Watch: Rio Ngumoha Scores Incredible Goal in Liverpool Victory | OneFootball

Watch: Rio Ngumoha Scores Incredible Goal in Liverpool Victory | OneFootball

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·30 July 2025

Watch: Rio Ngumoha Scores Incredible Goal in Liverpool Victory

Article image:Watch: Rio Ngumoha Scores Incredible Goal in Liverpool Victory

Rio Ngumoha Shows Class With Goal in Japan

Bold Investment in Youth Already Paying Off

Liverpool knew what they were getting. A teenage forward with technical quality, pace and confidence that defied his years. But even so, Rio Ngumoha’s rapid development is catching the eye at a club where the bar has rarely been higher.

The Reds navigated a complex five-step Premier League registration process to sign Ngumoha from Chelsea last year. At just 16, and not 17 until next month, Liverpool were restricted by youth protection protocols. Yet it was clear even then that the effort was worthwhile.


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Brilliant Goal Seals Liverpool’s Win

Ngumoha was trusted again by Arne Slot during Liverpool’s 3-1 pre-season win over Yokohama F. Marinos, and he rewarded that faith with a goal of genuine quality. Introduced late in the match, the teenager delivered the game’s standout moment in the 87th minute.

Taking the ball inside his own half, Ngumoha drove forward with authority, skipped a challenge at the edge of the box and finished emphatically past goalkeeper Park Il-Kyu. It was a goal that carried the stamp of a player unfazed by his age or stage.

Sky Sports’ Peter Smith summed up the moment simply: “This boy… what a talent!” Meanwhile, Paul Gorst of the Liverpool Echo awarded Ngumoha a 9/10 rating, writing that he “tormented” the Yokohama defence and that his finish “showcased exactly why there is so much excitement around him”.

Path to the First Team Is Opening

Ngumoha’s appearances this summer have not gone unnoticed. Following the departure of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich, there is now a vacancy on the left side of Liverpool’s front three. While Cody Gakpo may be the current favourite, competition is not only welcome but required.

The Athletic recently noted that Ngumoha could “step up to provide genuine competition for Cody Gakpo on the left flank throughout the 2025/26 season.” Those words are gathering weight with every display.

Article image:Watch: Rio Ngumoha Scores Incredible Goal in Liverpool Victory

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Though he has just one senior competitive match to his name, an FA Cup appearance against Accrington Stanley in January, the pre-season minutes suggest Arne Slot views the young winger as a genuine option, not merely a project.

Calm Praise, Clear Potential

Calls for patience will be constant, and rightly so. But players like Rio Ngumoha rarely go unnoticed when they glide through challenges and finish with conviction at this level. Liverpool are right to shield him from overexposure, but they are equally right to give him space to breathe among senior players.

This pre-season may not be the stage that defines Ngumoha’s Liverpool career, but it is setting a strong foundation. On current evidence, the leap from academy prospect to first-team squad regular could happen sooner than anyone expected.

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