Super Eagles winger marks his return with a goal while new signing Akpe Victory makes another appearance.
Super Eagles winger Philip Otele made an encouraging return to FC Basel by getting on the scoresheet in the club’s 2-2 pre-season draw against fellow Swiss side Winterthur.
The Philip Otele FC Basel pre-season goal came during an entertaining friendly on Saturday, with the Nigerian attacker making an immediate impact after returning from his loan spell in Germany.
Winterthur took the lead through Fabian Rohner in the 57th minute, but Basel responded almost instantly as Otele found the back of the net three minutes later to restore parity for his side.
The hosts regained the advantage in the 83rd minute through Roman Buess before Jean Doucoure struck late to rescue a draw for Basel, ensuring both teams shared the spoils at full-time.
The match marked another important outing for Otele since returning to Switzerland following his temporary move to Hamburger SV, where he spent the second half of the 2025/26 campaign after joining the German club on loan in February.
The 26-year-old Nigerian forward will now be aiming to re-establish himself as a key figure in Basel’s attack ahead of the new Swiss Super League season.
Before his loan switch to Germany, Otele enjoyed an impressive spell with Basel, earning praise for his speed, attacking flair and eye for goal, qualities the club will hope he can reproduce in the upcoming campaign.
Another Nigerian attracting attention at the club is young defender Akpe Victory, who also featured during the FC Basel pre-season friendly against Winterthur.
The 19-year-old centre-back recently completed his transfer from Hungarian club Zalaegerszegi TE FC, signing a long-term contract that will keep him at Basel until the summer of 2030.
Victory’s move continues his steady rise in European football. The defender previously represented Lithuanian outfit FK Banga Gargždai before moving to Hungary, where his consistent defensive displays earned him a transfer to one of Switzerland’s biggest clubs.
The Nigerian defender Akpe Victory at FC Basel is expected to continue adapting to his new environment as he competes for playing opportunities during pre-season.
With both Otele and Victory now part of the first-team squad, Nigerian representation at Basel continues to grow. Their performances in the club’s pre-season programme will be closely watched as they battle for regular places ahead of the start of the new Swiss Super League campaign.