Following the recent crowning of Victor Osimhen, the best African player in the 2022/23 Italian League, another Nigerian winger, Samuel Chukwueze, has lifted the country’s flag higher with his recent achievement in the Spanish League.
The Nigerian and Villarreal CF soccer star has been named the best African player of the 2022/23 La Liga Season. He defeated other African compatriots, including Morocco’s goalkeeper, Yassine Bono; dynamic Ghanaian forward, Iñaki Williams; and Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri; in a fiercely contested polling determined by over 30,000 fans and 26 esteemed football journalists from around the globe.
“Samu is now enjoying his well-deserved award, after being voted by more than 30,000 fans and 26 journalists from the continent, ahead of other top African players such as Yassine Bono, Iñaki Williams, and Youssef En-Nesyri, among others,” Villarreal CF wrote.
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“I feel so happy to win this award. I’ve worked very hard this season, but I want to thank my teammates for making it possible. Without them this wouldn’t have been possible for me… and the coach [Quique Setién] too. When the coach believes in you, and gives you the confidence to play and enjoy yourself, it really motivates you,” Chukwueze said at a match briefing.
“But I think I can still do more,” he added. “I want to continue working hard. I’m still young, so I’m still learning. This is just the beginning,” he concluded.
Samuel Chukwueze played 2,348 minutes in 37 league matches and started 27. He netted 13 goals with 11 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions in the just-concluded football Season.
The skillful winger began the season as a weak choice at Villarreal CF, but the arrival of manager, Quique Setien, birthed a remarkable turnaround in his form. The soccer player exhibited scintillating performances on the pitch, where he proved his mettle, with the most prominent being the brace against the revered Real Madrid at the iconic Bernabeu Stadium.
He joined Villarreal CF’s youth team in 2017 from Diamond Football Academy, and made his senior debut as a reserve on 15 April 2018.
However, the 24-year-old athlete’s future is uncertain at Villarreal, as his brilliant displays have attracted much attention from European Clubs, including Real Madrid, Everton, and Aston Villa.
His present contract will end in 2024, with a buyout clause of €100m; Villarreal is reportedly willing to accept half of the contract clause.
