Nigeria winger Samuel Chukwueze hopes to win the African best player award in future.
No footballer from the West African country has won the award since former Arsenal striker Nwankwo Kanu picked the coveted prize in 1999.
Chukuweze is however determined to win the individual award.
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“I want to be the African best player and compete for the world’s best,”
Chukwueze stated in an instagram chat with comedian, Funnybone.
“I know I can do it, I believe in myself.”
Chukwueze has blossom in the color of Spanish club Villarreal and has been linked with potential move to premier league side Chelsea and Liverpool.
His impressive rise in European football earned a nomination for the golden boy and Kopa trophy award last season and was also named young player of the year for Villarreal.
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COMMENTS
Well done boy. This is wat i like to hear from an eagle, the self moltivation is wat africans need to dismiss fear and tention. Always tell ur self that you the best and work hard to prove it. The award will come rolling on your domot
Go for it son. You will certainly make it happen. Already, you are almost there. Any one who try’s to stop you,
will fail woefully. Amen.
go to big club bro, dont be afraid
I love the determination! But wake up bro! You can’t reach that height with the lacklustre performance you’re putting up towards the tail end of the Ongoing season. He is going COLD guys! I’ve been monitoring him well. Before the season was called off, he was not able to make any match day line up! Whenever he comes in as a Sub, he’s performance is left to be desired.
I think he’s beginning to follow the footsteps of Ihenacho. Mingling with Comedians, Musicians…both partying. Going to his hometown ABIA state to do show off…It won’t help you bro. Stay focused like WILFRED NDIDI, OSHIMEN, J.COLLINS, SEMI AJAYI, JOE ARIBO. This are good examples of teamates that knows where they are going and are not carried away by the game of playing and performing well for Club and Country
*** by the fame **** I mean
You are right. Celebrity culture destroys players careers especially in this social media era. That’s a reason why iheanacho dipped so bad before trying hard this season to at least get back on track. This players need to train and train hard. Night and day. Look at kanu who was the last Nigerian who won APOTY. After recovering from his heart surgery, he stayed focused. Got married and continued to train hard. Sometimes I think many other players careers would be blown out of the window after a health hazard like his, but he didn’t let it stop him.
I must say I expected more from chukwueze this season.but so far, he’s not surpassed what he achieved last season. Hope his form picks up
Well said @Kbaba! I hope this gets to him and all our under-performing players ably Chaired by ALEX IWOBI
Chairmanfemi, you no go kill person!
🙂 🙂
@ Chairmanfemi, well constructed advice with obvious good intentions devoid of selfish interest even unto Iwobi,unlike many wolves in sheep skin that come here looking n praying for faults for players, just to promote some mediocre players, they share tribal connections with or possibly promoting for financial benefits. I always read in between lines n not just letters. Bless u @ Chairmanfemi, a good example for how to criticize.
@chairmanfemi with all due respect i want to ask why have you not criticize Ndidi for coming to Lagos to give arms to people, he grew and was raised in Lagos so he is a Lagos boy. If Chukwueze who was born and raised in his village dicides to go back to village and do stuffs lkke Ndidi is doing in Lagos will that make him loose form as a player. Why do we always think that people in the vilages are wictches a d does not deserve anything good. If playees like Chukwueze, Iheanacho, the Nwakalks grew up in their villages and those witches as your comment connotes did not stop them from coming to limelight is it now that they will be useful to their community that the so called witch or badbelle with distroy their live. The boys are doing what they can do and doing so well. No player goes at the same form from begining of the season to the end. The time he comes off the bench for villarill he always changes their games the problem here is that most of you don’t watch their games except when they are playing with your so called big clubs like Realmadrid and Barca. If Chukwueze, Iheanacho or Osimehen should play in any of those big clubs with those caliber of players they will become world stars. Pls let’s commend them and wish them the best. Be proud of your village and encourage your children to go to their village, relate with their people because unknow to you they also praying for your success
Ugwudede, sorry for putting my nose in this matter but I genuinely don’t think Chairmanfemi meant anything nefarious with his submission. I think he was only suggesting timeliness and purpose when visiting the Village and not to do so just to show that “you have arrived”.
I have known Chairmanfemi on this platform for over 2 years and he is often considered, professional and polished in his exchanges.
I apologize if I am wrong and also apologize for poking my nose into this matter.
Mr. Man @ugwudede. There’s a huge problem when someone reads and interprete/understand wrongly. Next time, I’ll urge you not to jump into conclusions inconsiderably cuz that will only make you sound funny. To the best of my knowledge as well, your comment above has a tribalistic undertone which is not encourage on this platform.
Now to counter your comment, show off is clearly different from giving aids and the show off I meant is not limited to this period of pandemic alone where players are coming out to support Nigerians back home. What am talking of here is long..long before the Pandemic whereby he goes back home and they host a HOUSE PARTY in his mansion severally and many other flamboyant activities. And you talking about, Village and Witchcraft just gets to show you’re clearly off-point. What I wrote does not even made mention of any so I wonder what you’re thinking while reading through.
