• The football season has kicked off in many countries already, and Nigerian players are already banging in goals and impressing for their club sides.

BELGIUM

Gift Orban netted his first hat-trick of the season to power KAA Gent to a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Pogon Szczecin in the first leg of their Europa Conference League qualifiers at the Ghelamco Arena.

Orban gave the home side the lead in the 13th minute, profiting from a goalkeeping blunder. The Nigerian youngster doubled his side's advantage 22 minutes later with an audacious headed lob over the opposing goalie.

Orban completed his hat-trick in the second half with a smart shot with his right foot to hand Gent a massive advantage in the qualifiers.

ENGLAND

In the EFL League Cup, Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi scored in the same match for Leicester City for the first time to guide the Foxes to a fine 2-0 victory away to Burton Albion.

Iheanacho opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a cheeky backheel before turning provider for Ndidi to extend Leicester's lead in first-half stoppage time.

Former Super Eagles winger Sone Aluko came off the bench to net the clincher for Ipswich Town in their [2-0] triumph over Bristol Rovers.

Super Eagles defender Jamilu Collins played his first competitive match since returning from a lengthy layoff and helped Cardiff City battle to a 2-2 draw with Colchester United also in the League Cup. Cardiff triumphed 3-0 on penalties to advance to the next stage, with Seyi Ojo and Ike Ugbo among the club's penalty-takers.

FINLAND

In the Veikkausliiga, Peter Michael broke the deadlock for VPS in their hard-fought [3-2] win over SJK at the Lemonsoft Stadion in Vaasa.
It is the 25-year-old's sixth goal - a career-high - in 17 league games for VPS.

PORTUGAL

Zaidu Sanusi started the season on a disappointing note as his Porto fell to a [2-0] defeat to Benfica in the Portuguese Super Cup played at the Estadio Municipal de Aveiro.

Sanusi played for 82 minutes and received a second-half yellow card before he left the pitch.

RUSSIA

20-year-old forward, Moses Cobnan was among the goals for Krasnodar in their thrilling [4-3] away defeat against Dinamo Moscow.

SCOTLAND

At the Ibrox Stadium, Cyriel Dessers scored his first goal for Rangers to lift the Scottish giants to a slender 2-1 win over Servette in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifiers.

Captain James Tavernier gave the Gers the lead after just six minutes before Dessers, who only joined Rangers last month from Cremonese, doubled the advantage in the 15th minute from close range.

From the penalty spot just before halftime, Chris Bedia halved the deficit for Servette, who finished the game with ten men following the 60th-minute dismissal of David Douline, to set up a thrilling contest in the second leg in Switzerland next week.