Nigeria international striker Umar Sadiq continued his fine form for Valencia, netting a crucial equalizer in their 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano in a La Liga encounter on Saturday afternoon.

The 28-year-old, currently on loan from Real Sociedad, was once again the hero for Los Che, scoring in the 75th minute to cancel out an earlier own goal by teammate César Tárrega that had given the hosts the lead.

Sadiq started the match on the bench, with manager Carlos Corberán opting for a forward pairing of Hugo Duro and Diego López. 

However, the Nigerian was brought on in the 66th minute, replacing Portuguese midfielder André Almeida.

Just nine minutes after entering the fray, Sadiq made his presence felt — latching onto a low cross inside the box and slotting home past Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper Augusto Batalla.

The goal marked Sadiq's fifth league strike since his January switch to Valencia, underlining his resurgence after a difficult spell at Real Sociedad.

Sadiq scored to salvage a point for Valencia in previous matches against Villarreal and Osasuna, while netting the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win versus Real Valladolid CF.

His impact has not gone unnoticed, with national team selectors rewarding his efforts with a call-up to the Super Eagles squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March.

Although he didn’t feature in either of the World Cup qualifying matches, Sadiq will be aiming to maintain his impressive goal-scoring form in hopes of earning a recall to the Super Eagles squad for the Unity Cup tournament in London this June.

He will be eager to seize the opportunity to play under new head coach Eric Chelle and use the platform to impress the Malian tactician as Nigeria continues preparations for the resumption of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September.

Adeyemi Adewale

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