IKENWA NNABUOGOR profiles the Nigerian players who shone for their European clubs, but were lost in the Super Eagles’ radar.
Decent run at club level anywhere will naturally translate into turning on the national team colours, but sadly not to be for some of Nigerian players in Europe, whose ambitions to wear the Super Eagles’ colours ended before it had even started.
Abundance of talents for competent legs have never been in short supply for the Nigeria’s national teams at all levels, but many would end up not selling their wares at international level for Nigeria.
Sadly, they would end their careers outside the shores of Nigeria unsong and without international colours to drape their careers.
It would be important to note that some of the “lost in the Eagles’ radar” emerged when the national team handlers had better players in all the roles, leaving them cursing their luck and regretting rejecting foreign nationalities.
One of such players was former Partizan Belgrade striker Obiora Emmanuel Odita, who was overwhelmingly shaded by the presence of Obafemi Martins, the then Inter Milan and later Newcastle United top Eagles’ marksman.
Odita needed no introduction in the Eastern European football and the both footed striker grabbed all the headlines for his top Serbian side, Partizan Belgrade.
Supremely gifted with all the paraphernalia of a modern striker, Odita’s closest call to donning his national team colours was a wink of a cameo role in a proposed friendly under coach Shuaibu Amodu.
A move to the Gulf happened in the height of his sweet romance with the Serbian multiple champions and a wicked combination of injury and spiritual battles conspired to deal his once sparkling career a vicious blow.
At 37 now, Odita, a naturalized Serbian, is still firing for modest Mladost Lucani, but will be remembered for his brilliant flashes in the Serbian football.
Also emerging in the smoking Martins’s era was former Juventus starlet, Benjamin Chukwuka Onwuachi, who incidentally began his Euro journey same time as Martins, but was not considered for a place in the Eagles where Martins held down the top striker’s shirt for many years.
Petit ‘Investment’ as the Ibusa native is nicknamed, looked every inch promising when he was surprisingly promoted to the Old Lady senior team after standing out in the Primavera side, but wasn’t as lucky as Martins, who grabbed his chance at Italy’s other big club, Inter Milan.
He even scored a goal for Juventus in his two appearances, his loan effort he kept in the Bank of Turin till date.
He had arrived at Reggiana in 2002 from Nigeria and was quickly traded to Juventus after incredible displays for the Reggiana Primavera side.
Despite making “golden” first appearances for Juventus, ‘Investment’ got his groove back in Greece, where he shone greatly, putting behind his sad memories at Belgium’s Standard Liege.
He also enjoyed some of his best Euro moments across the border in Cyprus for APOEL, also making impressive appearances in the UEFA Champions League.
Onwuachi never lived to fulfill his Eagles dreams.
Simon Zenke emerged top scorer with 16 goals for Samsunspor in the Turkish second tier in the 2010/11 season and earned his side an instant promotion to the Turkish Super League as champions.
But Zenke’s lights dimmed among the big boys in the Turkish top flight and it wasn’t smooth running for the skillful former Golden Eaglets striker.
Zenke was indeed hot and just couldn’t have moved the mountains to displace Ikechukwu Uche, Osaze Odemwingie and new star Emmanuel Emenike in the Eagles attack.
Zenke rode on the back of his impressive individual performance for the 2005 Golden Eaglets side that failed at the 2005 U17 AFCON in Gambia to sign for French side Strasbourg.
A chance with the Eagles squad based on his goal record at Samsunspor would have been a great boost for him, but it was not to be.
Another Eagles hopes went with the winds.
John Chibuike in his prime would have made the Eagles team under any coach, but surprisingly the former Enugu Rangers’ midfielder never got to play for his country.
Started out modestly in Sweden with BK Hacken, the Aba home boy rose rapidly to become one of the most sought after midfielders in Europe.
His journey took him through Israel, Kazakhstan, Turkey and back to Sweden, where he began in 2009.
He’s now in his twilight of his career at 32, but his best remains in the past.
His telepathic understanding with fellow Nigerian, Dominic Chatto, is still much talked about in the Swedish city of Gothenburg where BK Hacken is based.
Kaduna-born Chatto, now bowed to premature retirement due to niggling recurring knee injuries, was a modern day midfielder and a master of one touch football philosophy.
He went home for an early shower with his philosophy, never preached it in the middle of the park for his country.
Chatto was an instant hit in Finland after he rejected overtures by English side Blackburn Rovers to farm him out on loan at Belgian side Cercle Brugge and his career was on an upward curve.
It remains a mystery with soccer watchers in Finland and Sweden as to why Chatto was overlooked by his country.
The speed with which flying winger Emmanuel Sarki ran down the right flank for Belgium’s KVC Westelo was well documented by the Belgian press, but unfortunately the pace and the piercing crosses never got the endorsement of the Super Eagles.
Sarki spent six seasons on loan from Chelsea at Westerlo and became a regular feature for the modest side.
Allegations of bribery for a place in the Super Eagles was sold to the press by the Kaduna-born winger and he ended up taking his services to the national team of… Haiti.
Currently, on the flip side of his career, Sarki had settled in Poland since he moved there three years ago from Cypriot side AEL Limassol.
Ajegunle-born, dreadlocked striker Kennedy Igboananike came with his quick fire brand of attacking football from the street football in Lagos and became an instant hit in Sweden.
