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Official: Nigerian striker Ifeanyi Eze joins Wellington Phoenix from Al-Karkh SC

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Official: Nigerian striker Ifeanyi Eze joins Wellington Phoenix from Al-Karkh SC

By Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Australian A-League club Wellington Phoenix have confirmed the signing of Nigerian forward Ifeanyi Eze from Iraqi side Al-Karkh SC for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old striker is expected to spearhead Wellington Phoenix’s attack next season following a prolific campaign in the Iraq Stars League, where he scored 15 goals and provided five assists for a struggling Al-Karkh team that finished 14th.

Head coach Giancarlo Italiano praised Eze’s qualities and potential impact:

“He has all of the attributes I was looking for in an attacker. He can score goals, he’s very fast, he can dribble at pace and his intention is to always go forward,” Italiano said.

“Eze’s got this nice instinct where as soon as he gets around the 18-yard box he’s looking to shoot or create. He can also link quite well. And the most important thing for me is he’s a really, really good person.”

Italiano also highlighted the similarity between the Iraqi league and the A-League, expressing confidence that Eze’s goal-scoring record can translate effectively to his new environment.

“The leagues are very similar in terms of rankings in Asia,” he added.

“The Iraqi league is a little bit more transitional and a bit different to the A-League, but the fact that he scored 15 goals and had five assists in a team that was down the bottom is very impressive. And stylistically he suits the way I want to play.”

Eze is expected to join Wellington Phoenix once his New Zealand work visa is approved. The Nigerian forward expressed excitement about linking up with his new teammates and embarking on the next chapter of his career.

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Samuel Ahmadu
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.
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