OUT-OF-AFRICA stars Shola Ameobi and Lomana LuaLua are ready to challenge the established order at Newcastle.

Nigeria-born England Under-21 cap Ameobi and Congo international LuaLua fired United to a vital Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday as manager Sir Bobby Robson celebrated his 70th birthday in style.

Suspended strikeforce Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy were scarcely missed as Ameobi and LuaLua re-ignited hopes of reaching the last eight of the competition for the first time.

Ameobi struck twice and LuaLua added a third as United surged into a 3-1 half-time lead, which proved enough.

Skipper Shearer completed a two-match UEFA ban and is available for next Wednesday's return with Bayer at St. James' Park.

But with Welsh international Bellamy serving the last of a three-game suspension, Ameobi and LuaLua are vying to line up alongside Shearer in the Group A encounter.

LuaLua, a £2.5m signing from Colchester in September 2000, scored his first goal in the Champions League proper.

The acrobatic 22-year-old, who marks each goal he scores with a spectacular series of somersaults, admitted: "I got my chance and it was on my mind to prove I could score.

"I knew I would be playing instead of Craig and I am delighted the manager has shown that he still believes in me and Shola.

"Normally there is Alan and Craig, but when they are not there he now knows there are others to fill in for them.

"I wanted to pay Bobby back for his faith and let him know we'd never let him down.

"The pair of us are still young and I am not in a hurry. There were rumours all January that lots of clubs wanted me on loan, but I am learning from Alan and I am similar to Craig.

"I can just try to get the experience here working with them and playing in big games like this. If I had gone on loan, I wouldn't have got this chance.

"The time will come when I want to be a regular, but this is a learning curve. I love it at Newcastle and the supporters are brilliant to me; I love being part of the team.

"The likes of Manchester United have four good strikers who can do the job. That is our role in the squad at the moment.''

Shearer and Bellamy are set to return for Saturday's Premiership trip to Leeds, and LuaLua added: "It is up to Bobby who he picks for Saturday, but I expect it be Craig and Alan again. That is hard luck, but it is all about teamwork."

Ameobi, 21, who scored when he and LuaLua deputised for Shearer and Bellamy in the 3-1 defeat in Barcelona in December, said: "It was important to get the win and sweeter still that I scored twice.

"As a player you want to play every game. I would be lying if I said it was not frustrating. Craig and Alan are flying at the moment, but I do believe that eventually our chance will come.

"It is healthy for the team to have competition, but it is difficult coming in after being in the reserves for a few weeks. Your fitness is not 100 per cent.

"I have had to improve the goalscoring part of my game because that is what Alan is great at and the team needs from you. I have not scored enough, but the work is paying off.

"Alan is a fantastic striker, the top man for the last ten years and for me to fill his boots is a dream. That is my long-term goal.

"Alan never has to say much to you to inspire you. You just watch and learn. Before the game on Tuesday I spoke to him and he said: 'Good luck, and get a couple of goals.' So I did! He is very supportive."

Stand-in skipper Gary Speed, another outstanding performer at the BayArena, said: "Shola and Lomana have done brilliantly. They were great in Barcelona, even though we lost, and they were match-winners this time.

"In the first half, their defenders couldn't handle them. It's down to them that we got this result.

"I was a bit surprised we went 2-0 up after only quarter of an hour or so, but not surprised by the ability of the frontmen, because we see that every day in training.

"Shola has everything. He may not look it, but he's quick, very strong, has great feet and has shown he can score.

"Every time he plays for Newcastle, he seems to produce, and he has a great future in the game.''

The win secured the Magpies' first points after two defeats in the second group phase, and Speed added: "I think we have given ourselves a realistic chance of going through. We needed these three points desperately and we need to win next week as well.

"But we also need to take points off Inter Milan and Barcelona.

"We have to go for it against two big teams, but on our day we can beat anybody at our place and we'll be looking to do that against Leverkusen and Barcelona.''

* Newcastle U19s' derby match with Sunderland at the Archibald Stadium was yesterday postponed due to a frozen pitch.

Read more about Newcastle United FC here.