longest serving Nigerian players

We profiles the five players in the present Nigeria set up who have spent the longest number of years

A few weeks ago, Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama marked a decade of service to the Super Eagles. It was a milestone for the Lille goalkeeper who came into the core of the team during the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan.

Several players have given long service to the nation in the past – Kanu Nwankwo spent 16 years in the national team while present coach Stephen Keshi gave 12 years of his life to the service of the national team. Many times during low periods, these players have had to question why they give so much yet receive so little praise.

In this article, TrifectaSport profiles the longest serving players in the present squad looking at how their career has been shaped by service to their country.

5. TAYE TAIWO

Position: Left back

Years active: 8

Duration: 2004-to present

No of caps: 53

Goals: 5

Festac-born Taye Taiwo has been a consistent part of the Super Eagles since he made his debut in 2004. He replaced Ifeanyi Udeze and since then he has made remarkable impact for the team as a left full back. He is known for his bullet shots and thunder free kicks. He has played under a myriad of coaches though he has featured only once under current coach Stephen Keshi.

He made a move from Lobi Stars directly to Olympique Marseille. He left the French side after six seasons where he won the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de la Ligue and Trophee des Champions. He moved to join AC Milan but he had to be loaned to Queen Park Rangers. The left-back has played 53 times for his country and scored five times. At 27 years of age, he is getting very stiff competition from home-based lad Juwon Oshinawa and Elderson Echiejile is also in the pecking order.

4. JOHN UTAKA

Position: Forward

Years active: 10

Duration: 2002-to present

No of caps: 43

Goals: 6

Forward John Utaka returned to the fold of the Super Eagles in June after being locked out since the end of the 2010 World Cup. The Montpellier striker’s national team career was resurrected due to the impressive performances he gave leading to his team winning the French Ligue 1 title.

Stephen Keshi fielded him for the Eagles’ matches against Namibia and Malawi, giving him an opportunity to also mark a decade in the service of his country. Utaka made his debut in 2002 and has played at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. One of his most memorable moments was when he scored the winning goal in the 2-1 defeat of Cameroon in the quarter final of Tunisia 2004.

3. PETER ODEMWINGIE

Position: Forward

Years active: 10

Duration: 2002-to present

No of caps: 54

Goals: 9

One of the youngest players to have played for the national team, Peter Odemwingie was born in Uzbekistan but chose to play for Nigeria. He was taken to the 2002 World Cup as an alternate player. From then till date, the pacy striker has won 54 caps and scored nine goals for the Super Eagles.

His competitive debut came as a substitute in a 3-0 victory over Kenya on May 4, 2002 aged just 20. At the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia in 2004, he scored twice against South Africa, in the 80th and 82nd minutes, after coming on as a substitute in the Super Eagles first match of the competition. He has played in a total of four Afcons and at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Odemwingie has had spats with some national team coaches like Amodu Shaibu, Lars Lagerback and Samson Siasia. He has had stints with Bendel Insurance, La Louviere in Belgium, Lille in France – for whom he played in the Uefa Champions League and scored against AC Milan, Lokomotiv Moscow and he is currently contracted to West Bromwich Albion, where he has been highest goal scorer in the last two seasons.

2. VINCENT ENYEAMA

Position: Goalkeeper

Years active: 10

Duration: 2002-to present

No of caps: 65

Goals: 1

The Lille of France goalkeeper is the second longest serving Super Eagles player currently. He marked a decade in the national team ahead of the World Cup qualification match against Malawi in June.

He was picked for the 2002 World Cup by Adegboye Onigbinde as a cover for Ike Shorunmu and played one match in that tournament, keeping a clean sheet against England. That match will be remembered fondly for his save from a David Beckham free kick. He has been first choice for the national team since except on rare occasions where he was injured or when he was excluded from the team on disciplinary grounds.

 The 2010 World Cup in South Africa will also be fondly remembered for the way he single-handedly made sure that Argentina’s Lionel Messi did not score against the Super Eagles. He helped Nigeria win the CafChampions League for the first time with Enyimba FC of Aba in 2003 and 2004. At 29 years of age, and as a goalkeeper, Enyeama could be in the national team for many more years.

He had a very good stint in Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv, where he won many accolades and became known as a scoring goalkeeper in Europe. He also paved the way for compatriot, Dele Aiyenugba to get his chance as a professional goalkeeper in Israel.

1. JOSEPH YOBO

Position: Central defender

Years active: 11

Duration: 2001-to present

No of caps: 87

Goals: 7

A former U-20 striker, captain Joseph Yobo is currently the longest serving Super Eagle and has made history as the player with the most number of appearances for the national team, 87. The player who started his career with Michelin FC of Port Harcourt has indeed come a long way since he stood up against George Weah of Liberia in a 2002 World Cup qualifier in Port Harcourt playing as a right back.

He made his World Cup debut in 2002 in Japan and South Korea and famously provided the cross for Julius Aghahowa to score against Sweden, Nigeria’s lone goal in that tournament. He has played in countries across Europe, from Belgium - where he starred for Standard Liege- to Marseille in France and then to Everton of England where he played for eight years before his current loan move to Fenerbahce of Turkey. He won his first club diadem with Fenerbahce and he is now hoping to make the loan move a permanent one.

