Hugo Ekitiké nets hat-trick | OneFootball

The Eintracht striker fired France U21s to victory over England, while there were also wins for Farès Chaibi, Nathaniel Brown, Ansgar Knauff and Nnamdi Collins.

What an evening for Hugo Ekitiké at the Stade du Moustoir in Lorient. The Eintracht striker helped France U21s secure a remarkable victory over their English counterparts in a friendly on Friday, netting a hat-trick in a 5-3 triumph. Les Bleuets recovered quickly from the visitors’ second-minute opener, equalising just two minutes later before the 22-year-old Eagles star stole the show. After being named in the starting XI, Ekitiké scored France’s second and third goals in the first half before making it 4-2 ten minutes after the restart. He was taken off 11 minutes after completing his hat-trick.

Elsewhere, three Eintracht players were involved in Germany U21s’ hard-fought 1-0 away win over European U21 Championship hosts Slovakia. Nathaniel Brown and Nnamdi Collins were included in the visitors’ starting XI in Trnava before being withdrawn in the second half (Brown 69’, Collins 79’), while Ansgar Knauff came off the bench in the 69thminute. The trio and their U21 colleagues are next in action at 20:30 CET on Tuesday 25 March, when they host Spain in Darmstadt.

Switzerland’s senior team were also involved in a friendly on Friday, playing out a 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland in Belfast. Aurèle Amenda was an unused substitute.

Chaibi and Algeria go top

Farès Chaibi and Algeria, meanwhile, were in competitive action on Matchday 5 of their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. Chaibi came off the bench in the 69th minute as Les Fennecs secured a 3-1 away win over Botswana at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown, lifting them above Mozambique at the top of Group G thanks to their superior goal difference.