French Ligue 2 side Stade de Reims have secured the signature of highly-rated Nigerian midfielder John Otomewo on a long-term deal. Working alongside his Israeli partner David Ouzeil Dudi, Nigerian football intermediary Sergio Mannah played a pivotal role in identifying and facilitating the player’s move to Israel before his eventual transfer to France and then exclusively spoke to Footy-Africa.
Speaking exclusively to Footy-Africa following the completion of the transfer, Mannah admitted he had not anticipated the speed of Otomewo’s development but expressed pride in the player’s remarkable progress.
“I have partners in Israel and what we do every year is organise scouting programmes at least twice annually,” Mannah explained. We invite players from different parts of Nigeria, mostly high-quality young players who are already playing in the leagues. Our partners are generally not interested in academy players. They prefer young players who are already competing at league level.”
Mannah revealed that his proximity to Gombe enabled him to discover the youngster during his early days in the Nigerian top flight.
“I am from Bauchi and Gombe is close to me, so I went to watch Gombe United and John was playing for them. It was his first season in the league and I think it was either his first or second game. I immediately liked what I saw and informed my partners in Israel before inviting him to our scouting programme.”
The midfielder was initially overlooked during his first trial but returned months later with a much-improved performance.
“The first time they saw him, he was not selected. I think that was in December. When they returned in June, I took him back again for another screening and this time he was much better. They liked what they saw and decided to take him to Hapoel Jerusalem.”
Otomewo initially joined the Israeli club’s youth setup before circumstances opened the door to senior football.
“He started with the junior team, the Under-19 side, but when the first team’s defensive midfielder got injured, they called him up to the senior squad. They gave him an opportunity to play and the rest is history.”
John Otomewo rejoint le @StadeDeReims ! ✍️
En provenance de l’Hapoel Jerusalem, le milieu défensif nigérian 🇳🇬 est désormais lié aux Rouge & Blanc jusqu’en 2031 ! pic.twitter.com/f7ymrztej1
— Ligue 2 BKT (@Ligue2BKT) July 16, 2026
Mannah admitted that even those closest to the player did not expect his development to happen so quickly.
“To be frank, his progress has been phenomenal and also a surprise to us. He performed very well in the senior team. While he was in Nigeria, he was a good player, but not necessarily exceptional. We did not expect him to reach this level so quickly, but all credit goes to him for his hard work and commitment.”
Following his impressive campaign in Israel, several European clubs reportedly expressed interest in securing his services.
“After the season, he had a number of offers, including one from Rio Ave in Portugal, which financially was a bigger offer. But when Stade Reims came in, we felt it was the perfect fit for him. It is a better environment for his development, and now the deal is done.”
The 19-year-old defensive midfielder has completed his transfer to the French club, signing a five-year contract after an outstanding breakthrough season with Israeli side Hapoel Jerusalem.
Otomewo’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable as the midfielder began his career with Nigerian second-tier club Abia Comets before earning a move to Nigeria Premier Football League side Gombe United in 2025.
His performances in the Nigeria Premier Football League quickly attracted attention from scouts abroad and paved the way for a move to Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem, where he rapidly established himself as a key member of the first team.
The Nigerian wasted little time making an impression, featuring in more than 90 percent of Hapoel Jerusalem’s matches following his promotion to the senior side.
Otomewo now embarks on the next chapter of his career in France, where Stade Reims will hope the Nigerian midfielder can continue the rapid development that has already taken him from the NPFL to European football in less than two years.
