Izuchukwu OkosiTop football players and coaches are deservedly enjoying their summer breaks in different parts of the world after a long 2021-2022 season that ended in May
In addition to the leagues around the world came the international football that ended on June 14 with the World Cup playoffs, UEFA Nations League and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers played.
As several world football stars embarked on holidays to various continents and nations to relax their muscles and have a feel of new climes, environment and cultures, there was a noticeable absence of these sporting heros in Nigeria unlike other supposedly big African countries.
Juventus bound midfielder Paul Labile Pogba who plays international football for France and won the 2018 FIFA World Cup is holidaying on his native Guinea.
Pogba, 29, was born in Lagny-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, France to Guinean parents. He is a Muslim.
He has two older brothers who are twins – Florentin and Mathias – born in Guinea, who are also footballers and play for the Guinean national team.
Barcelona forward Memphis Depay is currently in Ghana where he has his roots alongside Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah.
Another 2018 World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe is originally from Cameroon but he is in Morocco at the moment relaxing his muscles ahead of the 2022/2023 Ligue 1 season after his new £1 million a week deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe is not alone on the choice of Morocco. N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, Camavinga, Dembele, Slimani, Bennacer and Benrahma are spending their holidays in the Maghrebs.
Even AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho (who has once visited Ilorin, Kwara state, Nigeria) is currently in Tanzania where he has been involved in humanitarian works.
Se other star players chose to travel to places like the United States, Spain and Asia.
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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