IKENWA NNABUOGOR profiles Warri-born forward Tony Edjomariegwe’s exciting football journey across Africa…
Tony Edjomariegwe appears not to be in hurry to jump on the train to Europe to continue his soccer journey that started way back in the coastal town Warri, where he was born, through non-league football and now to 22-time Sudanese Premier League champions Al Merriekh.
Fame, money, and even fast women are the major biggest attractions of the beautiful game and those perks come in big packages in Europe, where the name of the game is cash, but ‘Edjos’ isn’t in a mad rush for that yet.
He’d rather take his time with Al Merriekh, before he hit the jackpot for the right money with a European club at the right time to leave Africa and nothing to worry again.
His professional football journey that started at Crown FC Ogbomosho and continued at Nigerian top-flight clubs like Shooting Stars Sports Club Ibadan and Kano Pillars, through Morocco, has brought him to Sudanese giants Al Merriekh.
Since 2015, when Moroccan side Olympic Safi snapped him from Kano Pillars following his exploits in the CAF Champions League where he netted against Egyptian giants Al Ahly, Edjos has been doing his thing in Africa smoothly, confidently and with a bold mission statement – taking it nice and slow before settling for options outside of Africa
After spending four years at Safi, the leggy attacking midfielder, who had established himself as the club’s midfield linchpin, had caught the eye of bigger spenders Maghreb Tetouan and he was their property before Al Merriekh broke the bank for him.
Edjos had caught the eye of the Sudanese side with his superlative outings in the heart of the Moroccan side and the moneybags of Omdurman, who had been looking for quality in the midfield, broke the bank for me despite Edjos’s interests from France and other European clubs.
Al Merriekh had long kept a supremely rich history of Nigerian imports with the fond memories of Kelechi Osunwa, their all-time top scorer, marbled in gold in the club’s annals, still sweeping through the club and their faithful, Edjos finally arrived Omdurman as their new signing in February 2021.
A combined goal return of 18 league goals for his Moroccan sides convinced the egg heads at Al Merriekh Edjos was the quintessential forward they needed to wrestle the Sudanese Premier league title they lost to arch rivals A lHilal, last season.
Edjos had begun his Sudanese mission on a sweet note, finding his range from a distance and on the spot in the CAF Champions League games, while on perfect preparation for the Sudanese Premier League hostilities that has begun.
British manager Lee Clark, who rejoined the side on January 29, is impressed with Edjos, who has already netted three times in the CAF Champions League, including a brace in the CAF Champions League/CAF Confederation Cup play-offs against Zambia’s Zanaco FC.
Edjos told SCORENigeria he was attracted to Sudan for their thorough professionalism, which he confessed was better than some clubs in Europe, while dismissing the Nigeria Professional Football League as “being years behind”
Having done so well in Morocco, the lanky forward added that coming to Sudan was a huge thing to happen to his career and he would continue doing his thing to make the most of the great opportunity he’s got at Al Merriekh.
Confidence, goals, grit are some of his left over wares he brought from Morocco and he’s already begun to sell them judging by his impressive form in the CAF Champions League games he has played thus far.
Edjos’s Sudanese packages do not come easy: added to the local league hostilities, is the 2021-22 Champions League group stage exchanges that brutally pit them in the same group as local rivals Al Hilal.
Interestingly, the Champions League group stage battles between the two arch rivals will be fought at Al Hilal Stadium as CAF had ruled out Al Merriekh Stadium for falling short on standards to further make his mission a tough one that must be accomplished.
Tough and challenging for Edjos, as it seems, the former Nassarawa United playmaker is unfazed as he told SCORENigeria he loves the challenges in African, explaining it would toughen him for what he would face down the road.
Edjos is enjoying his African sojourn as well as the healthy balances in his bank account, which some European clubs cannot guarantee.
Is he ruling out playing in Europe and retiring in Africa?
No, he’s certainly not!
But before then, his first love is Al Merriekh Football Club of Omdurman, Sudan!
