Izuchukwu Okosi
Saudi Arabia league champions Al Hilal have completed the signing of Nigeria striker Odion Ighalo from rivals Al Shabab.
Al Shabab is arguably not in the good books of Nigerians who were one of three clubs – the others being European clubs – SS Napoli and Watford that vehemently refused to release forwards Victor Osimhen and Emmanuel Dennis for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Top scorer in the Saudi Pro league with 12 goals, Ighalo has been with Al Shabab since February 2021 after ending a year-long loan spell at Manchester United. The striker’s contract with the White Lion was to run until June 30, 2023.
But Al Hilal have completed a sensational raid on their bitter rivals and have snatched away possibly the best striker in the Saudi Arabian Pro League.
The Blue Waves are aiming at repeating last year’s feat when they finished as champions of the elite division beating Al Shabab to second place.
Al Hilal lost star man Bafétimbi Gomis and hopes Ighalo’s experience will lift them from fourth place to the top of the table.
Ighalo has previously played for Lyn Oslo, Udinese, Granada, CC Yatai and Shanghai Shenhua.
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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