Samuel Achibong Emulates Kylian Mbape By Scoring Hat Trick In Major Cup Final, One Year After ‘Losing Confidence’

A youngster from Akwa Ibom State, Samuel Achibong on Sunday emulated the feat of France star, Kylian Mbappe and England’s Geoff Hurst by netting a hat trick diring the final of a major football competition.

Sports247 reports that, while it was in FIFA World Cup finals that Hurst (1966 in England) and Mbappe (2022 in Qatar) scored three goals for their respective countries, Achibong entered the record books with his historic treble at the grassroots in Lagos.

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His stunning feat came during the final of this year’s Seamoriow U15 League Championship, tagged Run In Grace, which he helped the host’s team win with a stunning 5-1 demolition of Arewa Football Academy of Temidire Field, Ile-Epo near Iyana Ipaja, Lagos.

One more goal would have seen the youngster from Uyo emerge as top scorer in the competition with seven goals, but the award went to Quyum Olarewaju of crowd favourites, Super Accurate Football Academy of Ikotun, who lost to Pumah FA in the quarter-finals.

Dramatically, while Quyum smiled home with a golden boot, brand new standing fan and N800,000 as collective attachments to his award, Achibong also missed the most valuable player’s tag.

The MVP award went to his team’s shot-stopper, Monday Austin Peter, who also emerged as best goalkeeper of the competition, while their colleague Divine Umoh of Seamoriow won the gong for best creative player, Adebayo Ramadan got that for best goal and Arewa’s Musa Mohammed went home with ‘the one in grace’ fair play prize.

Although Achibong (aka Alvarez) could not get any individual prize for his final hat trick and total haul of six goals in the competition, the kid from Uyo said he was happy that his team won the competition.

“I’m happy that we won the cup, and I scored three goals in the final. It’s a personal revival for me because it’s just a year ago that I left FC Ebedie of Sagamu because I felt frustrated and lost confidence in myself.

“I just packed my bag one day and returned to my club in Uyo, Blessed Stars FC. Just two months later, a fresh opportunity came for me in November when the owner of Seamoriow brought a scouting programme to Uyo, and I was lucky that they selected me.

“That’s how I joined their camp, and my story has changed ever since. Although people call me Alvarez, the players I like are actually Victor Osimhen and Cristiano Ronaldo,” Achibong disclosed.

Sports247 reports further that Dele Daniel and Gbolahan Kehinde also got a goal each for Seamoriow FA, much to the delight of their coach, Tolulope Matthew (Martinez), as the team won the final 5-1, which was just one goal short of their 6-1 trouncing of Bee United in last year’s final.

Talented kids on both sides dazzled in front of a large ensemble of stakeholders, among whom were 1997 African Footballer of The Year, Victor Nosa Ikpeba and the vice-chairman of Lagos State Football Association (LSFA), Dotun Coker.

Also present were the chairman of Lagos State Football Coaches Association (LSFCA), David Dosu; Nationwide League One (NLO) chief operating officer, Dr Sola Ogunnowo; as well as the royal father of Isheri Olofin kingdom among many other personalities.