Peter Olayinka scored ten minutes into his APOEL home debut as the Cypriot First Division giants defeated Francis Uzoho's Omonia 1-0 in the Nicosia derby staged at the GSP Stadium on Sunday, February 22.

The breakthrough for the Blue and Yellow arrived in the 81st minute when Olayinka calmly finished from inside the box to make it 1–0, and APOEL held on until the final whistle to seal a memorable victory in the Derby of the Eternal Enemies.

Three months after leaving Red Star Belgrade by mutual consent, the Nigeria international joined APOEL as a free agent, signing a short-term deal until the end of the 2025-2026 season.

Olayinka was delighted to score on his APOEL home debut, and also highlighted the electric atmosphere inside the stadium  

Speaking to reporters post-match, Olayinka said: "The team fought, we fought from beginning to the end, and I think we deserve the win. I am happy to score this goal and everyone is very excited.

"It was an incredible atmosphere because this was my first game here on the pitch and I saw the fans come to support, it was a really amazing atmosphere."

Explaining his decision to join APOEL FC, Olayinka revealed that  he knew about the club’s reputation. 

"I've known APOEL for a long time because I follow the Champions League. I played in Northern Cyprus but I do watch a lot of football and I know about APOEL so it's a good opportunity for me to come here."

Predominantly deployed on the left wing, Olayinka is a versatile attacker capable of operating as a centre-forward, right winger or second striker when required.

When asked whether he prefers playing as a left winger or a striker, he responded: "For me it doesn't matter. I just want to play in attack and then do my job.": 

Concluding his remarks, Olayinka credited the team's strong mentality for the victory, adding that everyone understands the target, the goal and what must be achieved.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel