Nigerian forward Ibrahim Aliyu etched his name into the history books on Saturday night after scoring a record-breaking goal in Columbus Crew’s 2-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer (MLS).
The 22-year-old, who joined Columbus Crew in April 2025, opened the scoring with a blistering strike that not only marked his second goal of the season but also set a new stadium record for the fastest goal scored at Lower.com Field.
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Aliyu’s goal laid the foundation for the Crew to snap a frustrating six-game winless streak, with Diego Rossi doubling the lead in the 23rd minute. Rossi’s finish — his ninth of the season — came courtesy of a clever assist from recent signing Daniel Gazdag, who registered his first goal contribution since arriving from Philadelphia Union.
The hosts appeared to extend their lead in the second half, but three goals were ruled out for offside, including one that left Aliyu visibly frustrated after believing he had bagged a brace.
Despite the narrow margin, head coach Wilfried Nancy lauded his team’s resilience and adaptability following a challenging stretch.
“We deserved more wins, but we didn’t do it,” Nancy said post-match. “Tonight, they showed spirit and intensity.”
The Kano born began his football journey in Nigeria before earning a move to Croatian side Lokomotiva Zagreb in 2020.
There, he rose to prominence with key goals against top sides like Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split.
After a stint with Houston Dynamo, the former Flying Eagles winger signed for Columbus Crew earlier this year.
Though deployed in an unfamiliar wingback role, Aliyu has quickly become one of the club’s standout performers under Nancy’s tactical setup, reinforcing his status as one of Nigeria’s most exciting young exports in MLS.
Columbus Crew will look to build on this momentum when they face Atlanta United on June 25.
