Sevilla coach hails Ejuke after Sociedad heroics

Sevilla coach García Pimienta applauded Nigerian winger Chidera Ejuke for taking his chance following his match-winning performance in their 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad on Sunday.

After a goalless first half, Ejuke netted the only goal immediately after the restart to secure Sevilla’s ninth win of the season with his second La Liga goal.

It was the Nigerian’s first start since recovering from an injury in January and he grabbed his chance with a wonderful curler.

After the game, Pimienta pinpointed crucial aspects of Ejuke’s display that made him stand out in the tightly contested fixture, noting his journey from recovery and seizing his opportunity.

“When he got injured, he was in great form. He was practically out for three months, with what that means to then get back into shape,” Pimienta told Sevilla’s official website.

“The opportunity has come for Ejuke, who did very well. He had some very good minutes also on a defensive level for the team. We are very happy for him too.”

While the Nigerian was out for about three months, Sevilla were out for more options in January and brought in Swiss footballer Ruben Vargas, who had locked down a place in the team but was unavailable due to a hip problem, creating an opportunity for Ejuke to shine against Real Sociedad.

“In addition, Vargas is at a very high level, and he had to wait. Today, Rubén’s hip problems prevented him from participating,” the coach added.

Sevilla are now unbeaten in five successive La Liga away games for the first time since May 2023 and have moved to the 10th position in the Spanish topflight with 36 points after 27 games.

They host Athletic Bilbao in their next game on Sunday, just before Ejuke will be hoping to hit Nigeria’s camp for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe if he makes coach Eric Chelle’s final squad.