By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Czech giants SK Slavia Praha have officially announced the signing of Nigerian midfielder Izuchukwu Okonkwo. The 19-year-old, a product of Lagos-based academy 36 Lion, is expected to initially join the club’s B-team, pending final documentation and visa approval, which is scheduled for August.
Sporting director Jiří Bílek confirmed the deal and expressed confidence in the young midfielder’s potential.
“We have been following Izuchukwu for a long time and he went through our scouting system,” Bílek said.
“In the matches he played for Plovdiv and Armenian Van, the B-team coaches also saw him and believed he fit the profile we were looking for.”
“He is a very strong and talented player with great potential to eventually play for the A-team. However, he still has a long way to go, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this journey will be successful,” Bílek added.
Okonkwo’s move to Slavia Praha marks the latest step in his European football journey.
He began his overseas career with Bulgarian top-flight side Botev Plovdiv before gaining further experience on loan at FC Van in the Armenian Premier League, where he impressed with his physicality and adaptability.
His transfer continues a growing trend of Nigerian talents making their mark in Central and Eastern Europe, with Slavia Praha hoping to develop the midfielder into a future first-team contributor.
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.