Top scored with 18 goals for lowly side for Vasalund IF and was instantly shipped back to his original club Djurgardens in 2010.
Igboananike became the mainstay of the modest club but not only he attracted MLS side Chicago Fire on a big move deal that saw him move to the US, but as a DP player with guaranteed mouthwatering pay package.
A bad move to DC United had him redirect his steps back to Sweden to team up with Orebro after a failed move to Greek side Veria in 2017.
His scoring instincts at AIK Stockholm also failed to impress the Eagles’ handlers and the Swedish citizen appears to consign himself to enjoy his club football and put behind his failed Eagles’ hopes.
If consistency was the key to unlocking his Eagles’ doors, Greece-based central defender, Daniel Adejo, would probably have been a centurion long before Eagles’ captains Joseph Yobo and Vincent Enyeama were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Adejo has done this, done that for his Italian and Greek clubs but those feats remain confined to his clubs as the media in Italy wondered why he wouldn’t be given a fair chance at his country’s senior side.
The Kachia Kaduna-born towering defender reputed to have made over 161 appearances for his Italian side Reggina, having made his Seria A debut against Fiorentina on 1 March, 2009.
His impressive outings continued in Greece when he moved there in 2018 and the Lamia central defender has refused to look back but continued to be overlooked by Eagles’ handlers.
Former Rangers’ striker Chikeluba Ofoedu is another star lost in the Eagles’ radar as it’s baffling why the striker built in the mould of Martins is yet to be considered for an Eagles’ call.
His best Euro shots are in Turkey where he remained a consistent scorer netting a combined 58 times in 172 outings for 1461Trabzon, Karsiyaka, Samsunspor and Eskişehirspor before his switch to Israel in 2018.
Quick, stocky and slippery, ‘Chico’ would have probably filled Martins’ void in the Super Eagles based on his impressive goal return and general technical awareness.
Currently having a lull in his club career after ending his romance with Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv with whom he won two league titles and one Israeli Toto Cup, ‘Chico’ at 28, could still bounce back to Eagles’ reckoning before he hangs his boots.
Greece-based youngster Michael Olaitan was rising by leaps and bounds until his injury that affected his brain at Greek top side Olympiakos Piraeus which appeared to hurt his seemingly sure to happen Eagles’ flight.
His commanding displays in Holland and Greece would have seen take his game higher from national cadet ranks to the Super Eagles.
Abiola Dauda’s gazelle-like strides may not see the Eagles’ lights as the 32-year old striker continues to enjoy his club football in Greece.
League winner in Sweden with Kalmar FF in 2009, Dauda, standing at 1.80 metres tall has also taken his game to Serbia, Holland, Scotland and Turkey.
His club scoring record of 116 in 323 appearances isn’t a bad record for Eagles’ deserved invite.
Chigozie Udoji would have slid into former Eagles’ captain Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha’s shoes but the former CSKA Sofia playmaker remains surprisingly in the Eagles’ wilderness.
Capped at youth level for Bulgaria, the Lagos-born midfielder’s sharp semblance of style with Okocha would have continued from where the former PSG midfielder left off but Eagles’ handlers refused to look his way.
He took his trade to Greece, China, Norway, Romania and Belarus when he left the Bulgarian side in 2009 and currently in Cyprus, where the 34 year old is singing his career swansong.
One-time Chelsea target Taofeek Salami would most likely to have strolled into the Eagles had he been considered by the selectors, but sadly, he was not given a deserved look in.
The former Midtylland midfielder rose through the youth system at the Danish side to become one of the Europe’s most sought midfield grafters until injury ended his dreams.
He copped a bad knee injury in the course of his hard-as-a-nail brand of football and bowed out prematurely not fulfilling his Eagles and Euro club top spenders’ dreams.
In truth, had injury not ended his club career, leaving him pursuing a coaching career, top spenders like Chelsea, Manchester United or Barcelona would have snapped him up.
But for his surprise loss of form, Belgium-based Abduljellil Ajagun whose contract at KV Kortrijk was recently terminated, may have fulfilled his Eagles dreams.
The former Flying Eagles’ midfielder’s best shots were in Greece and Holland where he commanded the midfield for Panathinaikos and Roda JC Kerkrade, respectively.
Ibezito Ogbonna of Hapoel Tel Aviv fame was the biggest Nigerian star in Israel during his time, but he failed to take his scoring boots to the national team.
‘Zito’ emerged at the wrong side of time for the Eagles as Martins, Odemwingie and Aiyegbeni Yakubu held sway as top Eagles’ marksmen, but his exploits in Israel are still well documented.
Big, bullish, strong and reliable, ‘Zito’ would have still bulldozed his way to Eagles and left an impact had Amodu included him in his squad.
Daryl Dike, younger brother of former Super Eagles striker, Bright, is currently doing well at MLS side Orlando City and the 20-year-old striker can continue where his older brother left off with the Eagles.
If eventually he is completely overlooked by Eagles’ handlers, Nigeria’s loss can be the gain of USA.
Should that happen, he will be another great prospect to lose his way with the Eagles.
Worthy mention also goes to Kim Ojo of the Brann SK of Norway fame and the Denmark-based duo of Hassan Rilwan and Jude Nworuh and not forgetting former Portugal and Cyprus-based flamboyant striker Sunny Kingsley Ekeh
