Motherwell's Nigerian Striker Ibrahim Said on Fire

Motherwell's Nigerian striker Ibrahim Said is in top form, scoring goals for the Steelmen. Longelo praises Said's consistency and humility.

What happened?

Motherwell's Nigerian striker Ibrahim Said has been impressive in the Conference League, scoring a double to sink HJK Helsinki. This has set up a Conference League play-off clash with Freiburg.

Why it matters for Motherwell

Longelo believes Said is now ready to step up and become a key player for Alfred Johansson's side. The left-back said: "He has been amazing since the start of pre-season. He has come back a different person. He has always had his qualities, but now we are starting to see it on a consistent basis."

What comes next?

Motherwell are now six games unbeaten and haven't lost under new boss Alfred Johansson. They will hope to keep that run going when they take on Stenhousemuir away in the Premier Sports Cup on Sunday. Longelo claimed: "The mood was absolutely good. We enjoyed it. The crowd was amazing. It was a great game to play in and enjoy as well."

Recent form

Motherwell are currently 3rd in Premiership, with 4 points from 2 games, recent form DW. They have scored 2 goals and conceded 1 this season, with a goal difference of +1. They are 2 points behind leaders Celtic.

Next fixture

Motherwell will face Aberdeen at home on 22nd August, with Aberdeen currently 8th in the table.

Injuries

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Callum Hendry, Jordan McGhee, and Paul McGinn are currently sidelined.

Longelo's praise for Said

Longelo praised Said's consistency and humility, saying: "He is a great guy. He has a lot of humility and a lot of heart. He is one of my best mates here and I love him. It was just a matter of time. Everybody knows Ibrahim's qualities. He shown glimpses of it and loads of it last season. Now we are starting to see it more. People are starting to pay more attention and get on-board."

Motherwell's next challenge

Motherwell will face Freiburg at home in the first round of their play-off. Motherwell will go in as major underdogs against last season's Europa League finalists. Longelo is looking forward to the challenge and trying to extend their unbeaten run. The former West Ham player acknowledged: "It will be a good test to see where we are against a team of such high calibre. I am pretty sure we will be ready for it. Absolutely, that is the mentality you have to have (no fear). We want to make this place a fortress and we are delighted with the way the fans reacted."

Motherwell's manager on the HJK win

Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson reckons the HJK was one of his best. His biggest issue is keeping his side fresh and ready to go in all competitions. The Steelmen were off at it last weekend against Falkirk in the Premiership, following their return from Helsinki. He is hoping that is not the case going into their weekend cup clash at Ochilview. He warned: "You can't be at your best when you have these congested fixtures, it is very difficult. Mentally, mainly. Physically there is an effect, you have also cope with it and to learn. It is a skill and if you haven't done it before it isn't easy. We are learning that right now. The extra day between games helps because you get another day off. You can rest your body and your head. You feel better going into the next game."

Motherwell's recent form

Motherwell's recent form is 2W-1D-2L (WWLLD, most recent first). They are on a 2-game winning run. Their last result was Hibernian 0-1 Motherwell on 16th May 2026.