Ideye Scores First Hat-Trick In European Top Flight

Brown Ideye notched a hat-trick to lead Olympiakos to a 6-1 rout of Veria in their first game of the season in the Greek Super League on Sunday night.

The Nigeria international opened scoring in the 25th minute, then scored two more goals in the second half in the 61st and 89th minute after providing an assist for Olympiakos’s third goal four minutes before the interval.

If the four goals Ideye netted whilst on the books of Neuchâtel Xamax in a fourth-tier clash against FC Portalban on 20th March 2008 is not included in the mix, Sunday’s treble was the first time he managed to score more than two goals in a league match since he moved to Europe nine years ago.

The 27-year-old scored a hat-trick in Neuchâtel Xamax 8-0 victory over FC La Comb in the Swiss Cup in September 2009.

Ideye has registered his name on the score sheet four times in all competitions this season, including the crucial goal he scored against Arouca in the Europa League last month.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel