North African and THE New Mecca of Nigeria best players

Nigeria best young footballing talents in the domestic league are now taking the short route to North Africa in their quest for greener pastures.

Just last week, Super Eagles defender Kunle Odunlami reportedly arrived Morocco to complete his move to Raja Casablanca.

Though his purported move is the latest, North Africa has suddenly become an escape route for Nigerian players who increasingly find it difficult penning deals in the European side.

During the time Odunlami was hoping to seal a deal, interestingly, his compatriot at Raja, Osaguona, is reportedly in a tussle with the Moroccan club over unpaid salaries.

In times past, Nigerians had made their marks in the Maghreb, especially in Tunisia and  Egypt. The likes of Emmanuel Amuneke (Zamalek, Egypt), Julius Aghahowa (Esperance, Tunisia), Garba Lawal (Esperance, Tunisia) and John Utaka (Ismaily, Egypt) used North Africa as a springboard to lucrative deals in top European clubs.

Others like Michael Eneramo (Esperance, Tunisia), Kingsley Ikpotor (CS Sfaxien), Obinna Nwaneri, Austin Ejide, Onyekachi Nwoha, Ogochukwu Obiakor, Emeka Opara and Orok Akarandut also gave a good account of themselves in northern Africa years later.

Journeymen Samuel Ayorinde and Henry Makinwa also had stopovers in North Africa playing for Stade Tunisien and Al Ahly in Tunisia and Egypt respectively.

After a glorious career in Europe, Victor Ikpeba played for Libya’s Al Ittihad before retiring from the game.

But the whole scenario is quite different. These days, it seems the lure of playing anywhere abroad and making money, is the basis for the sudden shift of focus to North Africa by the country’s best players.

At the moment, former Nigerian league highest goal scorer, Victor Namo (Al Ahly Benghazi) and Efosa Ona, forward at Al-Madina, play in the Libyan Premier League.

Last year, former Flying Eagles right-back, Moses Orkuma, joined Etoile du Setif from Al Benghazi after war broke out in Libya.

Orkuma’s performances in the 2014 CAF Champions League caught the eye of Zamalek (Egypt), Al-Shamar (Qatar) and Al-Merrikh (Sudan) but he settled for Etoile.

After a fine outing at the 2015 U-20 World Cup, Esperance grabbed Kingsley Sokari. The midfielder joins former domestic league top scorer, Emem Eduok in Tunis. Another U-20 star, Bernard Bulbwa, who scored the Flying Eagles winner against Senegal at the 2015 African Youth Championship, is also reportedly involved in transactions with the Tunisian giants.

Midfielder Emeka Akueme (ES Zarzis), forward Onuoha Ogbonna, (CSA Bizertin) and Solomon Chigozie (CS Hammam-Lif), also play in Tunisia.

Egypt boasts Ismaily forward Kenneth Ikechukwu, former Flying Eagles striker Stanley Ohawuchi (Wadi Degla), James Owoboskini (Petrojet forward) and Peter Ebimobowei.

Defender Emmanuel Adole plays for El Raja Sporting Club, who narrowly avoided relegation in the 2013/14 Egyptian Premier League season by deafeating Telephonat Beni Suef 1-0 in the relegation playoff.

The little known striker Emmanuel Agbettor plays for El Dakhleya Sporting Club in Cairo. The club was promoted to the Egyptian Premier League for the first time in its history in the 2010 / 2011 season.

The 12year old Prince Nnake files out for Alassiouty Sport. Born in Port Harcourt and having played for hometown clubs Dolphins and Sharks, he joined Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in 2010.

He returned to Nigeria in 2012 with Kwara United before moving to Cairo, first with Tersana SC and then Alassiouty Sport. He scored his first league game for his club in a Premier League match against giants Zamalek.

REASON WHY IS NORTH AFRICA?

A lot African leagues are underfunded, with clubs barely able to survive. For instance, several clubs in Nigeria have been owing players and officials. Dolphins of Port Harcourt only recently managed to settle a backlog of salaries owed their players.

This tends to encourage players in the domestic league to grab any option that comes their way. In sharp contrast, most North Africans prefer to play at home. This is because their clubs have some of the best facilities in the game and pay salaries and welfare packages comparable to players in Europe.

