New signing Iyoha scores as striker in FCM friendly win, coach Sander hails psychological rebirth

Can he make the transformation back into a real striker? The convincing 2-0 win of 1. FC Magdeburg against Bundesliga promoted team SC Paderborn sent several positive signals. One of them could be the rebirth of a classic right winger.

Emmanuel Iyoha (28) impressed with successful dribbles and a remarkable goal to make it 1-0. This comes as a surprise because the new signing had only been training with the team for nine days.

Iyoha honestly: "For me personally, it was nice to see that I can still do that. In recent years, I've always helped out at the back. That it now works up front as well gives me confidence for the season. I want to seize the opportunity. I prefer playing up front. I'm glad I was brought in for that."

Iyoha wants to return to his roots. In the last three years in Düsseldorf, he mainly played in midfield or even in the defensive line. He only scored three goals in three seasons.

Iyoha: "Being able to let loose up front is what's expected of me. I'm supposed to always seek one-on-one situations, even if you get stuck sometimes. That's also the strength of the team overall. We have several weapons at our disposal that we can use."

Coach's Praise for FCM New Signing

Coach Petrik Sander (65) was also happy for his new signing: "Emmanuel scored his first goal. That's important for the mind. When players get such success experiences, it might play an even bigger role than if a player has a decent lactate value."

Emmanuel Iyoha during his presentation at the Avnet Arena. Photo: 1. FC Magdeburg/Norman Seidler

Iyoha is enjoying his new striker role at FCM. He wants to quickly internalize Magdeburg's offensive system. Iyoha: "It's intense and there's a lot coming at me. I want to implement it as best as I can. You get used to it. I try to learn from the others. Communication is key, especially when it comes to positioning on the pitch. But I can get into that quickly."

Iyoha is excited about 1. FC Magdeburg – and is already looking forward to the next big game: On Saturday, English traditional club West Ham United comes for the season opener.

Iyoha: "It will be a more physical game. A tough opponent that demands even more high-intensity runs. It will be a cool test and a great dress rehearsal." And maybe with Iyoha's next goal...