Izuchukwu OkosiSuper Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, has called up Paul Onuachu as replacement for the injured Real Sociedad striker Sadiq Umar ahead of the team’s first match of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday afternoon.
The Nigerian team has been hit by a spate of injuries to key players – Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Boniface and Sadiq – with Kelechi Iheanacho not deemed completely fit at least for the first game.
The languid Onuachu has scored an impressive nine goals for Trabzonspor in 15 Turkish Lig 1 games.
Sadiq copped the injury in the friendly against Guinea and was left to watch training sessions from the bench at the Ecole de Police, Abidjan, on Thursday.
The choice of Onuachu over other forwards in the provisional squad had divided opinions with some believing that the duo of Nathan Tella and Cyreil Dessers would have fared better than the beanpole striker who has not featured in any game under Peseiro.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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