IKENWA NNABUOGOR checks out Nigerian players who put behind shaky showings at a young age only to grow in stature at senior levels…
Naturally players show glimpses of what they can do at senior side at their football youth days before they would become the finished article.
Many a player progressed gamely from youth football to senior level, while some struggled at junior level only to prove their worth at senior level.
Stories of sweet progression from youth football to senior football have been documented for future references for up and coming players who look up to them to raise the bar for themselves.
Nigeria have also had their fair share of players who started unimpressively from youth or collegiate level to shine at senior level.
But sadly, that’s not said to be for some who impressed at junior level only to fizzle out when their services are mainly needed at senior for honours and personal recognitions. Many have gone unheralded and uncelebrated as their careers ended uneventfully.
However, there are stories of players who failed to live up to expectations at junior level only to go full blast at senior level for both club and country.
Eddy Ogenyi Onazi was very unknown and uncelebrated at junior level where he was virtually unrecognized in coach John Obuh’s 2009 Golden Eaglets team that won silver medal at the FIFA U-17 World Cup hosted by Nigeria.
Onazi was only good for a bit part role in the Eaglets midfield as the likes of Ramon Azeez, Terry Envoh “Little Messi” Stanley Okoro and tournament’s top scorer Sani Emmanuel held sway.
Coach Obuh would hardly see a need for him as his wards fired their way to the final only to go down 1-0 to Switzerland in the final in Abuja.
Somehow Onazi found his way to Lazio where he proved himself at the Primavera side before he was deservedly promoted to the senior side.
Onazi caught the eye of former Eagles coach Late Stephen Keshi in 2012 as the former Eaglets’ star began his sweet romance with the country’s senior side.
Onazi went on to prove himself at the South Africa 2013 African Nations Cup, where he played a great role enroute to Nigeria winning their third AFCON title.
So good Onazi was that he was appointed the deputy captain by former coach Sunday Oliseh as he continued to conduct the orchestra in the middle of the park for his country.
At club level, Onazi has also not slowed down, Trabzonspor grabbed him from Lazio in a 3.5 million Euro transfer move to continue to prove his Eaglets days were well behind him.
A catalogue of injuries have threatened his career both at club and country, but he has done well enough to appear 52 times for his country.
His 79 appearances at Trabzonspor, though played through injuries were enough to convince another Turkish side Denizlispor to hand a one and half year contract in the current season.
At 27, Onazi could still fight his way back to Super Eagles and he could still be handed the captain’s arm band if he returned.
Benedict Akwuegbu, nicknamed “Schoolboy international” during his Golden Eaglets days, was only waiting to be unleashed to complete the demolition job planned by former Eaglets coach Sebastian Broadricks from the semifinals at 1989 Scotland FIFA U-16 World Cup only for Saudi Arabia to stop his and Eaglets’ dreams in the exciting quarter-final game that was decided via the lottery of penalty.
Akwuegbu wept like a baby that Saudi and their goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Dayea denied him the opportunity to thrill the world.
“Sabara” Brodricks knew the gold in his hands, but his plans were shattered by the oil-rich Arab kingdomc.
RC Lens took Akwuegbu’s development from there but it was in Belgium that the Jos-born star striker began to show what he could do at senior level.
He crossed over to Austria to become one of the best players ever to grace the European country from Africa as his scintillating performances for AK Grazer not only won him laurels, but also earned him the nickname “Austrian Bomber” from the appreciative local press.
The doors to the Super Eagles were thrown open for him on account of his goals and assists for AK Grazer as coach Jo Bonfrere did not waste time to add him to his squad for the 2000 Nations Cup co-hosted by Nigeria and Ghana.
Stints in Greece, China, England Germany and Switzerland trailed his Austrian sojourn until his career ended in style in 2010.
His over 120 career goals for his clubs proved he was sweet and daring in front of goal. His eight-goal return in 30 appearances for his country told an unforgettable story of an ex-school boy who was denied a chance to thrill the world by a wicked fate.
Not many people knew that Francis Uzoho was a member of the all-conquering Golden Eaglets’ team that won a fourth U17 World Cup in 2013.
Uzoho was the cover forDele Alampasu as the Kelechi Iheanacho-inspired Eaglets bombed their way to win the world title in Abu Dhabi seven years ago.
Uzoho was just an unknown quantity at the Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar.
Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna would take a gamble on the previously unsong keeper, but his fortunes would automatically change when Eagles coach Gernot Rohr proclaimed him his number 1 choice ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup.
His choice was unpopular in Nigeria, but the Franco-German coach stuck to his guns.
A not-too-impressive post 2018 World Cup outing brought back South Africa-based keeper Daniel Akpeyi into the Eagles’ team again but like a Phoenix, Uzoho rose again from his ashes to reclaim his number one shirt after Akpeyi’s infamous gaffe that gifted Algeria victory and the 2019 AFCON final in the last minute Riyad Mahrez’s free kick goal in a pulsating semifinal.
League games were tough to come by at club level at Spanish side, but quickly got his groove back at on loan Cypriot side Omonnia Nicosia.
His superlative Eagles’ comeback was blighted by the serious ligament injury he suffered in the friendly against Brazil in Singapore last October.
He has done well to play 14 times thus far for his country.
Surely, at just 21, Uzoho still has a lot to offer Nigeria.
Kayode Olanrewaju may not have cracked it at Super Eagles yet but his exploits have been inspiring for references especially for up and coming players.
‘Larry’ was a member of Obuh’s 2009 U17 World Cup team, but he was only used sparingly.
From his early days at Lucerne in Switzerland, ‘Larry’ has done well for himself signing off on his Austrian adventure in style by clinching the top scorer’s award with Austria Wien.
He would put some gloss on his career at Shakhtar Donetsk last season by winning his first European league title.
This season, his goals have lifted his modest Turkish club Gaziantep to the top bracket.
His four Super Eagles appearances, mostly from the bench, are clearly not the reflection of his super impressive self in Europe.
And now it remains to be seen when he will get a deserved second chance with the Eagles.
“after Akpeyi’s infamous gaffe that gifted Algeria victory and the 2019 AFCON final in the last minute Riyad Mahrez’s free kick goal in a pulsating semifinal.”…A Gaffe? What Gaffe?