10 NIGERIAN PROSPECT THAT WERE TIPPED FOR GREATNESS BUT .......

After watching the Super Eagles perform so well at the 1994 Cup of Nations and qualifying for Her first world cup that same year.
It has become the dream of every soccer loving Nigeria to witness another successful outing of the Super Eagles to an international Event be it the Cup of Nations or the World cup.

SUPER EAGLES AT THE USA 1994 WORLD CUP

And because of this dream/ aspiration, every generation of players that put on the green and white jersey of Nigeria are always under intense pressure to return the nation's football to its glory days.
We take a look at 10 players who many Nigerian have hoped to help turn the fortune of the country's football around but the just couldn't deliver.

1. Marcauley Chrisantus.

Macauley Chrisantus (born 20 August 1990 in Abuja) is a Nigerian football striker, playing for UD Las Palmas in the Spanish Segunda División.

 

He joined Hamburg in 2007 from Abuja F.C., after attracting offers from several major European clubs, probably due to his contribution to Nigeria's World Junior Cup win that year as the highest goal scorer and second best player of the tournament. In summer 2009, he was loaned Karlsruher SC for the 2009–10 season, but on 15 April 2010, KSC extended the loan deal for another year.
Chrisantus has represented Nigeria at under-17 level, and was the top scorer at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea with seven goals. He scored all seven goals with his right foot.
Many tipped the Abuja born striker for greatness, but his decision to join Hamburg I guess was a sign to show us what was awaiting the supposed messiah.

2. Femi Opanunmi.

Femi Opabunmi (born 3 March 1985) is a Nigerian football player, who last played for Shooting Stars FC. On 2008, he went on an eye surgery and has not played professional football since then.

He played for a few clubs, including Shooting Stars FC, Grasshoppers Zürich (Switzerland) and Chamois Niortais in France. He studied at Methodist High School Ibadan and played for the Methodist High School Ibadan Old Boys.
Opabunmi scored a goal to help Nigeria win the African U-17 Championships in 2001. With Collins Osunwa out with injury he became Nigeria's key player at 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship where he scored a hat-trick against Australia and won him the Silver Shoe as second highest goalscorer and also the Bronze Ball as third best player in the tournament, helping Nigeria to reach the final where they lost to France. He attracted attention from clubs such as Manchester United, Lyon and Celta Vigo.
   He played for Nigeria and made his debut in 2002 against Kenya scoring the second goal in a 3-0 win. He was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup playing against England in the last group stage match becoming the 3rd youngest player to ever play in the World Cup finals after Norman Whiteside and Samuel Eto'o. Thereafter, he has not been called again for the national team.

3. Victor Brown
Victor Brown will forever be remembered by Nigerian for his goal scoring feat at the 2001 Under 17 fifa world cup in Trinand and Tobaigo, where he normally came up from the bench to score for the Flying Eaglet of Nigeria as the are fondly called. He last wore the green colour of Nigeria in the final of that tournament against France, where the Eaglet were defeated by 3 goals to nothing.

4. Sani Kaita

Sani Haruna Kaita (born 2 May 1986 in Kano, Nigeria) is a Nigerian footballer playing currently for Ukrainian Premier League team SC Tavriya Simferopol.

A hardworking combative midfielder, he joined Sparta in the 2005/2006 season from Kano Pillars FC. Kaita moved to AS Monaco FC in September 2008, he left on 13 January 2009 AS Monaco and joined on loan to FC Kuban Krasnodar between 31 December 2009. On 25 August 2009 Lokomotiv Moscow signed the Nigerian midfielder on loan from AS Monaco FC until December, he played for Kuban until recently also on loan. On 25 February 2010 Alania Vladikavkaz signed the Nigerian midfielder on loan from AS Monaco FC. On 31 May 2010 FC Metalist Kharkiv signed Kaita on loan from AS Monaco FC. On the last day of the 2011 winter transfer window Kaita moved to Greek Superleague side Iraklis on a six-month loan deal.

