Football: Boosted by its African players, Leicester routs Southampton and is close to returning to the Premier League
By winning 5-0 at home on Tuesday, April 23, thanks to a hat-trick from Ghanaian forward Issahaku Fatawu, Leicester City has taken a serious step towards promotion to the Premier League next season.
In the rescheduled match of the 38th championship round, Leicester City hosted Southampton on Tuesday, April 23, at the King Power Stadium. This encounter is crucial for players like Patson Daka, Stéphy Mavididi, Wilfried Ndidi, and Abdul Fatawu and their teammates for promotion to the elite league. Aware of the importance of this match, the 2016 Premier League champions put pressure on their opponents in the first twenty minutes of the game. A pressure that eventually paid off.
On a long through pass from Dewsbury-Hall, Ghanaian international Abdul Fatawu eluded Southampton defenders and curled the ball into the bottom right corner of the net with his left foot (25th minute, Leicester City 1-0 Southampton). The halftime break came with this slight advantage on the scoreboard for Leicester.
After the break, the Foxes scored their second goal of the match. It was a goal entirely from African players. Congolese Stéphy Mavididi set up Nigerian midfielder Wilfried Ndidi. With a run down the left side, Mavididi provided a perfect cross for Ndidi, who headed the ball into the bottom left corner of the net (62nd minute, Leicester 2-0 Southampton).
Leicester’s offensive festival was just getting started.
Well served on the left flank by Dewsbury-Hall, Fatawu advanced slightly into Southampton’s penalty area before unleashing a powerful shot into the top left corner of the net (75th minute, Leicester 3-0 Southampton). Already a double scorer in the match, Fatawu then turned provider for Jamie Vardy, who scored Leicester’s fourth goal (79th minute, Leicester 4-0 Southampton).
One minute after his assist, the Ghanaian completed his hat-trick in the match. After winning back the ball, Dewsbury-Hall passed to Jamie Vardy on the left flank. The Foxes’ forward then set up Fatawu, who was well-positioned at the far post, to score the fifth goal of the match (81st minute, Leicester 5-0 Southampton).
Thanks to a hat-trick and an assist from Ghanaian Abdul Fatawu, a goal from Nigerian Wilfried Ndidi, and an assist from Congolese Stéphy Mavididi, Leicester City secured a 5-0 victory. With two rounds remaining in the championship season, Leicester, with a 4-point lead over its rivals, holds its fate in its hands to secure promotion to the Premier League. Recall that Leicester was relegated to the second division in the 2022-2023 season.
