Izuchukwu Okosi
Despite a Covid-19 hit weekend which saw most games postponed especially in the English Premier League, there were still outstanding teams and players from the ones that went ahead.
In the first edition of the Prime Business Africa’s European Team of the Week, Senior Correspondent IZUCHUKWU OKOSI presents the eleven players in a 5-3-2 formation that were in great form for their teams across Europe over the weekend.
GOAL
Jeremias Ledesma (Cadiz, Spain)
Jeremias Ledesma was excellent in goal for Cadiz on Sunday night as they frustrated Real Madrid in a pulsating scoreless draw. The Argentine made nine saves over 90 minutes against the La Liga leaders.
RIGHT BACK
Joao Cancelo (Manchester City, England)
The Portuguese was defensively astute and he added gloss to his performance with a long range piledrive which is already a contender for goal of the season in the 4-0 win over a rich but sinking Newcastle United.
LEFT BACK
Kieran Tierney (Arsenal, England)
Scottish international Tierney was impressive in Arsenal’s 4-1 excellent performance against Leeds United at the Elland Road on Saturday evening. The left back had a shot on target out of two efforts. He made one interception and two clearances.
CENTRE BACK
Amir Rhamani (Napoli, Italy)
Amir Rhamani was a rock in defence for Napoli in 1-0 away win against AC Milan at the San Siro. The centre back made three interceptions, eight clearances, won seven aerial balls and had 45 touches of the ball.
CENTRE BACK
Carlos Akapo (Cadiz, Spain)
Partnering Rhamani in Prime Business Africa’s European Team of the Week is Carlos Akapo of Cadiz.
The defender stood tall in the goalless draw against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday night which snapped Madrid’s eight game winning run.
Akapo was awarded King of the Match award for his outstanding performance in the game. He made one tackle, two interceptions, seven clearances, four blocked shots and committed one tackle.
CENTRE BACK
Romain Saiss (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England)
Moroccan international Romain Saiss won the toss for us between him and Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano.
Saiss was splendid in Wolverhapton Wanderers’ goalless draw against an out-of-sorts Chelsea.
The Wolves centre back won three tackles, five interceptions, made five clearances, blocked one shot and won one aerial ball.
Upamecano scored a goal from his central defensive position in Bayern Munich’s 4-0 drubbing of Wolfsburg (the 113th goal of the year 2021 for the Bavarians who have now scored 117 in total this calendar year). He produced five tackles, two interceptions, one clearance, two blocked shots and two fouls committed. However, Saiss edges this contest. Just.
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD
Casemiro (Real Madrid, Spain)
Real Madrid were unpeded by a stubborn Cadiz which halted the Los Merengues’ winning streak in a 0-0 draw but Casemiro was splendid in defensive midfield for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
The Brazilian had four shots on target. He made three key passes and won 14 aerial balls with 146 touches of the ball to booth. Casemiro’s pass accuracy was 81.4%.
Defensively he made two tackles, two interceptions and committed two fouls.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal, England)
The Arsenal playmaker was impressive in Arsenal’s 4-1 drubbing of hapless Leeds United.
The Norwegian captain had one shot on target in the game and made five key passes for the Gunners.
ATTACKING MIDFIELD
Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla, Spain)
Rakitic scored one and assisted another in Sevilla’s 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid over the weekend in the La Liga and was duly awarded the King of the Match award for his majestic display.
ATTACK
Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal, England)
With arrow head Pierre Emerick Aubameyang still serving his suspension from first team duties over disciplinary issues, Gabriel Martinelli has stepped up and stepped up real big.
The Brazilian hit a brace in Arsenal’s 4-1 thumping of Leeds on Saturday. He has scored four league goals so far this season for his team, three behind teammate Emile Smith Rowe.
Tammy Abraham (AS Roma, Italy)
England international of Nigerian descent, Tammy (Tamuno) Abraham started and ended AS Roma’s goal rush against Atlanta at the Bergamo on Saturday evening.
The former Chelsea striker scored twice in the 4-1 away win which saw Jose Mourinho’s men eventually winning against one of the big teams in the Serie A – which was hitherto the butt of jokes in the Italian top-flight.
Abraham just nicks his place ahead of Valencia’s Gonçalo Guedes who scored a brace in his club’s 4-3 win over Levante on Monday night.
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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