Cologne – Kingsley Ehizibue is still on cloud nine after equalling the record held by Sunday Oliseh as the only Nigerians to play 50 Bundesliga games for relegation-haunted FC Cologne.
Ehizibue achieved that feat on Tuesday and that was when Cologne after going on a winless patch of nine matches in the German top-flight got a shock 2-1 win over RB Leipzig.
Cologne looked destined for their sixth relegation since the turn of the century but kept their hopes of survival alive as Ehizibue was replaced by Benno Schmitz on 75 minutes.
The Nigerian defender has played 19 games this term and having made 31 Bundesliga appearances for the Billy Goats during the 2019/20 season, he has now played 50 league games.
When asked how proud he was to have made 50 appearances for Cologne, Ehizibue said “I’m grateful that I have been able to make 50 appearances for the club,” he told the club’s website.
“I’m thankful that I came here and that the club has trusted in me. I’m really proud of achieving that. It’s nice to be up there with Sunday Oliseh as the only Nigerians to play 50 games for the team.”
Oliseh played 54 Bundesliga games for Cologne, 24 in the 1995/96 season and 30 in 1996/97 with the former Nigerian international scoring four goals and making five assists.
On Cologne’s relegation troubles, Ehizibue said: “I am positive about our chances. I think that we are going to make it. We have to live day by day, match by match.
“The group and the team aren’t giving up. There is no-one here who is giving up. The new head coach wants to work hard and give everything, and that’s what we want to do as well.
“You can feel that he believes in us and I think everyone has that hope required to stay in the league. It’s not going to be easy; it never was going to be easy.”
On his first impressions of the new manager, he said: “At the meeting he had with us, he got everyone together and explained what he wants to do and what he wants from us.
“He was very positive in what he was saying. He is very direct and has authority, and I respect him a lot for that. He also shows us the respect back to us. It is a good start and we want to use that.”