Three Nigerian-born teenagers are creating more waves at Arsenal of England, with different shades of headlines now trailing them, after they caught the attention of the London-based English Premier League club’s fans and the media, as well as many supporters of their rivals.
The latest rush of awe at Emirates Stadium is coming from the club’s youth team striker, Ethan Chidiebere Nwaneri, who proved his mettle for The Young Gunners once again, as the 14-year-old rising star netted on his competitive debut for Arsenal youth team.
Megasportsarena.com rports that the milestone came for Nwaneri after he was named in the starting line-up for The Gunners’ U18 English Premier League clash against Reading, who also had Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan starting in attack for the game at Walthamstow in London.
Arsenal’s squad had only schoolboys, seven of which got their debuts, such that the Nigerian-born sextet of Ovie Ejeheri, Zach Awe, Daniel Oyegoke, Mazeed Ogungbo, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Joel Ideho were rested by the hosts.
Ehibhatiomhan halved the deficit to 2-1 after first-half strikes from Arsenal duo Gower and Richards, but Nwaneri made it 5-1 two minutes from time, thereby putting himself in pole position for another start in his side’s final home game of the season.
That will be against Aston Villa on Saturday, before they then line out for a crunch London derby against Chelsea on the final day of the regular season in England’s top-flight youth league, which has also seen interesting exploits from Ejeheri.
The agile youngster, who is currently rated one of the most promising goalkeepers in England, has now been reward with the opportunity of better trappings at Emirates Stadium, as The Gunners are now reportedly in advanced negotiations with him over a new contract.
The 18-year-old shot-stopper, who began the season as back-up to England under-18 national team keeper, Hubert Graczyk, is now on the brink of agreeing his first professional contract with the Gunners.
This is considering that he has established himself as a regular starter, going the distance in five of the last eight games in the U18 Premier League and was the club’s preferred goalkeeper for the English FA Youth Cup.
Greenwich-born Ejeheri, who as keen on representing Nigeria at the 2019 FIFA U17 World Cup but a medial meniscus injury put paid to his chances of getting a call-up to join a training camp in Abuja, has spent 13 years at Arsenal, having joined the club at the age of five.
Ejeheri, who is in the final two months of his scholarship at Arsenal, will become the second Nigerian-born player to commit his future to the north London club in the space of one month after Folarin Balogun inked a new multi-year contract in April.
Incidentally, Balogun was part of The Gunners’ main squad’s final training session ahead of their UEFA Europa League semifinal second leg against Villarreal of Spain, and the youngster appeared confident on the ball, under the guidance of the London club’s coach, Mikel Arteta.
However, the chances of Balogun starting against Samuel Chukwueze’s club appear slim, as fellow-Nigerian-born youngster, Bukayo Saka as well as Gabriel Martinelli, Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pepe, Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Willian and Eddie Nketiah are all currently ahead of him in the pecking order of attack-minded players at Arsenal.
Nonetheless, the 19-year-old Balogun has been training with Arsenal’s first team on a regular basis in the last three weeks, after agreeing to extend his stay at Emirates Stadium beyond end of this season.
The vastly-improved attacker, who has helped Arsenal register five wins in this season’s Europa League, with two goals and one assist to show, is ahead of goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, Tolaji Bola, Zach Awe, Miguel Azeez and Ryan Alebiosu in the list of Nigerian-born players that are eligible to be fielded by Arsenal in Thursday clash with Villarreal.
Balogun has already received a positive prediction from Arsenal legend, Ian Wight, who suggested that the 19-year-old has tremendous ability and projected the youngster as one of the top teenagers in British football.
Speaking on the The Kelly and Wrighty Show, Wright tipped Balogun to be a success and hinted that he was excited seeing the lad extend his stay at Emirates Stadium, adding: “Look where we at the moment, it’s like we are a mid-table side.
“We’ve got players that I think are good enough, we’ve got some young players that could be amazing. You talk about Balogun, he could be something special but that remains to be seen….”
