Austin Iwuji Amutu does not have his goals come easy as he often puts his life on the line to make hay, and now IKENWA NNABUOGOR reckons the striker deserves better than scoring in Egypt…
Austin Amutu’s style reminds close watchers of former Super Eagles striker Daniel Amokachi, who like the legendary ‘Da Bull’ takes no prisoners in his drive to goal.
He’s the ‘New Da Bull’ of the Maghreb, taking defenders as extra luggage, a la Amokachi, as he bulldozes his way to goal for his modest Egyptian side Al-Masry.
Just like the player he is widely compared to, his goals do not come easy as he clicks on his auxiliary gears to “clear” the road to get his goals and most times, get knocks in the process.
Built like an armoured tank, the Jos-born striker is bad news to the Egyptian Premier League hatchet men who have seemed to master a plan to counter him by coming in twos to stop him.
His Al-Masry goals may have lacked numbers befitting a striker of his strength and high work rate, but the former Kelanten of Malaysia hit man appears to be hard done selling his stocks in a highly physical league where goals are tough to come by.
His five goals thus far this season didn’t come cheap: his breathtaking bicycle kick effort against Zamalek is still very much talked about in Egypt till date even though they lost 3-2.
Amutu met team mate Karim El-Eraki’s low cross inside Zamalek six yards with a ferocious right foot bicycle kick to even scores, for an amazing goal that was good enough for a TV commercial, before the hosts rallied home for the maximum points.
Wasn’t the effort that had the mark of Senegalese striker Amara Simba deserving of a Goal of the Season Award?
“I’ve been told something about like that but I’m yet to receive an award,” Amutu told SCORENigeria
“I guess the end of the season will determine that because the league is still on.
“No doubt, the goal deserves an award because it’s still talked about in the media till date.
“Once in a while, our TV partners flash the goal as league games are beamed live.
“I really hope this goal will get its deserved honour.”
Amutu seems to have an axe to grind with Zamalek as their hatchet men are yet to design foolproof plans to stop the Jos-born striker.
He was their nemesis last season, this time he was finishing off an individual effort after selling a dummy to Zamalek defender with his back on goal, before a swift turning and finishing it with the right foot at the edge of the vital area.
It was sheer class!
What’s a striker of his class doing in Egypt?
Amutu’s eight months away from finishing his contract at Al-Masry, but he has been attracting suitors just as the egg heads at the Port Said side have made sure clubs were scared away by putting scaring figures on his head.
Amutu’s first ship out of Nigeria when he was on the colours of Warri Wolves berthed in Malaysia, which was considered not suitable for a striker of his class.
Israel and Turkey are the closest to the stocky front man playing in the mainstream Europe, where he rightly belong but it’s in the Maghreb he’s taken his game to in the last five years though he made a brief return to Malaysia in between.
At 28, and in his peak, Amutu should be preaching his energy brand of football philosophy in Europe.
No doubt, European clubs have been alerted and it is left to be seen if he will head back there when his contract at Al-Masry is up.
