Super Eagles star Leon Balogun made his first appearance for Brighton & Hove in over six months as they advanced to the third round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 win over Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium
The central defender's last appearance for the Seagulls had come against West Brom in an FA Cup fourth round replay on February 6, 2019 and had missed nineteen straight matches in all competitions prior to Tuesday's game.
Brighton coach Graham Potter rang the changes, with 11 in total, handing Balogun his first start of the season.
Aaron Connolly tapped home from close range to give Brighton the lead nine minutes into the second half, Tom Nichols restored parity for the home team, before Glenn Murray netted a winner in stoppage time.
Despite a lack of game time for club and country, Balogun put in an impressive performance and finishing the match with two tackles, four interceptions and six clearances highlighted how influential he was.
The 31-year-old will report for international duty next week with at least one game under his belt in the new season.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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