Watch Junior Olaitan score goal of the year contender for Niort

Junior Olaitan’s outrageous winning goal for Niort against Dijon has already started getting goal-of-the-year shouts and for good reason. 

Olaitan scored the only goal of the encounter with a screamer from within his own half after catching the goalkeeper off the line putting himself firmly in contention for the Ligue 2 goal of the season award, even with 16 game weeks left to navigate. 

It might have taken Olaitan 26 games to score his first league goal for Niort’s senior team, but the goal was worth the wait and will remain indelible in his memory forever. 

The Benin international forward, born to a Nigerian father and a Benenoise mother, joined Niort as a youngster from the Beninoise club Ayéma Adjarra. 

Olaitan was only 19-years-old when he joined Niort and was first drafted to the B team before making his debut with the first team in March and starting his first league game at the end of April 2022. 

The 20-year-old forward has slowly ingrained himself in the Niort first team this season, playing in 24 games in all competitions for the club, including 20 Ligue 2 matches. 

He has also played seven times for the Benin republic national team, after making his debut against Madagascar in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match in September 2021.