Izuchukwu OkosiFive players of the victorious Golden Eaglets side that defeated Burkina Faso 2-1 in the final of the West African Football Union (WAFU) U-17 sub regional tournament in Cape Coast, Ghana on Friday evening has made the ‘Team of the Tournament’ reports Prime Business Africa.
The quintet of Yahaya Lawali, Richard Udoh, Jeremiah Oladele, Emmanuel Michael and Idriss Abubakar made the cut in a team of eleven players.
Yahaya Lawal was voted the best right-back of the tournament, Richard Udoh scooped the prize for the best goalkeeper, Jeremiah Oladele was one of the best centre backs alongside Burkina Faso’s Yameogo.
Emmanuel Michael was the dead ball specialist and unarguably the best in his position at left back. He scored three free kicks from his position and Idriss Abubakar completes the Nigerian contingent.
Players from other countries who made the list include: Yameogo (central defence, Burkina Faso), Diomande (right wing, CIV), Outorou (Central midfield, Benin Republic), Quattara (Central midfield, Burkina Faso), Camara (left wing, Burkina Faso) and Yamis Ali (Centre forward, Niger Republic).
Nigeria’s coach Nduka Ugbade who won the FIFA U-16 World Cup in West Germany as a player in the maiden edition of the cadet World Cup in 1985 was acknowledged as the coach of the best team.
Nigeria and Burkina Faso by reaching the final of the tournament have qualified for the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria in February 2023 where the semifinalists will represent Africa at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru.
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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