AFCON 2019 SAMUEL CHUKWUEZE – THE NEW KID ON THE BLOC FOR SUPER EAGLES. By Emmanuel Paragon Mbong
He is as slippery as an eel when taking on opponent’s defence. He is indeed a nightmare and a tormentor in chief to defenders. He causes panic , disorganises shaky defence, and tear it into shreds at ease with his dribbling and mesmerizing skills down the flanks.
Samuel Chukwueze, the youthful prodigy and a talisman is a bundle of talents and will definitely rise through the ranks to be a permanent feature in the Eagles line up if he continues this way.
His name will surely find a permanent place in the history books and will also deserve special mention and commendation, when the events that shape up the ongoing biennial fiesta are being chronicled and given a pride of place in the scheme of things
The soccer whiz kid came to the African Cup of Nations in the Mediterranean country of Egypt unannounced, as a dark horse, rookie and an unknown quantity.
I am sure he did not really know that he will made a mark in the tournament where Eagles were not even tipped as favourites to upset the formbooks
Even some bookmakers and soccer pundits did not see through their crystal bals that, Sammy will be one of the surprise revelation of the biggest soccer fiesta in the African continent.
The Villarreal of Spain youngster was even a surprise inclusion in the Super Eagles train to Cairo when the likes of Kelechi Ihenacho was given the boot.
The Abia State born winger is now likened to Nigeria’s version of Marcus Rashford because of his tremendous ball judgling skills.
The 20 year old ball juggler scored his first international debut opener for the Gernot Rohr tutored team to set the pace for the final elimination of the Bafana Bafana lads from South Africa.
In their quarter finals pairings, little Samuel was a thorn in the flesh of the Nelson Mandela boys throughout the duration of the epic encounter.
The new kid sensation who is making a strong statement of claim to the green white shirt is also having a very strong contender in another equally experienced and skillful play maker, Moses Simon who missed the last Word Cup by the whiskers due to a last minute injury.
Born on 22nd May 1999 in Umuahia, Abia State, Samuel Chimerenka Chukwueze started playing football at the age of eight and was a keen admirer of Jay Jay Okocha as his football idol when growing up..
The mercurial winger attended Government College, Umiahia and Evangel Secondary School.
Chukwueze later journeyed overseas and teamed up with Villarreal CF-s prolific youth set up in 2017 from local side, Diamond Football Academy.
In April 2019. Samuel won the Nigerian Football Federation’s Young Player of the Year Award..
After donning the colours of the Golden Eaglets, he received his first call up to the Super Eagles in October 2018.
He made his debut for the Nigerian senior national team on 20th November, 2018 as a starter in a nil nil friendly duel against the Cranes of Uganda.
He netted his first international goal for Supet Eagles yesterday which sent the entire spectators inside the Cairo International Stadium into a frenzy.
He was a member of the Under 17 World Cup Squad in Chile in 2015 where he carted home, a bronze boot owing to his spectacular performance.
Samuel Chimerenka Chukwueze is surely a star to watch out for in the colours of both club and country as the years go by
He is now being compared to be in the mould of sleeky Humphrey Edobor who was also a delight to watch for the Green Eagles of old in the flanks.
Samuel certainly has age, skills, tactical discipline going well for him.
He is unarguably one of the leading and shinning lights of the on going African Cup of Nations in far away Egypt.