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Super Eagles defender has been praised by his manager after having an impressive debut for his club side.
Chidozie Awaziem recently moved from Portuguese side Boavista to the USA to play for MLS side FC Cincinnati, joining Lionel Messi.
The defender played his first game for the USA-based team and made an immediate impact in Cincinnati’s 1-0 victory over Querétaro in the Leagues Cup.
Awaziem, who was one of the three centre-backs, played the entire 90 minutes and put up a solid display that helped the club maintain a clean sheet.
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Awaziem hailed by manager
FC Cincinnati manager Patrick Noonan has heaped praises on Awaziem despite having trained minimally with the team.
Awaziem was supposed to gradually increase his level of fitness over the competition, but Noonan was surprised when the defender participated in the entire game.
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Noonan told the Cincinnati official website, “The plan was not for him to go 90. (We were going to) see where we’re at at halftime and I thought because of the way the first 45 was played, that he could carry on.
“He was going to be honest with us about how he was feeling as the second half progressed.
“And I thought that the way he controlled his running, the way we were able to control the tempo with the ball at times, didn’t consistently put our back line in spots where they had to defend the space, he managed it for himself in the game in a good way.”
Awaziem also conveyed his happiness with his performance and the team's triumph, which snapped a three-game losing run.
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Awaziem said, “It feels amazing. It feels great to be part of this wonderful club. I feel so excited to be here and to get a win in my debut. I’m excited and happy that we came out with the three points.
“Honestly, I didn’t feel there was any need for me to go out because I wanted to help the team more. I was feeling good, so I felt that there was no point going out to the bench.”
FC Cincinnati's journey to the Leagues Cup knockout stage is just getting started. The victory at least equals the tournament results from the previous year and ensures a third match.
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