Pre-Season: Young Nigerian Forward scores in debut for Belgian Champions Antwerp

Young Nigerian forward George Ilenikhena scored on his debut for Belgian champions Royal Antwerp who held Lierse to a 1-1 draw in their first pre-season game on Friday.

Ilenikhena,16, joined Antwerp from French club Amiens for a record €6 million transfer.

With 20 minutes left Ilenikhena, who came on in the second half, converted from the penalty spot after teammate Glodi Mbuyi-Mbayo was fouled inside the box.

Eight minutes later, Lierse were also awarded a penalty, which they converted to level the game at 1-1.

Up next for Ilenikhena and his Antwerp teammates is another pre-season game with Greek club AEK Athens scheduled for Friday, July 7.

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Ilenikhena was born in Lagos, Nigeria, from Nigerian parents, but he arrived in France aged three growing up in Antony, Hauts-de-Seine.

Having made his way through all of the youth levels of the amateur Antony Football Evolution, he joined Amiens that was just relegated in Ligue 2, for the 2021–22 season.

During that season he scored a total of 24 goals for the under-17 national side, also playing and scoring in the Coupe Gambardella. This soon draw the attention from big clubs in France and Abroad during the summer 2022, while he was still just aged 15.