Soccer
The 2025-26 La Liga season finally came to an end on Saturday night after months of tension at the bottom of the table, with several Nigerian stars deeply involved in the relegation fight, Soccernet.ng reports.
At different stages of the campaign, it looked as though Umar Sadiq, Akor Adams, Chidera Ejuke and Spanish-Nigerian youngster Kareem Tunde could all suffer relegation from Spain’s top flight.
But after a dramatic final stretch filled with managerial changes, late winners and survival battles, most of them eventually escaped the drop.
Only former Liverpool midfielder Ovie Ejaria ended the season on the losing side as Real Oviedo returned immediately to the Segunda Division.
Soccer Valencia and Umar Sadiq complete stunning La Liga escape
Few clubs transformed their season like Valencia CF.
By January, Valencia were trapped inside the relegation zone and staring at their first drop from La Liga in nearly four decades. However, the arrival of coach Carlos Corberán completely changed the atmosphere at Mestalla.
The biggest turning point came through the influence of Sadiq. The Nigerian striker, who arrived on a permanent deal from Real Sociedad, quickly became Valencia’s attacking leader during the survival run. His goals in March dragged the club out of the bottom three for the first time since September.
Sadiq made six goal contributions in his last 16 appearances of the season including key involvements in the win over Levante and Alaves.
In April, when Valencia’s momentum slowed, the Super Eagles forward delivered again. He rescued a point in a 1-1 draw against RCD Mallorca before netting the decisive goal in a massive 2-1 victory over Girona FC.
Valencia eventually climbed to ninth place with 49 points and even finished the season chasing European football rather than survival. Their campaign ended in style with a stunning 3-1 victory over champions FC Barcelona at Mestalla.
Sadiq closed the season with four goals and two assists in 20 league appearances, becoming one of the club’s most important figures during the second half of the campaign.
Soccer Akor Adams leads Sevilla’s great escape
Sevilla also spent large parts of the season dangerously close to relegation.
The seven-time Europa League winners entered May sitting only one point above the bottom three, but a late run of victories against Real Sociedad, RCD Espanyol and Villarreal completely changed their season.
Adams played a central role in that survival mission. The Nigerian striker finished as Sevilla’s leading scorer with 10 league goals and three assists in 32 appearances. His most decisive moments arrived during the pressure-filled May fixtures.
Against Espanyol, Adams came off the bench in the 75th minute before scoring a dramatic 90+2 minute winner to hand Sevilla three priceless points.
Days later, away at Villarreal, Sevilla recovered from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2, with Adams smashing home the winning goal in the 82nd minute to mathematically secure survival.
The former Montpellier striker became Sevilla’s main attacking reference point throughout the campaign, using his physical strength and movement to relieve pressure during difficult matches.
Meanwhile, compatriot Ejuke endured a quieter season. The winger managed only one goal and one assist across 27 league appearances and started just six matches. Despite limited minutes, Sevilla still relied on his dribbling ability late in games, especially during their tense survival run.
His ability to carry the ball and win fouls helped Sevilla protect narrow leads during the closing weeks of the season.
Sevilla eventually finished 13th with 43 points after looking destined for disaster earlier in the campaign.
Soccer Kareem Tunde helps Levante stay alive
Levante UD survived by the narrowest of margins after finishing 16th with 42 points.
The club escaped relegation through a dramatic three-way tiebreaker involving Osasuna and Mallorca after a brilliant late-season recovery under Portuguese coach Luís Castro.
Levante looked doomed after suffering a crushing 5-1 defeat against Villarreal earlier in May, but they responded with three massive victories over Osasuna, RC Celta de Vigo and Mallorca.
One of the key squad players during that survival push was 20-year-old winger Kareem Tunde. The Spanish-Nigerian youngster broke into the first team during the campaign and featured in 21 league matches, starting 17 of them.
Although he finished with only one assist and no goals, his energy and defensive discipline became very important for Castro’s tactical system.
His biggest contribution arrived during a chaotic 4-2 victory over Real Oviedo in March when he provided an important assist that kept Levante within touching distance of safety.
Tunde’s season was briefly interrupted by a left adductor injury suffered during a 2-0 win over Sevilla in April, but he returned in time to make substitute appearances in the final survival matches against Mallorca and Real Betis.
Soccer Ovie Ejaria and Oviedo suffer relegation
Unlike the other Nigerian players, Ejaria could not avoid relegation with Real Oviedo.
Oviedo finished bottom of La Liga with only 29 points and immediately returned to the Segunda Division after a chaotic campaign filled with instability.
The club changed managers three times during the season, while their attack completely collapsed. Oviedo scored only 26 goals across 38 league matches and won just two away games all season.
Ejaria arrived with hopes of rebuilding his career in Spain after leaving Reading, but injuries prevented him from making any serious impact.
The midfielder played only eight league matches, started twice and managed just 201 minutes throughout the entire campaign. He failed to register a goal or assist and did not feature at all during 2026 because of recurring fitness problems.
In the end, the season ended in disappointment for Ejaria’s Oviedo. However, Sadiq, Adams, Ejuke and Tunde will savour their clubs’ survival after one of the most dramatic relegation battles in recent La Liga history.
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