Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi made a winning return to competitive action as his assist helped Besiktas secure a 1-0 victory over Hradec Kralove in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying-round tie, NigeriaSoccernet.com reports.
Ndidi, who recently recovered from an injury that kept him out for the remainder of last season in Turkey, started the match on the bench before being introduced in the 76th minute for Orkun Kokcu.
The Nigerian midfielder needed just four minutes to make his impact felt, delivering the crucial pass that eventually led to Semih Kilicsoy scoring the decisive goal with a powerful header after the ball fell kindly to the forward following a rebound.
The assist provided Besiktas with a valuable advantage ahead of the second leg in Istanbul and offered manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a timely boost after his side had struggled to break down the Czech outfit.
Besiktas had created several opportunities before the breakthrough, with Kokcu and Hyeon-Gyu Oh testing the Hradec Kralove defence, while goalkeeper Alexander Nübel produced important saves to keep the hosts from finding the net.
Ndidi’s return represents a significant boost for both Besiktas and Nigeria as the experienced midfielder begins his campaign following an injury-disrupted end to last season.