The midfielder, Kaita caught the eye of Sparta when playing all 7 matches for Nigeria U-20 at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. He is also a member of the senior Nigeria national football team making his debut in a 3–0 friendly loss against Romania in November 2005.
He was sent off in a match against Greece on 17 June 2010, in their second 2010 FIFA World Cup match for kicking Vasilis Torosidis after Torosidis motioned as if to throw the ball at Kaita. This makes him the first Nigerian player to be sent off in a World Cup match. Greece went on to score their first World Cup goals, and win their first ever match in the World Cup. Sani Kaita was inundated with death threats from within Nigeria. This act has made him the second most hated player in the country after Yakubu.

5. Bartholomew Ogbeche

Bartholomew Ogbeche (born 1 October 1984 in Ogoja) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward.

Still a youngster, Ogbeche was bought by French Ligue 1 team Paris Saint-Germain FC, making his debuts with the first team during the 2001–02 season. However, he failed to settle at the club also suffering a thigh injury, and serving two six-month loans, to fellow league teams SC Bastia and FC Metz. For the former, he netted in a 4–1 home win against Olympique de Marseille on 7 March 2004 the Corsicans secured their top flight status, and he left PSG for good in June 2005.

  After a brief time in the United Arab Emirates, Ogbeche moved to Spain, first with Deportivo Alavés in Segunda División. Although he posted good individual numbers, the Basque team failed to return to the top division but he joined another club in the main category, Real Valladolid, making his league debut on 26 August 2007 in a 1–0 away win against RCD Espanyol (12 minutes played).
   In late August 2009, after two seasons of intermittent use, Ogbeche arranged a one-year deal with Andalusia's Cádiz CF, in the second level. He finished the season as the club's top scorer, but it finished in 19th position and was relegated.

 After one year in Greece with Kavala FC, Ogbeche joined Football League Championship team Middlesbrough on 18 October 2011, signing until the end of the season. On 17 December, he scored his first goal for his new club, against Cardiff City in a 3–2 away win; on 6 March 2012, he came on as a substitute towards the end of the home game against Barnsley, lobbing the ball over opposing goalkeeper Luke Steele for the final 2–0.

Ogbeche made his international debut for Nigeria under the stewardship of Coach Chief Festus Onigbinde, in a game against Scotland. He will be remembered for his over head kick which struck the post, many tipped him as the new Yekini, and so he was picked for the 2002 world cup, but unfortunately he was carried away by the occasion, and he wasn’t able to take a single shot on target at the world cup. And since then many Nigerian haven’t even bothered to remember him as a footballer not to talk of being a former super Eagles player.

 

6. Danny Shittu

Daniel Olusola "Danny" Shittu (born 2 September 1980) is a Nigerian footballer who currently playing for Millwall for the second time in his career.

   "Olusola" is a nickname for the Yoruba name "Oluwanisola" (meaning "God creates wealth") but unfortunately God hasn’t created much wealth for him in his footballing career. He is known for his strength and physical presence on the pitch.

Shittu made his international debut for Nigeria against Paraguay on 26 March 2002.

 He was a regular under coach Berti Vogts and played a significant role for the Super Eagles team that lost in the quarter-finals of the 2008 CAF Africa Cup of Nations to hosts Ghana. He was also a rock in the back four for Nigeria at 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria as the side finished third.

    Shittu was involved in the qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup making four appearances for the Super Eagles with his first coming in a 1-0 win away to South Africa on 6 June 2008. His second came in a 4-1 win at home over Sierra Leone. As well as the 0-0 draw away with Mozambique and the 1-0 home win in the reverse fixture.

   Shittu was selected for the 23 man Nigeria squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He made his first appearance in the World Cup in their opening game of Group B against Argentina on 12 June 2010.

           When it come club football I think Danny Shittu is the unluckiest player in the history of football, He has seen himself playing for QPR, Watford, Bolton Wanderers reserve, Millwall, Back to QPR but didn’t make a single appearance cause he didn’t make the 25man list for the season, and now he has returned to Millwall again but this time he has been named the vice captain of the team.

 

7. Azubike Oliseh

Azubuike Oliseh (born 18 November 1978) is a Nigerian football midfielder. He last played for Ermis Aradippou in the Cypriot First Division. He is the younger brother of retired Nigeria captain Sunday Oliseh and the older brother of the former AS Nancy and QPR midfielder Egutu Oliseh; another brother is Churchill Oliseh and his nephew is Sekou Oliseh.

