Valerenga Starlet Chuma Anene Bows Down To Barcelona After Heavy Defeat

Norwegian outfit Valerenga lost 7 - 0 to La Liga powerhouse Barcelona in an exhibition match held at  Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo on Saturday, July 27.

Manager Kjetil Andre Rekdal handed a rare start to 20 - year - old striker Chuma Anene, and he lasted an hour on the pitch against the Azulgranas.

After the game, Chuma Anene acknowledged that Bareclona were far too superior to Valerenga, hence the heavy scoreline.

''  I think that we started off well the first 5 minutes, even though we conceded a goal during this period.

'' After this we struggled immensely the whole first half, even though we had a 30- minute spell where we didn't concede.

'' So I think that today (Saturday, ed) they just were that much better than us because of personal mistakes and of course that they just played above our game.

'' As for me, I tried my best, and certainly felt I at least created some unbalance in their defence with my pace, but all in all we're disappointed, because we just lost the ball too easy sometimes,'' Chuma Anene said to allnigeriasoccer.com.

It is not every time a player gets the privilege to step on the same pitch with Barcelona stars, with the iconic Argentine forward Lionel Messi leading their orchestra.

However, Chuma Anene has played down suggestions that the encounter against the Spanish side was the most important in his career , insisting that Vålerenga have more crucial games to play in their centenary year.

'' Even though we played against the likes of Messi and Alexis Sanchez I wouldn't regard this as the most important game I have played, but certainly the most interesting.

'' Our club is a 100 years this year and there are definitely more important games to be played and more important games that have been played,'' he said.

Speaking on his aspirations for the remainder of the season, Chuma Anene said : '' My ambitions for the rest of the season is to play the football I know I can play and just try to portray and market myself differently.

'' I am only 20 and by Gods grace I have a big future ahead of me, so I will only work hard and try and do my best. ''

Though Anene has represented  Norway's youth teams, the promising attacker has pledged his international future to Nigeria.