By Wale Mustapha
Niger Tornadoes midfielder, Ifeanyi Okechukwu, is eagerly anticipating his upcoming match against his boyhood club, Abia Warriors, on Sunday.
Born in Umuahia, Abia State, Okechukwu made the move to Niger Tornadoes at the start of the current Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season from Sokoto United.
Since joining, he has quickly become one of the standout players for the Ikon Allah Boys.
The match against Abia Warriors holds special significance for Okechukwu, who is set to face his hometown club.
Despite the tough challenge ahead, Okechukwu is determined to give his best performance in front of his people.
“This is a special feeling for me, and I’m excited to be playing in front of my people,” Okechukwu said.
“Abia Warriors have some young and exciting players in their fold, so I know it’s going to be a tough match, but we are ready for the challenge.”
The midfielder, who scored his first NPFL goal against Plateau United in Jos, expressed optimism about getting another positive result on the road this weekend.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
