The eventful journey of Tosin Aiyegun and FC Lorient, once again on their way to the elite
- panafricafootball
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Tosin Aiyegun is making a name for himself in the European football scene. Born in Lagos, Nigeria on June 26, 1998, the Beninese international striker has impressed with his progress at newly-promoted French Ligue 1 club FC Lorient.
Arriving in French Ligue 1 with Lorient in July 2023, he quickly integrated into the squad and is making his mark. His first season saw Lorient relegated to Ligue 2, but they returned to the top flight in 2025 with just a few matches remaining.
A Promising Start in Latvia
Aiyegun began his professional career in 2017 with FK Ventspils in Latvia. With this club the player, trained at the Nigerian Real Sapphire Academy, scored 35 goals in 89 matches and caught the eye of Swiss club FC Zurich, whom he joined in September 2019.
In his first match with Zurich as a starter, the same month he signed, he scored his first goal against FC Thun. During the first season of the 2019-2020 season, he played 19 matches and scored 7 goals.
Unfortunately, the season was marred by injury; a medial ligament tear on June 30, 2020, kept him out of action until September 23, a period of 86 days, during which he missed 12 matches. His third season with Zurich FC was also significantly disrupted by physical issues.
The player had been sidelined for 228 days due to recurring knee injuries. He missed 31 matches, including eight for the Benin national team. His first injury of the season came during the 2-3 away defeat to Vaduz on February 6, 2021, on Matchday 19.
He returned to action 54 days later in Matchday 27 against St. Gallen. A tense match that ended in a 1-1 draw, with both teams down to 10 men. Unfortunately, the Leopard suffered another knee injury after a few matches and was sidelined until November 3, 2021. He ultimately played 24 matches throughout the 2020-2021 season, scoring six league goals.
During the 2021-2022 season with FC Zurich, Tosin Aiyegun was sidelined for a significant period due to a muscle injury. This latest mishap forced him to miss several matches mid-season. He still managed to play 27 matches in all competitions, scoring 8 goals and providing 5 assists.
In 2022-2023, Tosin Aiyegun was a key player in FC Zurich's attack despite another hamstring injury in early April 2023. This injury kept him sidelined for 46 days, forcing him to miss seven games at the end of the season.
Despite this interruption, he played 45 league matches, scoring 17 goals and providing three assists in all competitions. This performance made him the club's top scorer this season with 12 goals (with a goal-per-game coefficient of 0.44) and the fourth-highest scorer of the season, four goals ahead of the leader. He also participated in European competitions, making nine appearances and scoring one goal in the Europa League, as well as two matches in the Champions League.
Over his 4 seasons in the Swiss Super League with FC Zurich, the Cheetah played a total of 105 matches and scored 35 goals before joining the French Ligue 1 under the colors of FC Lorient in the winter of 2023.
Lorient: A New Challenge in Ligue 1
On July 25, 2023, Aiyegun signed with FC Lorient for an estimated €4 million. The Beninese striker quickly found his place in the Lorient squad. He played 19 league matches, scoring two goals.
The 2023-2024 Ligue 1 season was marked by notable individual performances, despite the club's relegation to Ligue 2. The season was also not without its challenges for the Beninese international, who was suspended for one match following a straight red card received during the matchday 17 match against AS Monaco (a rough tackle on Wilfried Singo). The match ended in a 2-2 draw. This season was less successful for Lorient, who finished 17th in Ligue 1, meaning they were relegated to Ligue 2.
Return to Ligue 1
Relegated to Ligue 2 at the end of the 2023-2024 season, FC Lorient wasted no time in bouncing back. From the opening days of the 2024-2025 season, the Merlus displayed their ambitions by racking up a string of home wins and a solid away performance. With an in-form Tosin Aiyegun, who has scored five goals and provided eight assists in the league this season, Lorient quickly established themselves in the top three.
Despite fierce competition from clubs like Auxerre, Caen, and Bastia, the Lorient team maintained their momentum. Promotion was officially secured with two matches remaining after a decisive victory against Guingamp. He finished the season as Lorient's top assist provider with eight assists.
Since arriving in France, he has played 46 matches and scored 5 goals with Les Merlus. During the 2024-2025 season, he notably provided 8 assists in 27 matches and finished as the top assists provider in Ligue 2.
A choice of heart for Benin
Aiyegun chose to play for Benin in 2022. He made his first appearance on March 24, 2022, against Liberia and scored his first goal for the national team. Three days later, he repeated the feat by scoring a goal against Zambia. Since then, he has earned 14 caps and 3 goals for the Benin Cheetahs.
Achievements
FK Ventspils (Latvia)
Latvian Cup
Winner: 2017
Finalist: 2018
FC Zurich (Switzerland)
Swiss Super League
Champion: 2022
FC Lorient (France)
Ligue 2
Champion: 2025
EDITOR NOTE: This article is translated from the original written in French by Hilary Christelle Tolo Kpadonou for Pan-Africa Football.
