Spanish-born Ghanaian striker Inaki Williams scored for the first time in four months to propel his side Athletic Bilbao to a paramount 1-2 away win over Valencia at the Camp de Mestalla to advance to the semi-final of the Copa del Rey.
The Lions haven’t really matched up their standard this season and have been sloppy with inconsistent outcomes since the beginning but have been putting in the weights recently to bounce back on track.
However, they managed to put smiles on the faces of their supporters last night with that win to halt their recent three-game winless run with two defeats in between.
Nigerian striker Umar Sadiq scored into his own net in the 26th minute to jump into the lead and forced to equalize for his side nine minutes later to seek redemption.
However, Inaki Williams and his younger brother Nico were introduced in the last twenty minutes and that change from Ernesto Valverde conjured the magic, with the latter assisting the former for the precious match winner in the dying embers of the game.
Speaking after the game, the lanky striker says the win is a very precious one and are hoping to build on this momentum to turn their season around.
He further dedicated the goal to his newly-born son who was delivered by his wife Patricia Morales on January 1, 2026.
“He deserves all our respect. We deserved a moment of joy like this, the players, the fans, and the coaching staff.
“The first goal that I can dedicate to my son. The season has been difficult, but what happened today could be a major turning point,” he added.
Inaki Williams has just two goals in all competitions this season and will look to make the starting line up in every game from henceforth.
He is hoping to shake off all injuries in order to finish the season on a higher note to make the Black Stars’ final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
