With the closure of the European transfer window, much of the attention around Nigerian footballers centred on established names who secured headline moves across the continent.
Players such as Ademola Lookman, who completed a high-profile switch from Atalanta to Atletico Madrid, Rafiu Durosinmi moving from Viktoria Plzeň to Pisa in Serie A, and Frank Onyeka’s loan move from Brentford to Coventry City dominated discussions.
Beyond the spotlight, there were also lower-profile but significant moves involving Nigerian professionals already based in Europe. Jonathan Okoronkwo joined Sivasspor from Hatayspor, Afeez Aremu swapped Kaiserslautern for Aberdeen, Chibuike Nwaiwu moved to Trabzonspor from Wolfsberger, while Victor Orakpo left OGC Nice to sign for AS Nancy.
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However, perhaps the most compelling stories from the window were those involving young Nigerian players making the leap directly from grassroots football to Europe.
A group of five youngsters have now signed professional contracts with European clubs after being identified through a structured scouting programme in Nigeria.
Nigerian agent Mohammed Babawo, who facilitated the moves, exclusively told Footy-Africa that the players were selected from his annual scouting programme and have now begun their European journeys. Babawo, renowned for helping discover and develop talents such as Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes), Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla), and Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague), believes the new crop has the potential to follow similar paths.
“We held our annual scouting program and we were able to select five players for this phase, and I am sure they will soon be household names in Europe very soon,” Babawo said.
“They were selected after a rigorous scouting model, and they were selected not just for their quality but their personality and doggedness. All of them showed skill, talent and good personalities that can succeed anywhere, that is why we picked them,” he added.
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The five players making the move from Nigeria to Europe are Penuel Solomon, an attacking midfielder who has joined MFK Karviná in the Czech Republic; Pam Davou Peter, a left winger who signed for Baník Ostrava; Jerry Moses Yamlak, a left-back who has joined SK Artis Brno in the Czech third division; and Abraham Benjamin, a defensive midfielder, alongside Collins Joshua, a left-back, both of whom have joined FC Silon Táborsko in the Czech second division.
As they take their first steps in European football, these youngsters represent the next wave of Nigerian talent hoping to make their mark on the global stage.
