Nigeria-eligible striker Folarin Balogun who is enjoying a glorious loan stint at Rench club, Reims from English Premier League leaders Arsenal, on Sunday continued to show why he must be called up to the Nigerian senior national team with his 17th Ligue 1 goal in the French top flight.
The goal may have come in Reims’ first league defeat in six months at the Stade Auguste Delaune as they fell 2-1 to Marseille, but the player with multiple eligibilities who can also represent the USA (birth country) and England (where he was raised) broke a couple of long-standing records.
First, Balogun became the youngest player to score at least 17 goals in his first Ligue 1 season since 1956 after his goal for Reims on Sunday.
The Arsenal youngster also shattered the previous record of 16 goals held by former African Footballer of the Year and
AS Monaco legend Victor Ikpeba, who achieved the feat on the final day of the 1997-1998 season.
The player is now one goal away from equaling Glenn Hoddle’s tally of 18 goals in 1988-1989, which made him the top-scoring Englishman in a single campaign.
A first-half brace from Arsenal old boy Alexis Sanchez saw Marseille end Reims’ unbeaten run.
The French outfit had not lost in 19 league matches. The last player to score as many in his first season in the French top-flight was Hassan Akesbi for Nimes 67 years ago. ..
Izuchukwu OkosiIzuchukwu 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.