By Amaechi Agb
Spanish-Nigerian youngster Destiny Kosiso Ejiofor John has scored a hat-trick in Barcelona’s 4-1 victory over Villarreal at the LaLiga FC Futures tournament in Orlando.
The 12-year-old forward stepped up when Barcelona needed him most, helping the Catalan side recover from a difficult start to the tournament and secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Barcelona had endured a frustrating opening to the competition, losing 1-0 to Sevilla before playing out a goalless draw against Real Betis.
That left them needing a positive result against Villarreal to keep their campaign alive.
Villarreal took the lead, but Ejiofor responded in style.
The young forward found the net three times as Barcelona turned the game around and secured a convincing 4-1 victory.
His performance also helped Barcelona advance to the quarter-finals, where they were set to face Atlético Madrid.
Ejiofor’s latest display adds to his growing reputation at La Masia, where he has established himself as one of the promising young attacking players in the academy.
The youngster has been prolific in front of goal throughout his development at Barcelona.
During the 2023/24 season, he was part of the club’s Sub-10 A team that won both the league and Catalan Cup.
His goalscoring numbers have continued to attract attention as he moved through the age groups.
He reportedly scored 87 goals in 22 matches for Barcelona’s Sub-10 A side before adding 58 league goals in 30 appearances for the Sub-11 A team.
Now playing above his age group, Ejiofor has continued to make an impression against some of the best youth teams in Spain and beyond.
His progress has also attracted interest away from the pitch, with the youngster reportedly signing a sponsorship deal with sportswear giant Nike at the age of 12.
Ejiofor comes from a footballing family.
His father, Ejike Paschal, is a former Nigerian footballer who played in Spain, while his older brothers, David Obinna and Divine Ikenna, have also been involved in Barcelona’s youth system.
His Nigerian roots have naturally made his development one to watch among followers of Nigerian football, although the young forward still has plenty of time to decide which country he could represent at senior international level.
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