Peter Olayinka scored his third goal for APOEL Nicosia in a 3-3 home draw against Pafos at the GSP Stadium on Sunday, ending a seven-game league goal drought. The Nigerian forward found the net in the 74th minute to restore APOEL's two-goal lead after Stefan Drazic had given them an early advantage with a brace inside nine minutes and Nikolas Ioannou pulled one back with a 17th-minute header. Pafos staged a dramatic comeback in stoppage time as Derrick Luckassen scored two headed goals to secure a point. Olayinka's goal came during one of the most thrilling matches of the 2025-2026 Cypriot First Division season, marked by rapid shifts in momentum. The 30-year-old has now made 81 appearances in UEFA club competitions, a tally that places him level with Nwankwo Kanu as Nigeria's joint-highest appearance maker in those tournaments. His European journey includes stints at Skënderbeu, Zulte Waregem, Slavia Praha and Crvena Zvezda before joining APOEL. Olayinka previously scored in APOEL's Kypello Kyprou semifinal defeat to Apollon Limassol on April 22. He has not been called up to the Super Eagles since featuring in Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 loss to Tunisia in January 2022.
Olayinka's goal ended a prolonged dry spell in the league, yet it was quickly erased by a late collapse. APOEL surrendered a two-goal advantage in stoppage time despite moments of dominance. Olayinka's 81 UEFA appearances match Kanu's record, a rare consistency in his European journey. His absence from the Super Eagles since 2022 remains unaddressed despite ongoing club form.
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