Ex-Enyimba star Nwaiwu tops U-23 ground duels list

Chibuike Nwaiwu. Credit: centerkickofficial | Instagram

Kindly share this story:

Nigerian defender Chibuike Nwaiwu has been rated the best U-23 centre back in the world for ground defending outside Europe’s big five leagues by the CIES football observatory, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The data-driven ranking, which focuses on non-top five league defenders and is based on detailed ground defending metrics, places the Wolfsberger AC centre back top of the global chart with a score of 90.8 out of 100.

Nwaiwu finished ahead of Denmark’s Noah Markmann of FC Nordsjælland, who scored 89.0, while Argentina’s Lautaro Di Lollo of Boca Juniors ranked third with 88.4.

Other highly rated defenders on the list include River Plate’s Lautaro Rivero, Barracas Central’s Kevin Jappert and Ajax’s Youri Baas.

The data confirms that Nwaiwu leads the global standings excluding players operating in the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, French Ligue 1 and Italian Serie A, which underlines his emergence as the standout ground defender across comparable leagues worldwide.

Nwaiwu joined Wolfsberger from Heartland FC in the summer of 2024 and has quickly become a key figure in the Austrian Bundesliga.

He has featured in 12 league matches this season, completing the full 90 minutes in eleven of those games, and has been central to his side’s defensive structure.

Standing at 6ft 4in and predominantly right-footed, Nwaiwu combines physical presence with tactical discipline and strong positional awareness.

While he is naturally a central defender, a role in which he has made 45 career appearances, he has also shown versatility, featuring 28 times as a defensive midfielder and 18 times in central midfield.

His performances have not gone unnoticed across Europe. PSG, Bayer Leverkusen and Leeds United are among the clubs tracking his progress, with interest also reported from several French sides.

According to Top Mercato, “Chibuike Nwaiwu has attracted interest from several Ligue 1 clubs. RC Lens, Lille, Olympique de Marseille, RC Strasbourg, and even Paris Saint-Germain have recently made enquiries about the Wolfsberger central defender.”

The same report added, “His profile is not only appealing in Ligue 1. According to sources, Bayer Leverkusen and Leeds United are also monitoring the player closely.”

Further highlighting his defensive credentials, another CIES football observatory also ranked Nwaiwu 37th among the world’s top 50 defenders in ground duels overall, placing him ahead of established top-flight players such as Marc Cucurella.

This balance of aerial dominance and effectiveness on the ground has strengthened his reputation as a modern, all-around defender.

Despite yet to make his senior international debut and missing out on Eric Chelle’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, Nwaiwu’s rapid rise at club level continues to gather momentum.

Kindly share this story:

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: [email protected]

UPDATE NEWS: Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25Million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, 👉 click here to find out how it work (Be sure to ask for evidence of clients that have benefitted from this)

Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Punch Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline – join now!

Stay in the know—fast. Get instant alerts, breaking headlines, and exclusive stories with the Punch News App. Download now and never miss a beat.