Meet 2-year-old Boy Who has Lit Up Social Media with His Messi-like Control

Cursory: Tobenna Uchendu, a 22-month-old toddler, has gained attention on social media for his exceptional football skills. His father, Obi Uchendu, shared videos of Tobenna’s talent, leading to viral popularity and comparisons to renowned footballers like Lionel Messi and Raheem Sterling. Obi is dedicated to supporting Tobenna’s development and hopes his son will pursue a professional football career in the future, despite challenges.

If you ever catch yourself wondering what a super baby’s life looks like, refer to the life of Tobenna Uchendu. This 22 months old baby who has done what other toddlers at that age would find extremely difficult to do. At a time that most toddlers are still trying to literally find their feet, 22-month-old Tobenna Uchendu skipped right into running stage.

He is already lighting up social media with his ability to control the football with his little limbs. His tiny feet have become adept at hitting the ball and ensuring that it goes wherever he wants. Media have compared him with Lionel Messi, the Argentine genius that led his country to the World Cup title last year.

Even Tobenna’s father, Obi Uchendu, created a video montage that highlights similarities in running style between Tobenna and England’s renowned forward, Raheem Sterling. Regardless of the player he is compared to, it is evident that Tobenna possesses innate talent for the game.

“His mother noticed when he started using his walker, he has quick feet and is very fast and I thought, well, let’s see, then I started with playing around a ball, and he liked it, and I was so happy,” Obi Uchendu told Soccernet.ng.

Obi started sharing videos of his son on social media, and they quickly gained widespread attention. One particular video went viral and has amassed over 30 million views.

Reflecting on this, Obi recalled receiving a message from a family member who pointed out Tobenna’s exceptional talent after watching one of the training videos online.

At that moment, while he was working in Canada and away from home, Obi realized that he needed to return home to provide the necessary support for Tobenna’s growth. He believed that no one else could fulfill this role for his son.

“I saw one of the training videos we made on the internet and a family member reached out to me and said can I not see how gifted he is? I was in Canada at the time, I was working away from home, and I knew in that moment that I’ll have to move back home to help him grow to his fullest, no one else is going to be able to do that for my son,” Obi said.

Tobenna’s remarkable skills have captured the attention of prominent sports channels such as Canada’s TSN, ESPN in the United States and UK, and Instablog9ja, among others. Born on July 16, 2021, in America, Tobenna’s journey, known as “Project Tobenna,” commenced in February 2022. Obi, his father, holds high hopes for Tobenna’s future, aspiring for him to pursue a professional career in sports when he reaches adulthood.

According to the father, there are moments of frustration because Tobenna isn’t particularly vocal and has a limited attention span. One moment he may be eager to kick the ball, and the next he may prefer to hold it or engage in another activity. However, his mother plays a significant role in managing these situations.

Obi Uchendu also revealed that he learnt a lot of valuable lessons from coaching his son. Some of this valuable lessons in patience, perseverance, and the importance of repetition and consistency.

Reflecting on Tobenna’s progress, Obi acknowledges that his son has come a long way in just one year, and he eagerly anticipates the remarkable strides Tobenna will make in the years to come.

“Training with him has taught me patience, perseverance, the power of repitition and consistency,” Obi said.“Where he was a year ago isn’t where he is now, and I can’t imagine where he’ll be in the coming years.

“Of course it can be frustrating sometimes, since he’s not very vocal and has very little attention span. One minute he wants to kick a ball, the next minute, he just wants to hold the ball in his hands or do something else with it, but his mum helps a lot,” the trainer dad said.

He added: “Sometimes we try things and they don’t come off, but then she comes and he does that in little to no time.”

Reminiscing on how the journey has been so far, he reminisced on the birth story of Tobenna.“I met his mum, Patrice, at the 2018 World Cup. And I saw the Ahmed Musa brace against Iceland, and saw how proud it’ll be for a parent watching their child in a moment like that. And I envisioned it for myself,” Obi said.

“And as a Chelsea fan, we had his baby shower on the day Chelsea won the Champions League, and I thought I’d name him Starboy. He came on the 16th of July, 2021, the same date Wizkid was born, and I said it couldn’t be a coincidence, he’s a double star, so I call him Starboyy.”Obi Uchendu who is a die-hard Super Eagles fan said he would like his son to meet striker Victor Osimhen.

“I’d love and do anything to get Osimhen and Tobenna to have a kick around, so maybe sometime in the future when he sees the picture or video, he can know he spent time with the greatest African striker of all time and inspire him to be a better player,” Obi said.

With feet as quick as Tobenna’s as well as his ambidexterity at just 22-months-old, he might be playing with his heroes before long.

Source: soccernet

Read Also: Meet a 4-year-Old Boy Who Plays Chess like a Grandmaster, Video of Him Playing Goes Viral

ALLSCHOOL TEAM