Nathaniel Nwosu
{{short description|Nigerian football player}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Nathaniel Nwosu
| image =
| caption =
| full_name = Nathaniel Ikechukwu Nwosu{{cite web |url=https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce89/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |title=FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: Nigeria (NGA) |publisher=FIFA |page=18 |date=22 May 2023 |access-date=29 May 2023}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2006|1|10|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| position = Goalkeeper
| currentclub = Tayport
| clubnumber =
| years1 =
| clubs1 =
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| nationalyears1 = 2022-
| nationalteam1 = Nigeria U20
| nationalcaps1 = 10
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2022
| nationalteam2 = Nigeria U23
| nationalcaps2 = 4
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2022
| nationalteam3 = Nigeria
| nationalcaps3 = 1
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| club-update =
| ntupdate = 16 April 2024
}}
Nathaniel Ikechukwu Nwosu (born 10 January 2006) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Midland League club Tayport and the Nigerian national team.
Career
=Early career=
Nwosu is a product of the Water FC Academy in Abuja.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ckdmedia.ng/post/who-is-nathaniel-nwosu|title=Who is Nathaniel Nwosu?|website=ckdmedia.ng}}? Nwosu had started playing football as a defender but switched to playing as a goalkeeper at 11 years-old. He won the ‘golden gloves’ award for the best goalkeeper at the 2022 WAFU Zone B U-20 Tournament as he represented Nigeria at the tournament in which they triumphed overall.{{Cite web|url=https://www.punchng.com/nwosu-how-defender-turned-keeper-dazzled-at-wafu-tourney/%3F|title= Nwosu: How defender-turned-keeper dazzled at WAFU tourney|website=Punchng.com}} Nwosu was praised for his 6 ft 4” height and reach, he was also praised for his reflexes and agility. He was named in the team of the tournament.{{Cite web|url=https://www.blueprint.ng/pictures-wafu-b-u20-flying-eagles-goalkeeper-nathaniel-nwosu-makes-best-xi-of-the-tournament/|title=WAFU B U20: Flying Eagles goalkeeper, Nathaniel Nwosu, makes best XI of the tournament|website=blueprint.ng}}
=2022: Full international=
Nwosu was called into the Nigerian squad for the 2022 African Nations Championship qualification matches against Ghana played in August and September 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://bestchoicesports.com.ng/nathaniel-nwosu-from-flying-eagles-goalkeeper-to-super-eagles-safe-hand/|title=bestchoicesports.com}} In October 2022 he played as Nigeria reached the final round of the 2023 Africa U23 Cup of Nations with a 2-0 (and 3-1 aggregate) victory of Tanzania U23.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/10/30/olympic-eagles-beat-tanzania-2-0-to-reach-final-round-pocket-50000/|title=Olympic Eagles Beat Tanzania 2-0 to Reach Final Round, Pocket $50,000|website=thisdaylive.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports247.ng/ill-keep-making-everyone-proud-flying-eagles-goalkeeper-nathaniel-nwosu-tells-fans/|title=" I’ll Keep Making Everyone Proud," Flying Eagles Goalkeeper, Nathaniel Nwosu Tells Fans|website=Sports247.ng}}
In November 2022 he was called up to the Nigeria squad for a pre-World Cup friendly match away against Costa Rica and made his senior international on November 10, 2022 debut appearing as a substitute against Costa Rica.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pulse.ng/sports/football/super-eagles/super-eagles-name-final-18-man-squad-for-costa-rica-friendly/xr2ffyd|title= Super Eagles name final 18-man squad for Costa Rica friendly|website=Pulse.ng}}{{Cite web|url=https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2022/11/10/world/friendlies/costa-rica/nigeria/3972273/|title=COSTA RICA VS. NIGERIA 2-0|website=Soccerway}}
=2023: AFCON U20 & U20 WORLD CUP=
In January 2023 Nwosu was called back in to the Nigerian under-20 team as they looked to qualify for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.{{Cite web|url=https://bsnsports.com.ng/post/U20-AFCON--Bosso-Invites-Nathaniel-Nwosu--34-Others-To-Flying-Eagles-Camp|title=U20 AFCON: Bosso Invites Nathaniel Nwosu, 34 Others To Flying Eagles Camp|website=bsnsports.com}} He started the opening match of the AFCON U20 tournament for Nigeria against Senegal in February 2023, but was dropped for their second match against Egypt.{{Cite web|url=https://scorenigeria.com.ng/flying-eagles-goalkeeper-nathaniel-nwosu-loses-no-1-spot/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224092023/https://scorenigeria.com.ng/flying-eagles-goalkeeper-nathaniel-nwosu-loses-no-1-spot/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=February 24, 2023|title=Flying Eagles goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu loses No 1 spot|date=February 22, 2023|website=Scorenigeria.com|access-date=February 24, 2023}} In May 2023 he was named in the Nigeria squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.{{Cite web|url=https://scorenigeria.com.ng/flying-eagles-squad-victor-eletu-wears-jersey-no-10-daga-youngest-player/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516131856/https://scorenigeria.com.ng/flying-eagles-squad-victor-eletu-wears-jersey-no-10-daga-youngest-player/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 16, 2023|website=Scorenigeria.com|accessdate=March 17, 2023|title= FLYING EAGLES SQUAD: Victor Eletu wears jersey No 10, Daga youngest player|date=May 13, 2023}}
=2024: African Games=
In March 2024, he was named in the a Nigeria squad for the delayed 2023 African Games in Ghana.{{cite web|url=https://www.completesports.com/bosso-unveils-flying-eagles-squad-for-all-africa-games/|website=Complete Sports|accessdate=6 March 2024|date=4 March 2024|title= Bosso Unveils Flying Eagles’ Squad For Africa Games 2023}}
Career statistics
=International=
{{updated|9 November 2022}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria
|2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total | 1 | 0 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Soccerway|882299}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nwosu, Nathaniel}}
Category:Nigerian men's footballers
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers