Super Eagles sensation George Ilenikhena continued his red-hot form on Friday evening, finding the back of the net once more to power Al-Ittihad to a hard-earned victory over Al-Diriyah in Round 11 of the Saudi Pro League.
The 20-year-old Nigerian international picked up right where he left off in his last match—where he notched a goal and an assist in the Tigers’ 4-1 thrashing of Al-Ettifaq—proving to be the catalyst yet again for the Saudi powerhouse.
Still fresh off his senior international debut with Nigeria, Ilenikhena broke the deadlock just before the 30-minute mark.
Showing classic attacking instinct, the former Monaco striker pounced instantly when the Al-Diriyah goalkeeper failed to clean up a loose ball, tapping it home to send the home crowd into raptures.
With that strike, Ilenikhena has now registered three goal contributions (two goals, one assist) in just two matches since returning from international duty.
His impressive overall campaign tally now stands at 11 goal contributions—eight goals and three assists—in just 12 appearances across all competitions.
Despite his crucial opening goal, Ilenikhena was substituted at halftime, making way for Youssef En-Nesyri for the final 45 minutes.
Al-Ittihad thought they had doubled their advantage in the 58th minute when Danilo Pereira turned the ball into the net, but the goal was chalked off following a review.
The Tigers eventually found their cushion 19 minutes later when they were awarded a penalty, which Georginio Wijnaldum coolly converted to wrap up the victory.
The hard-fought win keeps Al-Ittihad sitting fourth in the Saudi Pro League standings with 23 points.
The Tigers won’t have long to celebrate, as they swiftly shift focus to the AFC Champions League Elite West, where a Round 3 clash against Neftchi Fargona awaits them on Monday.
