George Ilenikhena scored twice as Al Ittihad cruised to a 3-0 victory over Al Najma at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on Tuesday to secure their place in the round of 16 of the King’s Cup.
Despite ongoing speculation over his future at the club, Ilenikhena was handed a starting role and repaid the faith with an impressive performance, scoring twice within the opening 39 minutes.
The Nigerian forward opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a superb left-footed finish. Ahmed Al-Ghamdi picked him out with a well-weighted through ball, which Ilenikhena controlled before firing past the goalkeeper to give Al Ittihad the lead.
Ilenikhena doubled the advantage in the 39th minute after capitalising on an error from the Al Najma defence. The 20-year-old cut past his marker before producing another composed left-footed strike into the bottom-left corner to make it 2-0.
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Al Ittihad continued their dominance after the break, with Danilo Pereira adding a third six minutes into the second half. The defender rose highest to head home from Muath Faqeehi’s pinpoint corner, effectively putting the result beyond doubt.
Ilenikhena’s outstanding display was recognised with the Man of the Match award, but his performance may have done little to settle questions surrounding his future at the Saudi Arabian club.
The youngster joined Al Ittihad from Monaco in February 2026 but has struggled to establish himself as a regular, making just eight competitive appearances for the club.
His limited playing time has reportedly attracted interest from several European clubs, with Sevilla, Schalke 04 and Genoa among those linked with a move for the talented forward.
For now, Ilenikhena has made a strong case for more opportunities after producing a match-winning performance to help Al Ittihad progress in the King’s Cup.
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