Nigeria Content Online

The 2010 World Cup
has come and gone but the repercussions of a bad outing for the
national team continues to reverberate through the fabric of the game.

With the transfer
window wide open, the best we have seen in terms of the movement of our
players is Obafemi Martins’ transfer to Rubin Kazan. While Kazan are
Russian league champions, they are paperweights in Europe with their
biggest achievement being a 1-0 defeat of Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

With league season
reason in the next two to three weeks in Europe, Nigerian players are
in the transfer lurch. Compared to other great African football
countries, Nigeria’s stock is about the lowest but that was not always
the case. Today, our sister country, Ghana, has her football stars are
getting better deals. With the way things are going we may not have to
wait long before lowly rated football countries like Benin Republic
starts having players in bigger clubs than our players.

Journey to the bottom

After every World
Cup since 1994, Super Eagles players always attracted the attention of
European suitors. One that readily comes to mind is the multi-million
dollar deal that Austin Okocha snagged even when the Eagles were
decimated by Denmark 4-1 in the second round of the 2002 World Cup in
France. His virtuoso display at that tournament earned him a $24
million deal with French club, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) making him the
most expensive African footballer at the time.

Garba Lawal fondly
called “Mr. Consistency” in his time in the Super Eagles was another
player whose value rose in 1998 following an impressive performance at
the 1998 World Cup against Spain in Nigeria’s opening match of the
tournament. He spoke to NEXT on the dip in the value Nigerian football
players globally and what should be done to address the situation.

“They are not
playing well and there is nothing anybody can do about that,” Lawal
said “Look at their performance at the World Cup; it is nothing to
write home about so you won’t expect any serious team to go after them.
They are the ones that want to make name and money for themselves so
they have to improve their game to achieve the best. As a player, you
don’t have all the time in the world to yourself but when the
opportunity of playing in the World Cup comes your way, you have to
grab it with your two hands but most of them failed to do that.” Lawal
then lays the blame squarely on the players’ shoulders. “No matter what
we say, they are the actors and they are the only ones that can
determine when their stock will appreciate or go down depending on the
performance they put in.”

List of transfers

The best news of the summer could yet be Vincent Enyeama’s proposed move to Portuguese giants, FC Porto.

According to
reports in Israel, Enyeama’s club, Hapoel Tel Aviv, received a
€1-million offer for the Nigerian goalkeeper, who has a just year to
run on his contract. The other good news; and some people could argue
this, could be the retention of Yakubu Ayegbeni at Everton after the
club turned down a bid of £6million, plus £1million if they avoid
relegation, for striker Yakubu. Everton boss David Moyes has insisted
that the burly striker will not be let go for any amount less than the
£11 million they paid Middlesbrough.

On the back of an
average showing in South Africa, Lukman Haruna has been touted to be on
Inter Milan’s radar, but that surely will not be a good move as he is
most likely to be frozen on the substitutes’ bench. He will be better
advised to stay put at Monaco of France and continue his improvement
curve. Haruna caught the eye of Inter chief Marco Branca during the
World Cup campaign and they have moved quickly to slap in an early bid
for the 20 year-old.

Olubayo Adefemi is
leaving relegated French side Boulogne and moving to Greece side, Skoda
Xanthi, for the 2010/2011 football season. Another of Nigeria’s former
promising star, Stephen Makinwa, has also recently moved to the
backwaters of the Greece League to join Larissa on loan from Lazio. The
26-year-old met has stagnated in his career and that could also stop as
it has been released that he is suffering from a serious knee injury
that could stop him playing football.

Joseph Yobo’s
defensive team mate at Everton, Phil Jagielka, is reportedly the target
of an improved bid of £18 million from Arsenal, but Yobo is a target
for newly promoted Newcastle. Bolton Wanderers defender Danny Shittu
could yet stay in the English Premiership, but the offer is from a
lowly Blackpool side that also just gained promotion to the top flight
after 40 years in the wilderness. Bolton’s boss, Owen Coyle, has told
the 29-year-old that he is surplus to requirement at the Reebok
Stadium, so a move to Blackpool may be appealing.

Another very
promising player, Christian Obodo, a pretender to the Austin Okocha
throne may have to move to Cesena to get games after being eclipsed by
Ghanaian Kwadwo Asamoah, who shone very brightly at the just concluded
World Cup. He will be teaming up with the captain of the U-20 national
team to Egypt 2009, Odion Ighalo. Ighalo is also on loan deal from
Udinese.

The captain of the silver winning squad to the Beijing Olympics,
Obinna Nsofor is being courted by Stoke City, who is neither in the
Champions League or the Europa Cup. We will like to ask Nsofor what the
allure is in asking for a move to Stoke City other than financial
gains. The £4 million-rated striker is also wanted by cashed-up Greek
duo AEK Athens and PAOK, which are both ready to bid immediately for
the Nigeria international; that is the level that our players have
fallen to.