By Daily Sports on November 1, 2018

Etinosa Ighodaro is a young player with lots of potentials and many who have watched him in the grassroots of Nigerian football can attest to that.

The youngster recently put pen to paper for South African top side Mamelodi Sundowns in a move which has won him lots of plaudits and given him the psychological fillip to reach for greater heights in the round leather game.

Ighodaro is a fast-paced attacker who can also operate from the flanks. His dribbling skills and solid physical base as well as his hunger to always take on defenders are attributes which have stood him out and made many speak highly of him.

I first saw the lad a couple of years ago and was impressed by his mental and physical toughness in the tough world of grassroots football.

I asked him about his recent move to South Africa and he informed me that he has signed for Sundowns as a minor (he's 17) from Abuja-based grassroots outfit Basics Sports Academy and that once he turns 18 he would sign a complete professional contract.

"I'm excited about my leaving Nigeria to join Sundowns. I want to work hard to make the most of the opportunity that Sundowns have given me," Ighodaro said.

Per Wikipedia: "Mamelodi Sundowns is a South African

football club based in Pretoria that plays in the Premier Soccer League. Since the inception of the PSL in 1996 Sundowns have won the league title a record eight times and they were the 2016 CAF Champions League champions and 2016 CAF Club Of The Year. They have also won the Nedbank Cup four times, and hold the joint record of three National Football League Championships and are the 1st South African team to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup where they finished in 6th place."

It has also been reported that Ighodaro (who has a knack for scoring goals in a cool and lethal way) has caught the eye of Nigerian Under-21coach Paul Aigbogun who is reportedly very open to the idea of inviting the youngster to the team.

Osas Mahawi of OwnGoal newspaper writes a while ago that: "Coach Paul Aigbogun is open to the idea of having new strikers in his team as the one he presently has didn’t quite convince him during the qualifiers for the African Youth Championship, something he hopes to improve on if Ighodaro impresses during trials.

Ighodaro is the younger brother of one-time Super Eagles invitee and striker Osaguona Ighodaro who won a number of caps for Nigeria under late Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi.

Edo-born Ighodaro had impressed last year in a Youth tournament in Italy where he scored 9 goals at the presitigious Diarreggio cup which prompted some top scouts to take a big interest in him.

According to OwnGoal newspaper: "It was the second time the forward has impressed at the tournament as two years ago he also scored six goals for Football Academy Abuja at the same tournament. The fact that he bettered his feat this time around showed his consistency in front of goal."

I'm wishing Ighodaro a successful time in South Africa and my hope is that he will fulfill the promises of his potential to the fullest and be a great star in club and country football. That's what his quality and his respectful nature deserves.

*Photo shows Ighodaro putting pen to paper for Sundowns.

Source Daily Sports

Posted November 1, 2018

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