Super Eagles defender Ola Aina and compatriot Ademola Lookman endured painful debuts for Fulham as the Premier League club was dumped out of the League Cup by Championship side Brentford on Thursday.
It was a reenactment of the playoff finals which Fulham won in added time to seal progress to the Premier League but it was Brentford that had their revenge with an easy 3-0 win to increase pressure on Fulham boss Scott Parker.
Aina was making his debut since joining on loan from Torino three weeks ago and was on from the start while Lookman was introduced from the bench just 24 hours after his loan move from RB Leipzig.
Fulham have endured a torrid start to the season, losing three of five games and found in a familiar losing position as they went 1-0 down seven minutes before the interval thanks to Marcus Fross’ strike.
Parker threw on Lookman at the start of the second half but the 23-year-old Super Eagles hopeful had little effect on their blunt attack as Brentford took charge of the tie with Said Benrahma notching a brace in fifteen minutes to settle the tie and dump Fulham out of the competition.
Fulham have now lost four of their six league and cup games and boss Parker will be counting on his Nigerian contingent to help turn the tide around and secure his precarious future.
Elsewhere, former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi was on for the entirety of the encounter as his Championship side Stoke City dumped Premier League side Aston Villa out of the competition.
Sam Vokes’ 26th minute effort from a Jordan Thompson assist was all the Potters needed to secure a place in the last eight where they join Brentford as the only non-Premier League teams left in the competition.