Henry Makinwa, who describes Egypt’s Al Ahly as Africa’s best side, gives an insight into why Nigerian stars now flock the region.

No doubt, they pay better in North Africa and I think it’s easier to get to the Middle East through North Africa. Money is now the language of the game,” Makinwa reveal.

Their professionalism is top level compared to Europe. They are well organized and their top players play at home. While I was in Al Ahly, there was over 10,000 fans on pitch watching our training sessions alone. You don’t have such numbers watching matches in naija.

During the Zamalek derby at the National Stadium, there was about 50,000 fans singing and cheering. I was amazed with this.

He said playing for Al Ahly was more than just football. According to him, it gave players an opportunity to interact with powerful government officials.

Makinwa added, I want a taste of everything and I always like new adventure. That is why I signed for Al Ahly. I enjoyed Cairo when I played for Al Ahly; I witnessed power domination in Cairo. We won all our league games and powerful people; I mean top Egyptian government officials, came to speak to us in Cairo.

“They always wanted us to win the next game; they are the biggest club in Africa. Maybe there were other things behind winning, which I don’t know, but they are a well organised club. Winning was not enough, the club had to play well.

Former Nigeria international Justice Christopher said Nigeria’s best will continue to seek for greener pastures in places like Libya, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, if the issue of their welfare package was not properly addressed.

The Korea-Japan 2002 World Cup star added that the pay package in North Africa was higher than some European nations.

He said, “Nowadays, the welfare package in the Nigerian league is nothing to write home about. I read recently in the papers that a player like John Gaadi has been owed sign-on fees since 2011. A lot of these players have families to take care of.

“There are European countries like Belgium and Sweden who give contracts as little as $5,000 but when the players go to North Africa or Middle East, they earn as much as $200,000. Some of these players are already 25, and don’t have much time to waste.

“Here a player plays for 10 years and he has nothing to show for it. If I have a contract in North Africa, I will go there and play and make money. If I’m 17, I can consider Europe but once I’m 25 or above, then I can sign a contract in Egypt. That will help me take care of my family.

Lack of incentives, government interference, poor facilities and lack of a proper structure have all conspired to wrest Nigerian football league down.

Former Vittoria Setubal man Makinwa would not want to be drawn into whether it is right or wrong for Nigeria’s stars to play in North Africa.

“People always move for money or good reasons. I don’t support going or not but people migrate for reasons best known to them but it’s obvious it’s for money and exposure. It’s the state of the nation,” he said.

Makinwa said if the league is properly managed, Nigeria’s best stars will prefer to play at home, rather than playing in North Africa.

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is reportedly eyeing the chance to buy English giants Arsenal. Makinwa believes if he and other wealthy Nigerians invest in the league, it would be difficult to poach the country’s best.

Makinwa said, “Our oil money is enough to organise our country better than Egypt and Tunisia. Imagine the likes of Aliko Dangote, Folorunsho Alakija and the rich people in Nigeria bring out money to run our football. Who will go and play in Tunisia?

“Instead of Dangote buying Arsenal, he should buy Sunshine Stars or Dangote FC in Nigeria. If he puts money in the game and people see it, they will follow his example.

Justice on his part insists that a better pay package in the domestic league will stem the current tide.

He said, “If I am in Enyimba for instance and I sign a contract that will see me earn N7m annually for three years, what am I going to do in North Africa or even Europe? That way our best legs will remain at home and our league will grow.

Not when you promise a N3m and you give him N500,000. Where is the remainder? The FA must look into this. A lot of teams aren’t qualified to play in the Premier League. If it is only ten who can meet the standards, let’s use them up.

When I was in El Kanemi Warriors’ I learnt from one of my coaches, Ayo Ogunlana. He never played football abroad but he has a storey building in Kaduna.

He encouraged us to give our best while at home, and told us that not everybody can play abroad or make it in Europe. But how do you build a house today as a footballer in Nigeria without travelling out It’s a very difficult task.

A player like Michael Eneramo was almost lured into playing for Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles while at Esperance, before he committed his international future to naija.

Hopefully, this latest romance between Nigerian players and their North African clubs will blossom into a happy ending thereafter with believe.