CNN Goal of the Week winner Olatunbosun dreams Manchester United

Twenty-one-year-old Lagos-based MFM Midfielder, Sikiru Olatunbosun, says that he dreams playing for Manchester United FC of England in the nearest future.

The highly dependable winger told our reporter on Tuesday in Lagos that Manchester United was his dream club because of quality of players it possessed.

“I love Manchester United and they are my favourites. I have had offers from other leagues and I can play anywhere.

“I also love German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spain’s La liga. I don’t mind playing for any of those clubs.

“For now, I want to concentrate on my playing career with MFM and help them win the league which I know is possible with the quality of players we have,’’ said the CNN Goal of the Week Award winner for Match Day 10.

Olatunbosun, who received in the first week of March, started his playing career with MFM on their debut in the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has been in sparkling form since he broke into the first team.

He scored a brace against Akwa-United FC in August last season to mark his 21st year birthday and finished the season with seven goals.

Olatunbosun was also part of the selected NPFL All-star team that went on a playing tour of Spain last season.

For the current season, Olatunbosun opened his goal account for MFM on the Match Day I fixture against Niger Tornadoes of Minna. The team eventually won the game 3-0.

Speaking after the opening match, confident Olatunbosun said that he hoped to scoop the season’s top scorer award.

“I hope to win the top scorer’s award to better my performance last year. This year, we want to play in the continent,’’ he said confidently.

Matching his words with action, Olatunbosun hugged the headlines with his wonder goal during the Match Day 10 encounter against the NPFL defending champions, Rangers International Fc of Enugu.

The spectacular 31st minute goal in the 2-1 win against Rangers drew global attention and also won him many accolades, including the most coveted CNN goal of the week.

A brilliant Olatubosun got a pass from Stephen Odey, controlled the pass with his left leg, and made a brilliant turn to volley the ball beyond the reach of hapless Rangers’ Ghanaian goalkeeper, Nana Bonsu.

In recognition of his ingenuity, CNN awarded him the goal of the week thereby becoming the first NPFL player ever to win the award.

To win the award, Olatunbosun garnered astonishing 82 per cent of the 6,647 total votes cast to beat the likes of Raja Nainggolan of Roma in Italian Serie A.

Other contenders include Youri Tielemans of Anderlecht in Belgium and Joey Jones of Woking FC of England.

Commenting on the award, an elated Olatunbosun dedicated the award to the proprietor of the club and the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire Ministry (MFM), Dr Daniel Kolawole Olukoya.

“I dedicate this award to the General Overseer of the church for the opportunity to be part of the MFM team.

“I also want to give thanks to God for the award; my coaches, teammates, officials, the director of the team and to all my fans all over the world who voted for me,’’ he said.

On MFM chances of winning the league, Olatunbosun minced no words in confirming their chances of winning the NPFL.

“We can win the league because we are ripe enough. We have faced tough oppositions in the league without defeat, so we are capable of winning it.

“The crop of players in MFM now are experienced enough to make something out of the league and if we are unable to win the league, I think top three finish is within the reach.

“Playing in the continent cannot be a problem though clubs from Nigeria are not doing well for now, but that does not mean we cannot make our mark in the continent.

“We needed a chance to prove what we can do in the continent and I hope we will perform better,’’ he said.

It was reported that MFM now tops the NPFL table with 33 points from 18 matches; they recorded 10 wins, three draws and lost five of their matches.