Ghanaian forward Zubairu Ibrahim marked his return to Partizan Belgrade in spectacular fashion, delivering a breathtaking man-of-the-match performance to inspire the Serbian giants to a resounding 4-0 victory over Una Strassen in the opening leg of their UEFA Conference League second qualifying round clash on Thursday.
The former King Faisal star was at the heart of everything dangerous for Partizan, producing two clinical finishes and an assist in a dazzling attacking display that left the Luxembourg outfit with no answer. His contribution placed Partizan firmly in control of the tie heading into next week’s decisive return fixture.
Partizan wasted little time asserting their authority at Stadion Partizana. Barely four minutes had elapsed when Ibrahim unlocked the visitors’ defence with an incisive pass that was expertly converted by Erik Kojzek to hand the hosts the ideal start.
The Ghanaian continued to torment Una Strassen with his direct running, movement and sharp decision-making, and his persistence was rewarded in the 29th minute when he doubled Partizan’s advantage with a well-taken finish, capping an outstanding first-half performance.
There was no let-up after the restart.
Ibrahim resumed where he had left off, once again proving too hot to handle for the visitors’ backline. His second goal of the evening arrived in the 68th minute, effectively extinguishing any hopes of a comeback and putting the Serbian heavyweights within touching distance of the next qualifying round.
With the contest already beyond doubt, Partizan added further gloss to an utterly dominant evening when Ognjen Ugresic struck 10 minutes from time to seal an emphatic four-goal victory.
Ibrahim’s extraordinary display, yielding two goals and an assist, served as a timely reminder of his immense attacking qualities and reinforced his growing importance within Partizan’s plans ahead of the new campaign.
The performance also represented a dream return for the Ghanaian, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Corum FK. Following the expiry of his temporary spell, Ibrahim rejoined Partizan this summer and has immediately signalled his intention to become a central figure in the club’s pursuit of domestic and European success this season.
