A native of Orlu town in Imo State, Nigeria, Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji was born on the 19th of May 1964.
He was a professional footballer who played internationally for his beloved fatherland, Nigeria.
Samuel Okwaraji did his primary education at WTC practicing school, Enugu and had his secondary school at Ezeachi Secondary School, Orlu, Imo State. He later attended Federal Government College in Orlu and finally completed his studies in law in the University of Rome, Italy. While bagging his masters in international law at pontifical lateran University of Rome, Samuel played for some top European football clubs, the likes of NK Dinamo Zagreb, VfB Stuttgart and SSV Ulm 1846.
In 1988, Samuel okwaraji scored one of the fastest goal in African football history where he scored a goal 60 seconds into the game against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and was named man of the match.
Samuel Okwaraji also played at the ‘1988 Summer Olympics‘ held in Seoul, South Korea,he played alongside other professionals, Rashidi Yekeni, Bright Omokaro, Wole Odegbami, Christain Obi, Jude Agada, Henry Nwosu and the likes.
Just 13 minutes to the end of the 1990 world cup match against Angola, Samuel okwaraji developed a heart attack and died of congestive heart failure.
Autopsy result showed that the 25-year-old had an enlarged heart and high blood pressure and died from possible complications of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
