing to all four of his side’s goals in a display that defied his advancing years.
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The Uruguayan legend registered three assists before capping off the night with a mesmerising solo goal in the second half, leaving Houston’s defence chasing shadows.
Awodesu, 23, started at the heart of Houston Dynamo’s backline but endured a tough evening as Suarez’s brilliance repeatedly exposed the home side.
The Philadelphia-born defender, who is eligible to represent Nigeria through his parents, only joined Houston youth team last year but was promoted to the senior team in January. Awodesu was making just his second MLS appearance against Inter Miami after debuting in last month’s 2-1 defeat to Dallas.
His compatriot Ibrahim Aliyu featured for 53 minutes but struggled to make an impact against Miami’s dominant display.
The former Nigeria U20 star shot to prominence at the 2019 Africa U20 Cup of Nations, where the Flying Eagles finished fourth.
Aliyu, 23, has been with Houston since 2023 after sealing a €2m move from Croatian side NK Lokomotiva. He has made 60 MLS appearances, scoring nine goals and providing six assists for the Dynamo.
Houston Dynamo will look to bounce back when they travel to face Columbus Crew SC on Saturday, March 8, with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. CT.