Okwonkwo Relishes Nigeria’s First Goal After 1,207-Day Drought

OLYMPIC Eagles striker Orji Okonkwo is very much in Cloud Nine after he struck his side’s opener in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Zambia at Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo at the on-going Total U-23 Africa Cup of Nations.

Victory against Zambia not only rekindled Nigeria’s hope of a semi-final spot from their tough Group B section that also housed Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa, but it was a double celebration for the 20-year-old Okwonkwo after scoring his first goal in the green-and-white colours since his last goal for the Flying Eagles against Sudan.

“I am very happy to score my first goal for the Nigeria Under-23 team,” the FC Bologna striker current on loan to Canadian outfit, Montreal Impact, said in an exclusive interview with NationSport. “The game against Zambia was actually my third game for the under-23 national team after the game against Libya and Sudan in Asaba during the qualifiers for the AFCON, so I’m so happy that I have finally scored my first goal for the team.”

Noted for scoring great goals for both club and country, it took Okwonkwo some 261 days in between his first and second goal for Nigeria in an official match following that his famous volley against  Mexico on 5th November  2015 at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile and that goal against Sudan in Lagos on 23rd July 2016.

Though Tuesday’s goal against Zambia can’t be compared  to that ‘inter-ballistic missile ‘that Okwonkwo  struck against  Mexico in Nigeria’s 4-2 win in that U-17 semi-final match at the Estadio Municipal de Concepción, it revived  hope of the Olympic Eagles after they stumbled to a 1-0 defeat  to Cote d’Ivoire in their opening match at the U-23 AFCON last Friday.

Now perched in the second position with three points in Group B, the Olympic Eagles will face four-point leaders Amaglug-glug of South Africa tomorrow.

Meanwhile, 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning coach Emmanuel Amuneke has challenged Okwonkwo to turn up the style against in Friday’s decisive match against South Africa at the Al Salam Stadium in Cairo.

“ As we know, Okwonkwo  is a very quick and technical player and I’m happy that he has progressed well since he featured at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2015,” Amuneke, the former FC Barcelona winger told  Nation Sport from his home in Santander yesterday.“ I was happy  that he scored for the Olympic Eagles against Zambia on Tuesday; he has  to continue working hard because there is no doubt about his quality and capacity and I want to wish him all the best.”