10 Promising Nigerian stars who failed to shine
'Little Messi' Okoro - playing for Almeria B team in Spanish second division
Rabiu fired | Papa Idris shines
They were once hailed as the next big thing in Nigerian football
only for them to fizzle out soon after.
MTNFootball.com lists 10 of such hot, young talents who bombed even before their career had got off the ground; a promise unfulfilled.
10. Daddy Bazuaye
From Monaco to Niger Tornadoes of Minna. That sums up the unfulfilled promise of this midfielder, who at a time was torn between the national U17 and U20 teams. Before he jetted out to Europe, he featured for Enyimba, but even then was not really on fire.
9. James Obiorah
Former U17 and U20 skipper. The attacking midfielder or forward showed flashes of individual brilliance at top Belgian club Anderlecht before his career began to take a downward slide and this was not helped by a niggling knee injury, which at a time forced him to try and get spiritual healing.
8. Rabiu Ibrahim
Gifted central midfielder who was widely hailed as the next ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha after he played an integral role as Nigeria won a third FIFA U17 World Cup in 2007. He was released by Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon in 2010 after he failed to play a single first-team game. This week, Dutch club PSV Eindhoven cancelled his three-year contract less than a year into it after he struggled to establish himself at the club. And now he would most likely have to finish up on the football scrapheap.
7. Mohammed Aliyu Datti
Zaria-born striker who made a handful of appearances for Italian giants AC Milan before he ended up playing for a rash of strugglers in Belgium. The former Golden Eaglet star suffered a major knee injury towards the end of a career that never really got going.
6. Isah Eliakwu
He set a goal record in the youth team of Inter Milan to be even considered a better prospect than childhood friend Obafemi Martins. But while Martins went on to feature prominently for Inter and even played in the English Premier League, Eliakwu’s lot has been mainly loan spells at some lower league clubs in Italy. The striker is currently frozen out at Anzhi and may have to move on loan in the winter so as to gain some playing time.
5. Stanley Okoro
At the 2011 African Youth Championship in South Africa, ‘Little Messi’ was a pale shadow of the player who held his own at the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup hosted by Nigeria. He was not good enough to make the squad for the U20 World Cup in Colombia even after he made his Eagles debut last year. He spent a year to perfect his work permit to join the second team of Spanish Secunda Liga side Almeria. Reports that he is in Albania are false.
4. Ezekiel Bala
He was the star of the U17 class of 2003 that paraded the likes of John Mikel Obi, Chinedu Obasi, Promise Isaac and Solomon Okoronkwo. The goals dried up for him even at modest Norwegian club Lyn Oslo and he has ever since been featuring in the lower league in Norway, while the likes of Mikel and Obasi are turning out regularly for their clubs at the highest level in England and Germany, respectively.
3. Femi Opabunmi
At 17 years, 101 days Opabunmi became one of the youngest players ever to feature at the World Cup when he played against England at the 2002 finals. At 26, the former schoolboy international is now back in Ibadan with a career in tatters after an unsuccessful time in the lower leagues of France and a major eye surgery.
2. Haruna ‘Daddy’ Babangida
Once upon a time, the younger brother of Tijjani Babangida was regarded as one of the best young players in the world after he was poached by the famous Barcelona academy from another famous football teaching school of Ajax Amsterdam. While some of his mates from the Barca academy have since gone on to play for the first team of the Catalan giants, he never did. His claim to fame has been playing at the 1999 U20 World Cup hosted by Nigeria and bagging a couple of Eagles caps. He has played in Cyprus, Greece and Ukraine, but since summer “Daddy’ has been without a club.
1. Philip Osondu
‘Zanza’ was the MVP of the 1987 U17 World Cup, but the Prince has since turned into a frog, cleaning airport floors in Brussels and doing other menial jobs to make ends meet. The big dream to become a world football star after the quick striker bagged a long-term contract at Anderlecht is now a long distant memory. A star is dimmed forever.
