Super Eagles stand-in captain William Troost-Ekong was the difference for his side, POAK Thessaloniki in their first leg of the 2nd round of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers when they hosted Bosnian side Borac Banja Luka.
Ekong rose up to the occasion when the game was tied at 2-2 to produce a match-winning header to send his side into the second leg with a win.
Young defender Konstantinos Koulierakis fired home an opener for the host in the 17th minute but was cancelled out by Sebastian Herrera who slotted home from 12 yards just five minutes after the lead.
Koulierekas restored PAOK’s lead in the 39th minute, but just before half-time, the Bosnians restored parity through an Enver Kulasin strike.
Coming back from halftime with the game tied at 2-2, African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2024 mlst Valuable player William Troost-Ekong headed home what proved to be the winner in the 57th minute.
The 30-year old picked up an injury in the second game of the AFCON against host Côte d’Ivoire but carried his Nation’s course at heart and played until the final where he won the best player of the tournament after being defeated 2-1 in the final.
By winning the Greek top division, POAK earned a place in Round 2 of the UCL qualifying playoffs. The Greek side hosted the first-leg and thanks to Ekong’s strike, they will take a 3-2 first-leg win into the second-leg when they travel to Bosnia on Wednesday, July 31 for a slot in the 3rd round.
