By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Ajax have confirmed the departure of 19-year-old defender Precious Ugwu to FC Volendam, with one-year remaining on his contract.
The Nigeria-eligible talent joins the Eredivisie newcomers after over a decade at the Amsterdam club.
Ugwu, who has represented Ajax since 2014, rose through the club’s youth academy and made his professional debut for Jong Ajax on February 26, 2024, in a Keuken Kampioen Divisie match against Telstar.
He went on to make 31 appearances for Ajax U23 but did not break into the first team.
“Precious is a great defender who has played in our youth academy for a long time,” said Marijn Beuker, Ajax’s director of football.
“It’s a pity he wasn’t able to make the last step to the first team. We wish him all the best with his next step at FC Volendam.”
Born in Germany, Ugwu is eligible to represent both Germany and Nigeria internationally.
His move to Volendam is seen as an opportunity for more first-team football as he continues his professional development.
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.