 Azubuike joined his compatriots Celestine Babayaro and James Obiorah at Anderlecht, as a 16 year old. Looking for regular first team action, Oliseh was loaned out to Royal Antwerp for the 1998-99 season, before moving to the Dutch Eredivisie the following year.

Azubike Oliseh will be remembered for this outstanding performance for the super Eagles at the Sydney 2000 olympics at the center of the park, very combating and aggressive many thought the super Eagles have found in him a direct replacement for this Elder brother and former super Eagles skipper Sunday Oliseh.

8. Lukman Haruna

Haruna Abdulkarim Lukman (born December 4, 1990 in Jos) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv and the national team.

Haruna first played football for Moderate Stars Academy and Global Crystal Academy in Nigeria. Lukman signed for Ligue 1 side AS Monaco in January 2008 and it is understood Haruna was chased by a number of Europe's top clubs including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich. On 25 May 2009, he signed his first professional contract with AS Monaco that runs until 30 June 2012.

 Following Monaco's relegation at the 2010-11 season, he signed a five-year contract with Ukraine Premier League giants Dynamo Kyiv on 26 June 2011.

He won the 2007 U-17 African and World titles with Nigeria and he captained the team throughout the tournaments. He was called into the provisional Nigeria national football team squad for the 2008 African Nations Cup but was cut from the final 23-man squad. He is also known for his astonishing dribbles, vast movements and pass accuracy. He did however make his debut for the Super Eagles in the warm-up game with Sudan which Nigeria won 2–0. Nigeria's manager Berti Vogts cited his inclusion as a way of gaining valuable experience. On 6 December 2008 was called up for the 2009 African Youth Championship.

 He was called into camp ahead of the 2010 World Cup and scored his first goal in a friendly May 30, 2010 against Colombia. He later played for Nigeria in the World cup which Nigeria crashed out at the Group stage.

But since then he hasn’t been called up to the squad again, which simply means he hasn’t lived up to his potential.

 

9. John Owoeri (born 13 January 1987 in Warri) is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a striker for Egyptian Premier League side Ismaily SC.

 Owoeri has played for NPA, Bendel Insurance FC, Feyenoord and K.V.C. Westerlo and Enyimba of Aba. He played in 2009 with Heartland F.C. and scored two goals in their 10–1 thrashing of Monrovia Black Stars in the 2009 Champions League opening round. On 29 November 2009 he announced to sign with Warri Wolves F.C., but nothing came of it. He joined Ismaily ahead of the 2010-11 season after 2 seasons with Heartland.

 In 2005, he scored a goal for Nigeria in the FIFA World Youth Championship. He has played several matches for the Super Eagles including Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea.

He was one of the stars of the Fifa U- 20 world cup in Netherland 2005, we was dazzling on the left flank for the flying Eagles, many tipped him as the solution to the Eagles problem on the left flank. But with his invitation to the super Eagles camp, he proved he wasn’t what many thought he was.

 

10. Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi.

Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi (born 1 June 1986 in Enugu) is a Nigerian footballer. He plays as a second striker for German club FC Schalke 04, and has made seventeen appearances for the Nigerian national team.

Obasi went to Norway at the same time as his countryman John Obi Mikel; both players joining Lyn. On 20 December 2006, a transfer deal was announced with Lokomotiv Moscow[2] and Obasi was set to move to the Russian side in January. The deal was derailed, however, when the president, sporting director and manager of Lokomotiv were all fired six days later.

 On 27 August 2007, he moved to 1899 Hoffenheim for an undisclosed fee.

On 23 December 2011, it was confirmed that Obasi was going on loan to Schalke 04 until the end of the season.

 Chinedu impressed in the 2005 Under-20 World Championships in the Netherlands, and scored both in the semi-final and the final (which Nigeria lost to Argentina).

 Obasi was one of the outstanding performers for Nigeria at the 2010 African Nations Cup where they were beaten in the semi-finals by Ghana. In his first game of the competition against Egypt, Obasi scored, in the 12th minute of the match, in a 3–1 loss.

Many are of the opinion that Obasi hasn’t replicated the same potential he showed at the Fifa under 20 world cup in 2005.

 

How much Longer should Nigeria wait before it returns to the submit of African Football?