Am a big fan of this Players including CHUKWUEZE and we’ll continue to wish them well and call them back when they’re going off-road
Sorry if I misunderstood your point bro.
@Ugwudede, You’re welcome bro. One love #SoarSuperEagles
Just watch Lionel Messi’s and arjen robben’s clips and try their practicing their skills during training.
Honest criticism of a player is never quick to suggest a supposedly better replacement to a coach. Thumbs up again @ chairmanfemi.
@GLORY, @Deo…I call him Master Deo though..lol. Thanks guys
oboy please and please dont stop partying like iwobi o. or u end up like iwobi.
Victor, although the stats suggest that Iwobi is currently underperforming in Everton, I don’t think this can be attributed to excessive partying.
The Iwobi I read about is hard working, focused and dedicated. However, his underperformance at club level may just be down to the need for more intense practice and drills in specific competencies.
I don’t think it is fair to label Iwobi as a party-going distracted footballer. There is nothing to suggest that.
_ How Realistic are Chukwueze’s ambitions (Part 1)?
According to the article above, Super Eagles most exciting winger Samuel Chukwueze aspires to be the first Nigerian to win the much coveted African Footballer of the Year award for the first time in well over 15 years and also rub shoulders with the crème de la crème of the global football fraternity.
Lofty ambitions indeed however, if the 20 year old’s performances this season are expected to be viewed as a barometer of what is to come, then expecting him to achieve those goals would be a tough ask indeed.
As already noted, Chukwueze took the Spanish La Liga by storm last season with performance that were just jaw dropping at times. I recall the game against Real Madrid where the then 19 year old made seasoned defenders look like amateurs.
His pace, close control, long and short range passes and take-on capabilities drew comparisons to the legendary Arjen Robben of Holland. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague said on BBC last year: “Only 19, Chukwueze is an attacking midfielder who can play in both wide areas and his dribbling ability is unbelievable. He has already scored in the league and cup and you have a player who is new and exciting to watch.”
The Super Eagles winger ended that season (2018/19) with 5 goals and 2 assists in 26 league matches and 2 goals and 0 assist in the 3 Copa del Rey. His performances attracted considerable critical acclaim and won him individual youth awards and recognition. At his young age, his performance could also be attributed to his fast-track admission into the Super Eagles for the 2019 afcon having been in line to initially go to the under-20 world cup.
I equate Chukwueze’s 18/19 La Liga season to England’s Raheem Sterling’s inaugural 15/16 season at Manchester City when the then-20 year old winger scored 6 goals and provided 2 assists in 32 league matches. Sterling would follow this up the next season with 7 goals and 10 assists in 33 league matches.
_ How Realistic are Chukwueze’s ambitions (Part 2)? – Comparison with Iwobi – _
Analysing this, Sterling’s goal scoring remained constant whilst his assists improved by a gigantic 250% within 12 months. If you then compare his 16/17 season with his 17/18 (where he scored and a mammoth 18 goals and provided 15 assists in 33 games), you will see improvements of 157% in goal scoring and 50% in assists deliveries.
Over the 3 seasons I just explored, these are graphical curve of a player literally shooting for the stars! The improvements are not just piecemeal but quite exponential.
Back to Chukwueze; comparing 18/19 and 19/20 season (where he has thus far scored 3 goals and provided 3 assists in the same number of matches as last season), his goals scoring have depreciated by 40% whilst his assists have improved by 50% (piecemeal improvement if you consider the fact that he has just 1 assist better than last season).
Also Chukwueze has started fewer games: 13 games this season as against 19 (a drop of 32%). In the Copa Del Rey, he has played more games this season ( 4 against 3 last season) but scored less goals (1 against 2 last season) underscoring further depreciation in club competition.
_ Prognosis _
Samuel Chukwueze is a quality play who has the touch of magic and capabilities to achieve his own ambitions. However, the numbers have to be looking far better than what they look at the moment before anyone can take his ambitions seriously.
If the stats remain the same or even regresses further, there is nothing to say that he would not be considered like a player like Alex Iwobi (who is seen as hard working, fervent, committed, dedicated and passionate but sorely lacking in consistently displaying the attributes of a world class player worthy of winning the Africa Cup of Nations).
The End!
Correction in the last paragraph: (who is seen as hard working, fervent, committed, dedicated and passionate but sorely lacking in consistently displaying the attributes of a world class player worthy of winning the African Footballer of They Year).
End of Correction…….
Iwobi as well as Chukwueze have the capabilities to raise their game to a very high level that will make them be considered has world class players. For that to happen, each of them have to show more consistency and deliver performances that will producing compelling statistics to put them there and back up this status.
As things stand, their numbers aren’t too impressive. That takes nothing away from their commitment. I can only put them in the category of players that their output (statistics) suggest they belong (take it or leave it)!
Thank you so much Ugwudede for not being offended by my intervention. Like Chairmanfemi said, ascribing undertones like tribal, spiritual or fetish suggestions to our submissions is something we try to stir away from.
The vast majority of us are here to share ideas and enrich our knowledge in a vibrant atmosphere that promotes good experience.
Stay blessed.