Villarreal’s Nigeria star Samuel Chukwueze has vowed to improve on his craft and become an even better player following his award announced on Monday as the Best African Football Player in the recently concluded Spanish La Liga for the 2022/2023 season.
Former youth international Chukwueze was voted the best African player in LaLiga by more than 30,000 fans plus 26 journalists from the continent.
The award for the Best African Player in the La Liga has been long held and had seen the likes of Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke at different times handed the prize.
The 23-year-old won the honor ahead of Yassine Bono of Morocco and Sevilla, Black Star and Athletic Bilbao forward Iñaki Williams and Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri, among others.
The Super Eagles winger expressed his elation at the recognition and believes it is only the start of big things to come in his career.
“I feel so happy to win the award. It means I’ve worked so hard to be here. I want to thank my teammates, if not for them, I wouldn’t have won the award.
“This is just little of Samuel Chukwueze, I’m still young, learning and walking hard . I still have a lot to give to this club . This is just beginning of Samuel Chukwueze,” he told his Club’s official website.
Chukwueze is affectionately called the ‘African Arjen Robben’ for molding his game after his childhood favourite player, Arjen Robben.
The Dutch star, Robben, was a household name whilst playing for Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
Izuchukwu OkosiIzuchukwu 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.