Nigeria-eligible teenager scores stunning first Anfield goal as Liverpool end losing run

Anglo-Nigerian youngster Rio Ngumoha. Photo Credit IMAGO

Seventeen-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who is eligible to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, marked his first Premier League start at Anfield with a moment of brilliance, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Liverpool starlet opened the scoring in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Fulham and became the youngest player ever to score a league goal on Anfield turf.

The win snaps a three-game losing streak for Arne Slot’s side and offers a timely boost ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, with Liverpool sitting fifth and still scrapping for European qualification rather than the title they won last season.

Soccer Liverpool’s goals vs Fulham

Ngumoha broke the deadlock on 36 minutes. Florian Wirtz collected possession in midfield and fed the teenager inside the box. Ngumoha isolated Fulham right-back Timothy Castagne, bamboozled him with a rapid burst of stepovers, shifted the ball onto his right foot and curled a precise finish inside the far post past Bernd Leno.

Watch Liverpool’s goals vs Fulham here:

At 17 years and 225 days, he became Liverpool’s youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer at Anfield.

Mohamed Salah doubled the advantage four minutes later, scoring just his second league goal since November. Cody Gakpo’s lay-off found the Egyptian on the edge of the area, and Salah delivered one of his trademark curling efforts inside the far post to make it 2-0 before the break.

Despite Fulham mustering 19 shots and nine corners in the second half, Liverpool held firm for a first clean sheet in weeks.

Soccer Ngumoha’s Rising Stock

It has been a remarkable journey for the Newham-born forward since he arrived from Chelsea’s Cobham academy in the summer of 2024. In February 2026, the Professional Football Compensation Committee ordered Liverpool to pay Chelsea a minimum of £2.8 million in development compensation.

The teenager announced himself on the Premier League stage on 25 August 2025, coming off the bench in the 96th minute at St James’ Park and scoring a composed 100th-minute winner in a wild 3-2 victory over Newcastle. That strike, at 16 years and 361 days, made him Liverpool’s youngest-ever goalscorer and only the fourth 16-year-old to find the net in Premier League history, alongside James Vaughan, James Milner and Wayne Rooney.

He has since accumulated 13 Premier League appearances this season, and today’s display was comfortably his most complete performance in a Liverpool shirt.

Soccer The Nigeria Question

Ngumoha’s heritage guarantees this story will resonate far beyond Merseyside. Born to a Nigerian father of Igbo descent, with roots in Abia and Lagos, and a Guadeloupean mother who gives him French nationality, the teenager holds multiple international eligibilities.

He has represented England at under-15, under-16 and under-17 level, but under FIFA regulations remains free to switch allegiance to Nigeria’s Super Eagles before making a senior competitive appearance for England.

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle, who led Nigeria to an AFCON bronze medal in January and remains unbeaten in 18 official matches in charge, is expected to be monitoring the forward’s development.

With the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations cycle now under way and Nigeria rebuilding after their painful penalty shootout exit from the 2026 World Cup play-offs, the prospect of adding Ngumoha to an attack already featuring Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman is an enticing one for Nigerian football fans.

Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Chief Editor at Soccernet.ng. He has interviewed Super Eagles stars like William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Ademola Lookman, and is known for breaking major transfer stories.

Ayomide has worked with Sports Brief, Naija News and served as Social Lead Editor at Legit.ng. He has also featured on Goal, TVC News, Sports Mole, and Milan News24. He holds a Master’s degree and is currently pursuing a PhD. Follow Ayomide on X (formerly Twitter): @ayo_oguntimehin