By Akintunde Akinsemola
The name of Rivers United youngster Seiyefa Jackson has been on the lips of most Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) followers, but in the Southwest town of Akure, another teenager and graduate from the NPFL Youth League has wormed his way into the hearts of Sunshine Stars selectors and supporters this season.
Chinedu Nwosu, popularly called ‘Nedu,’ was born 17 years ago in Akure, the Ondo state capital to Imo state parents. His rise in the country’s league cadre began in 2022 with Akure City Football Club having played competitive secondary school football with Akure Secondary Commercial School two years ago.
Nwosu played for Akure City FC in the Nationwide League One while he was still a secondary school student in 2022.
He thereafter moved to Sunshine Stars and played and scored one goal in their Under-17 team which finished second to Remo Stars at the Southwest zonal championship in Ikere-Ekiti.
Nedu patiently waited for his time in the 2023/24 NPFL season. He was named on the bench on Matchday 34 in Sunshine Stars’ 2-0 win at Gombe United and did not get to play. Sunshine Stars head coach Kennedy Boboye then introduced him in the 73rd minute against Akwa United in a Matchday 35 tie at Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure, and he made an instant impact with the score at 0-0 at the time. The teenager wasted no time providing an assist for Yusuf Ibrahim, as Sunshine Stars scored their first goal in the 74th minute. Nwosu again provided another assist for the second goal by Ibrahim two minutes later in Sunshine Stars’ 2-0 win over the Promise Keepers.
Super-sub Nwosu made headlines in the Southwest derby between Sunshine Stars and Remo Stars as he was introduced in the second half. He struck in the 58th minute, 40 seconds after his introduction and sealed a 2-1 win for Sunshine Stars on 80 minutes from an acute angle.
In his last game against Doma United at the Pantami Stadium, Gombe, he featured for just seven minutes, had two shots on target but his efforts were saved by Doma United goalkeeper, Kingdom Osayi.
Last season, Nwosu featured four times for Sunshine Stars in the NPFL. Nedu is pacy, nimble-footed, energetic and a team player. The Sunshine Stars number 37 will surely be one to watch in the coming season.