By Solomon Igwe
Sunday Megwo, the mercurial and dynamic Abia Warriors striker has proved doubters wrong with his scintillating performance for the Umuahia based outfit since joining from sister club, Abia Comets two seasons ago.
Eyebrows were raised by ardent Nigeria Premier Football League followers when the native of Akokwa, in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, was signed from Abia Comets Football Club of Umuahia. Their reservation stemmed from his perceived lack of experience in Premier league football. They backed up their concerns with damning evidence of youngsters from the lower league who fizzled out in their debut season at the topflight league.
More worrisome for these naysayers was Abia Warriors recruitment of large number of players from the Nigeria National League and some football academies last season.
Perhaps, such pessimists failed to realize that Abia Warriors had always given such youngsters a chance to blossom and become national stars. Think of such players like Chisom Chikatara, Ndifreke Effiong, Chima Uluocha, Michael Olaha, Shedrack Asiegbu, Peter Onyekachi, Ifeanyi Onyeali, among several others, all of whom cut their premier league football teeth with Abia Warriors before rising to stardom, meaning that a child’s destiny is never defined by people’s opinion but rather, when a child washes his hands clean, he dines with the elders
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And that was exactly the case for Megwo, as he defied all odds to emerge Abia Warriors second highest goal scorer in the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League with eight goals. He capped that feat by leading Abia Warriors to the final of the President Federation Cup with six goals to become the club’s top scorer in the competition.
Born Sunday Obiechezona Megwo at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, on April 16, 2004, Megwo embodies a skill-set that any football coach can desire for his team’s attacking force.
The tricky forward is very direct and he has an eye for goals. His hold-up and link-up plays are highly commendable, while his aerial prowess is a beauty to behold. And how about his defensive duties as a striker? That has underscored his workaholic nature as a complete striker.
Aside possessing the ability to create space for himself and taking on defenders, Megwo can easily adapt to any tactical formation. In a typical 4-3-3 formation, he can easily switch roles in the front three with his untiring runs that keep defenders on edge, and this enables him to pounce on opportunities taking defenders unawares. Even as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation, Megwo is a handful for defenders.
Empirically, Megwo has proved to be an integral part of Abia Warriors team set-up. His physicality, vision, pressing and positioning have aided the team to churn out results.
His invitation to the Super Eagles B Team (CHAN Eagles) camp is not a fluke, rather a testament to his hard work and proficiency in front of goal.
This is evidenced by his five goals so far in the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League season, making him the leading goal scorer for Umu Chineke, despite having a slow start to the the season as a result of ill-health that prevented him from being involved in Abia Warriors Pre-season games.
Megwo said his target is to emerge the league’s top scorer this season, and he is on the right track with his goal scoring form. It can only get better for the Abia Warriors striker.