Izuchukwu OkosiPierre-Emerick Aubameyang marked his first start for Barcelona in style by scoring a hat-trick in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Valencia.
The former Arsenal striker landed a new club milestone as a result, becoming the first player in the 21st century to score a hat-trick for Los Blaugrana in his full debut.
Having managed just four goals in 14 appearances for Arsenal in the Premier League prior to his move to Spain, Aubameyang hit the ground running for his new club by breaking the deadlock in the 23rd minute.
The 32 years old striker raced onto a superb long-range pass from Jordi Alba and successfully struck it into the top right corner of the goal to break the deadlock.
Frenkie de Jong subsequently scored with a tap-in in the 32nd minute before Aubameyang emerged once more to put the game out of reach for the host with Barcelona’s third in the 38th minute.
Valencia had a little bit of hope restored after Carlos Soler scored their first in the 52 minute. However, the new Barcelona striker’s hat-tick was officially sealed after the referee credited him for the deflection on Pedri’s shot in the 63rd minute.
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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