Two goals in 23 minutes
Ernest Nuamah wasted no time on Saturday night at Groupama Stadium. The Ghana winger opened the scoring in the 7th minute, then doubled Lyon’s lead in the 30th. Olympique Lyonnais blew past Stade Rennais 4-0 and climbed onto the Ligue 1 podium heading into the international break.
Paulo Fonseca put him in from the start. It paid off immediately. A left-footer with pace and the kind of burst that can rip open a back line in three strides, Nuamah spent the evening tormenting Rennes’ defence.
He came off in the 72nd minute to a warm ovation from the Groupama Stadium crowd. His tally now stands at 4 goals and 1 assist in 8 matches in all competitions. His fourth season in the lion shirt is off to a far better start than the last few.
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388 days in the treatment room
Those numbers mean more when you know the backstory. Nuamah suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in April 2025. The result: 388 days out and 66 matches missed between club and country.
His return was carefully managed late last season. Six minutes against Rennes on 3 May. Seven against Toulouse. Nineteen against Lens. Then the World Cup with Ghana, a proper summer reset, and now a full season ahead of him.
He started three times in the Champions League qualifying rounds and had already scored in the second leg against Sparta Prague. In Ligue 1, he has started four of the first five matchdays. Against AJ Auxerre, a goal and an assist. Against Rennes, a brace. The 22-year-old is finally finding his rhythm.
Fonseca has set the standard
“It’s very important for me to score and this team win is very important,” Nuamah told OLTV. “My injury kept me off the pitch for a long time, but I’m back.”
His coach wants even more. “I told Ernest this year must be his,” Paulo Fonseca said. “He’s a very good player. He has to aim for a big season. We talked about being decisive, and he was today.”
Zachary Athekame backed that up in the mixed zone: “I feel he’s in a good place. He’s full of confidence. He’s a top player, a top winger who drives at people.” Lyon head into the break with a squad that will thin out for two weeks. And a winger who is finally reminding everyone why the club backed him.
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