At 31 years-old, he could get to the magical century of international caps if he can motivate the team to qualify for the 2013 and 2014 Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup in Brazil. Having won three Afcon bronze medals, Yobo has declared that he wants to win a major trophy with Nigeria before he considers retiring.

Christian Obodo: I outran my captors

The kidnapped midfielder has narrated his ordeal in the hands of his abductors after he escaped from the gang on Sunday

Contrary to earlier reports that Nigeria midfielder Christian Obodo was rescued after a commando-style police operation, the footballer has narrated his amazing escape from the hands of the gang that kidnapped him in Warri on Saturday.

The Udinese player who was on loan at Lecce was abducted on Saturday morning while on his way to a church in Efurrun, a suburb of Warri in Nigeria’s Delta State.

His abductors had requested for the sum of €150,000 from his family in order to secure his release, but he escaped from them before the ransom was paid.

"I was on my way to church and I had just parked my car when six boys, very young boys, just came to me and started ordering me to come with them,” Obodo told KickOffNigeria.com.

"I told them to take it easy, that I would do what they say, and they took me to their car, blindfolded me and drove away. I asked where we were going, and they said Port Harcourt, then Benin, then Asaba.”

After a confusing drive out of town, the player ended up in a jungle for the night.

"Instead, when they took off the blindfold, we were in a forest. That night, I slept on the ground.

"But they were very nice to me. They didn't touch me. They didn't take any of my jewellery or wallet or anything else. We were just talking like old friends. They assured me that nothing would happen to me." I even prayed with them.

"Then the next morning, they started to move again. It was later that I discovered that it was because the whole state had been covered by security operatives. They told me all the roads, even the rivers and creeks were being watched by security."

The player said that his kidnappers gave hints that his ordeal was organised by a close associate.

"They said it was somebody close to me who set everything up, someone that I have been helping. They said the person told them I would be in that church by 8am that morning. I couldn't believe it. But they asked how they would know my movement to go and wait for me there. I didn't know what to say."

In a quick resolution to the saga that was unusual, Obodo played his part in escaping from the kidnappers.

"Five of them left to go and get the money, leaving me with one of them. But he later said we had to leave this place because the area was being monitored. He told me to promise him that I would not shout or run away. I told him I'd been cooperating since they took me and since they had promised to release me that day, I would do what he said.

"When we got to the town, he got a call informing him that two or three of them had been captured. I heard the other one telling him to take me back and tie me up in the forest.

“At that point, I told myself I wasn't going back into that forest. So I told him that it's possible his people wanted to betray him, that they may have taken the money and run. I asked him to let me call my people to find out if the money had been picked up.

"He agreed, but said he did not have credit on his phone, so we would have to walk back into the village to buy airtime.

"As we were walking back to the village, we saw a group of people sitting around, so we stopped to ask for a recharge card. They said they didn't have it there.

"He now said we should move on to the next place. At that point, I pushed him and started running and screaming that I am Chris Obodo and that they should help.

"The people immediately gathered. Luckily, they also had some vigilante people around, they call them Black Beret, and they came and got me.

"The police were also nearby, because they had been tracking them through the phone calls. That was when I started crying and giving thanks to God. That is how I got out."

Despite the trauma, Obodo says he has no immediate plans to stop returning home to Warri. "It won't stop me from going to Warri. That is where I have lived all my life. I'm a Warri boy and it's not like I go out anyhow.

"Whenever I come home, I play football, three-a-side, in my compound with my friends, I don't go out clubbing like I used to when I was much younger, so why should I stop coming?"

He did, however, admit that the experience will leave scars.

"When something like this happens, you learn a lot. It opened my eyes to a lot of things."

Obodo said he is grateful for the groundswell of support. "I just want to thank everybody. My family got a lot of calls, a lot of support, and we just want to thank everyone,” he said.

Christian Obodo's abductors demand 150,000 Euros

The Lecce midfielder was kidnapped on Saturday morning in Effurun, Delta State

Nigeria midfielder Christian Obodo has been abducted by unknown gunmen in Warri, Delta State. The footballer was taken on Saturday morning according to reports on SuperSport.com.

Obodo, who played at Lecce in Italy during the just concluded season on loan from Udinese, was reported to have gone to a night club on Friday night in his car with registration number “Obodo 5” but was picked up on Saturday morning in front of a church in Effurun, a suburb of Warri.

"Yes he has been kidnapped," an unnamed Delta State government official toldSuperSport.com. "The details are still sketchy but I was told he was on his way to church this (Saturday) morning with his car that has registration number 'Obodo 5.'"

"Apparently his car's registration may have attracted his kidnappers because he went clubbing last (Friday) night in the same car."

It is the first time a footballer is being kidnapped in Nigeria. However, footballers’ family members had been kidnapped in the past (eg. Chelsea's John Obi Mikel's father ).

"The kidnappers called this morning at the home of the mother of Christian asking a ransom of about 150, 000 euros," Obidike Okechukwu, husband of the sister of Christian Obodo, told ANSA.

"Christian was going to church, he was alone, around four o'clock in the morning Italian time, when some people took it and carried away."