we honor our super eagles.

 Over in France, Rennes have a stable of two Nigerians. Onyekachi Apam failed to make the most of a Keshi recall at the end of 2012, and has now drifted away from the international scene.

Once upon a time Macauley Chrisantus was likened to a young Rashidi Yekini, and heralded along with the likes of Fernando Torres and Alberto Aquilani. A combination of injuries, managerial changes and a lack of confidence had, for a time, appeared to put an end to his meteoric rise, but slowly and surely the young forward has rediscovered his form.
Leaving Germany behind for Las Palmas of the Gran Canaria, the Nigerian has gently begun to realise some of his immense potential. Chrisantus has hit double figures in the goal-scoring charts this season, and the form of he and local star Vitolo has pushed the Yellows firmly into contention for a play-off spot.
Granada is one of three clubs—along with Udinese and Watford—that form the tryptic of teams owned by the Pozzo family. The exchange of players between the three clubs has been mutually beneficial, and despite hovering in the bottom half of La Liga, Granada have a squad imbued with talent from their parent club.

Over in Portugal, one member of Nigeria’s victorious Afcon squad has gone from strength to strength as the season has progressed. Elderson Echiejile has proved himself to be one of Africa’s finest fullbacks, he can confidently contribute to the attack, can offer defensive solidarity, and is tactically proficient. His stooping header against Mali in the Cup of Nations semifinal was one of this writer’s favourite moments of the season.
Domestically, Braga will be disappointed to have been pipped to the Champions League by minnows Pacos de Ferreira. Happily, failings in the league were offset by the club winning the Portuguese cup—their first major trophy for 47 years. They and their star Nigerian can look forward to another European campaign next term.

Despite being another who endured a torrid Afcon, Ike Uche has maintained his high levels of performance at club level. The striker stuck with Villarreal following their relegation, and the show of loyalty has proved well-placed. At the time of writing, the Yellow Submarine look at good bet for a swift return to the top flght, with Uche instrumental in their success this term.
With 13 goals in 21 starts in the Liga Adelante, he has maintained the goal-scoring form which deserted him in South Africa. He may have fallen down in Stephen Keshi’s estimations, but Uche has once again demonstrated his nous and consistency in front of the opposition goal.

 Struggling to make an impact across the city is Joel Obi. The talented young midfielder has long promised to emerge as a bonus five star, but a combination of injury problems and a lack of positional stability have meant that his progress has stalled in recent times.

Having missed out on both the Cup of Nations squad and this summer’s get-together, Obi finds himself far away from the international fold. Before his recent departure, Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni expressed optimism that Obi would one day recover from his setbacks to claim a regular spot in the Inter first eleven, however, it may be that a loan deal within Italy is necessary for the youngster to rediscover the prodigal form of his early career.

 
In the Low Countries, various young Nigerians are developing nicely in the Dutch and Belgian leagues. It’s been an incredible season for young defender Kenneth Omeruo. On loan at ADO Den Haag from parent club Chelsea, Omeruo was a late entrant into the Afcon squad, but after entering the fray as a substitute in the opening game against Burkina Faso, went on to become a crucial member of the trophy-winning side.The versatile player proved, over the course of the tournament, that he is one of the continent’s finest young defensive talents. Still only 19, he may choose to continue his tutelage in the Netherlands, or Chelsea may finally opt to integrate him into their own squad.

 Up and down the Spanish pyramid, Nigerian players have been influential in the fates and fortunes of their teams. From the illustrious Liga BBVA right down to the forgotten corners of Spanish football, Super Eagles are writing their own histories and building their futures on European soil.
At the top of the tree, Nosa Igiebor’s Real Betis have muscled their way into the Europa League play-off places. Since moving to Seville in the summer of 2012, it’s been a fairly stop-start season for the creative midfielder. Early on, he struggled to find a spot in the side—particularly disappointing after his €1.2million switch from Hapoel Tel Aviv.
The Africa Cup of Nations failed to bring the personal glory that it had long promised to for the playmaker, and after slipping out of the team, he is threatening to become Nigeria’s forgotten man. Things have improved slightly at club level, where he has begun to compensate for his post-Afcon absence with some improved performances and a glorious late equaliser in the derby with Sevilla, but his absence from Nigeria’s squad for this summer does not bode well for his Super Eagle future.

Another who is likely to figure prominently in Brazil is Nnamdi Oduamadi. The Milan winger was a revelation in the World Cup qualifier against Kenya, arriving late to break the deadlock with a well-taken goal. It was widely encouraging to see the youngster finally return to the international fold, two years after his initial debut-also against Kenya.

Now 22, and having enjoyed loan moves to the likes of Torino and Varese, Oduamadi might finally be ready to make the grade at Milan.

Ogenyi Onazi is the pick of the bunch. The tenacious defensive midfielder has come on leaps and bounds this season. Having made his Lazio debut in the final game of last term, the anchor man has begun to establish himself in the first eleven, and has delivered some particularly impressive performances in the Europa League—not least in the 0-0 draw with Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

The highlights have doubtless been two key finals, in both of which Onazi has risen to the occasion. In a crucial Rome derby, the final of the Italian Cup, the youngster worked tirelessly to silence Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi—the Biancocelesti securing an unforgettable 1-0 and a place in next season’s Europa League.