Nigerian descent, Jeff Ekhator, ya samu hamayya da Mario Balotelli don samun wuri a gaban hattarin kulob din Genoa bayan zuwan Balotelli kulob din a makon da ya gabata, a cewar PUNCH Sports Extra.
Ekhator, wanda ya kai shekaru 17, ya yi wasannin ban mamaki tare da kulob din tun daga fara kakar wasa, inda ya fara wasanni biyu daga cikin wasanni tara da ya buga, sannan ya ci kwallo daya.
Ya samu karbuwa a Turai, inda shi ne dan wasa mafi karancin shekaru bayan Yamine Lamal wanda ya ci kwallo da kuma bayar da taimako a gasar kwallon kafa ta manyan lig na Turai.
Zuwan Balotelli ya sa Ekhator ya zama a cikin hamayya, kamar yadda aka nuna a wasan da suka buga da Parma a ranar Litinin a Stadio Ennio Tardini, inda aka cire shi wasanni hudu kafin wasan ya kare don ya maye gurbinsa da Balotelli.
Ekhator, wanda an haife shi a Genoa, Italiya, ga iyayen Nijeriya, ya fara wasan kwallon kafa a kulob din Don Bosco, wanda ke cikin yankin Sampierdarena na Genoa. Bayan an gane shi na kwararrun wasanni na Sampdoria, Virtus Entella, da Genoa, ya shiga makarantar matasa ta Genoa a shekaru takwas. Ya hau zuwa manyan kungiyoyin matasa na kulob din, inda ya taka leda a kungiyoyin under-18 da under-19 a lokacin kakar 2023–24, ya taimaka wa kungiyar under-18 lashe gasar kasa.
Ya fara horo tare da tawagar farko ta Genoa a sansanin horo na pre-season karkashin koci Alberto Gilardino, sannan ya fara wasansa na ƙwararru a kulob din, inda ya zo a matsayin maye gurbin a minti na 84 a wasan da suka doke Reggiana da ci 1-0 a zagaye na farko na Coppa Italia a ranar 9 ga Agusta, 2024. Ya fara wasansa na Serie A a ranar 17 ga Agusta, inda ya zo a matsayin maye gurbin Milan Badelj a minti na 86 a wasan da suka tashi 2-2 da Inter Milan.
Ekhator na iya wakilci Italiya ko Nijeriya a wasannin kasa da kasa, kuma a yanzu ba a kira shi zuwa tawagar kasa a matakin kowace daya ba, haka ya sa zai iya wakilci Nijeriya.
