Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu was on the scoresheet, but his goal was not enough as Southampton suffered a 2-1 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Onuachu, who came on as a second-half substitute, found the net in the 75th minute after Wolves had already taken a two-goal lead through Norwegian forward Jørgen Strand Larsen, who struck twice to put the visitors in control.
The Nigerian forward reacted quickest to poke home a rebound after Tyler Dibling’s shot crashed off the post, reducing the deficit. However, Southampton struggled to break down Wolves’ defense and failed to secure a comeback.
Onuachu’s strike marked his third Premier League goal of the season, along with one assist in 19 league appearances, signaling a resurgence in form after an inconsistent spell earlier in the campaign.
Despite his recent improvement, the towering striker was left out of Eric Chelle’s final 23-man squad for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Onuachu had initially made the 39-man provisional list but was ultimately omitted from the final selection as Nigeria looks to secure crucial victories in the qualification race for the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
With his growing confidence in front of goal, Onuachu will now focus on helping Southampton avoid relegation as the English Premier League season enters its final stretch.
