ENGLISH Premier league club West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus stole the spotlight with a breathtaking solo goal, propelling his team to a commanding 4-0 lead against Freiburg in the Europa League round of 16 second leg clash on Thursday night.
The Ghanaian midfielder showcased his immense skill as he embarked on a mesmerising run from the middle of his own half, leaving a trail of Freiburg defenders in his wake before calmly slotting the ball into the bottom corner of the net. This remarkable display of individual brilliance helped West Ham secure a resounding 5-0 victory at home, overturning their one-goal deficit from the previous leg in Germany.
Manager David Moyes hailed Kudus’s exceptional goal, drawing comparisons to iconic moments in football history. ‘If anybody can remember dribbling wingers who used to run and take people on, with snaky hips, that was a little bit of that tonight. It was a brilliant individual type goal, a Roy of the Rovers type of goal,’ Moyes remarked after the game.
Former West Ham youth product Joe Cole echoed Moyes’s sentiments, describing Kudus’s goal as a ‘goal of the season contender’ during his analysis on TNT Sports. Commentators on social media platforms were also quick to praise Kudus’s remarkable feat, with some likening it to Diego Maradona’s legendary goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.
Commentators on X (formerly Twitter) were also quick to comment on Kudus’ exceptional goal. One wrote ‘Wow that is great’, while another added ‘He is something else’. A third wrote ‘Are u Kidding me? 1986 Maradona vs England?’
Kudus continued his stellar performance by scoring a second goal, a thunderous strike from the edge of the box, leaving Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu with no chance of saving it. With this emphatic victory, West Ham advances to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, eagerly awaiting Friday’s draw to determine their next opponent.