MTNFootball.com lists 10 of such hot, young talents who bombed even before their career had got off the ground; a promise unfulfilled.
10. Daddy Bazuaye
From Monaco to Niger Tornadoes of Minna. That sums up the unfulfilled promise of this midfielder, who at a time was torn between the national U17 and U20 teams. Before he jetted out to Europe, he featured for Enyimba, but even then was not really on fire.
9. James Obiorah
Former U17 and U20 skipper. The attacking midfielder or forward showed flashes of individual brilliance at top Belgian club Anderlecht before his career began to take a downward slide and this was not helped by a niggling knee injury, which at a time forced him to try and get spiritual healing.
8. Rabiu Ibrahim
Gifted central midfielder who was widely hailed as the next ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha after he played an integral role as Nigeria won a third FIFA U17 World Cup in 2007. He was released by Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon in 2010 after he failed to play a single first-team game. This week, Dutch club PSV Eindhoven cancelled his three-year contract less than a year into it after he struggled to establish himself at the club. And now he would most likely have to finish up on the football scrapheap.
7. Mohammed Aliyu Datti
Zaria-born striker who made a handful of appearances for Italian giants AC Milan before he ended up playing for a rash of strugglers in Belgium. The former Golden Eaglet star suffered a major knee injury towards the end of a career that never really got going.
6. Isah Eliakwu
He set a goal record in the youth team of Inter Milan to be even considered a better prospect than childhood friend Obafemi Martins. But while Martins went on to feature prominently for Inter and even played in the English Premier League, Eliakwu’s lot has been mainly loan spells at some lower league clubs in Italy. The striker is currently frozen out at Anzhi and may have to move on loan in the winter so as to gain some playing time.
5. Stanley Okoro
At the 2011 African Youth Championship in South Africa, ‘Little Messi’ was a pale shadow of the player who held his own at the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup hosted by Nigeria. He was not good enough to make the squad for the U20 World Cup in Colombia even after he made his Eagles debut last year. He spent a year to perfect his work permit to join the second team of Spanish Secunda Liga side Almeria. Reports that he is in Albania are false.
4. Ezekiel Bala
He was the star of the U17 class of 2003 that paraded the likes of John Mikel Obi, Chinedu Obasi, Promise Isaac and Solomon Okoronkwo. The goals dried up for him even at modest Norwegian club Lyn Oslo and he has ever since been featuring in the lower league in Norway, while the likes of Mikel and Obasi are turning out regularly for their clubs at the highest level in England and Germany, respectively.
3. Femi Opabunmi
At 17 years, 101 days Opabunmi became one of the youngest players ever to feature at the World Cup when he played against England at the 2002 finals. At 26, the former schoolboy international is now back in Ibadan with a career in tatters after an unsuccessful time in the lower leagues of France and a major eye surgery.
2. Haruna ‘Daddy’ Babangida
Once upon a time, the younger brother of Tijjani Babangida was regarded as one of the best young players in the world after he was poached by the famous Barcelona academy from another famous football teaching school of Ajax Amsterdam. While some of his mates from the Barca academy have since gone on to play for the first team of the Catalan giants, he never did. His claim to fame has been playing at the 1999 U20 World Cup hosted by Nigeria and bagging a couple of Eagles caps. He has played in Cyprus, Greece and Ukraine, but since summer “Daddy’ has been without a club.
1. Philip Osondu
‘Zanza’ was the MVP of the 1987 U17 World Cup, but the Prince has since turned into a frog, cleaning airport floors in Brussels and doing other menial jobs to make ends meet. The big dream to become a world football star after the quick striker bagged a long-term contract at Anderlecht is now a long distant memory. A star is dimmed forever.
all grand pa....OKORO is older than my dad what do you expect!!!
And Nigerian agent are crooks....
Where are all those super players from Flying eagles???
Them careers is already over!!!!
Wow Editor what a sad story indeed
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