Golden Eaglets Star, Okonkwo Dedicates Goal To Mum

Golden Eaglets Star, Okonkwo Dedicates Goal To Mum

Golden Eaglets Star, Okonkwo Dedicates Goal To Mum

Golden Eaglets’ striker Orji Okonkwo has
described his 35-yard screamer, which fetched
second goal for Nigeria in the 4-2 defeat of
Mexico in the semi finals of the FIFA U-17
World Cup as his best ever.
Okonkwo had played minor part in the
tournament until fate thrust him into the
fray, as replacement for Funsho
Bamgboye who was suspended after two
yellow cards. The boy grabbed the bull
by the horns to score what is known
in Nigerian football parlance as
‘intercontinental ballistic missile.’
I have never scored a goal like this
before and you cannot practice this kind
of goal,” admitted Okwonkwo, the first
boy in a family with six other children.
“The goal I scored against Mexico today
is a wonderful goal and I’m dedicating
the goal to my mum who has been there
for me; challenging me to be the best.
“My dad died last year; I remember him
too, but it is my mum that has been there
for me all this while. I thank her so
much,” he said.
Okonkwo, is one of the team’s pacesetter
performers who scored thrice, including
a goal against Mali on April 21, 2014, at
the sub-regional West African Football
Union (WAFU) B Tournament in Togo,
where the Golden Eaglets finished third
behind Benin and Togo.
Over 21,000 spectators including NFF
President Amaju Pinnick,
saw Okonkwo’s top -of -the -drawer goal
but there was another person on
his mind when his lively shot sailed into
the net: Emmanuel Amuneke.
“Today, I want to thank Coach
Emmanuel Amuneke for pushing me
so hard,” said the player, who was
sanctioned and kept out of the squad
for months prior to the African U-17
Championship in Niger Republic.
He continued: “He is a nice person who
wants the best for us. Before the
match, he called me and said: ‘Orji, this
is your chance, you can’t avoid to let
yourself and Nigerians down’ and when
I scored, I kept saying ‘coach, coach,
coach.’ I’m grateful to him,” added the
teenager who is two-time winner of the
annual Karanka Reveria Invitational
Tournament in Croatia in 2013 and 2015
with Abuja Football College.