In Search of a New Club
Since his move from Nigeria's Premier League side, Bendel Insurance to Belgian club, La Louviere, former Nigerian international, Osaze Odemwingie has gone on to play for six other European clubs. He was released by Stoke City of England penultimate week.
When former Super Eagles striker Osaze Odemwingie signed a one-and-a-half year deal with Premiership side Stoke City, after an uneventful stint with Cardiff City, many saw the move as new lease of life for the Beijing Olympics silver medalist to rediscover his form. But it was not to be, as injury and loss of form characterised his stay at the Potters culminating to his loan to second tier division, Bristol City.
Osaze joined Cardiff at the beginning of 2014/15 season but struggled to find his feet at the Walsh club and following the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the Bluebirds manager, he became immediately out of favour. Osaze was signed by former manager Malky Mackay, who was sacked earlier after a string of poor results.
Keen to arrest Cardiff's ongoing slide down the Premier League table, Solskjaer decided that he needed to add more firepower to his attack. Subsequently, he decided to sign Stoke City target- man Kenwyne Jones and Osaze was thrown into the package deal agreed between the two clubs.
Having scored only two goals in 17 matches for Cardiff following his £2 million move from West Bromwich Albion in the summer, Osaze knew he needed to improve to force his way into Nigeria's 2014 World Cup squad and was hoping this switch to Stoke would facilitate that.
After spending the latter part of last season on loan at Bristol City and with his contract with Stoke expiring at the end of this month, the Potters have elected not to renew terms with the former Nigeria international. According to a statement on their website, Stoke announced that they will not be offering fresh terms to the striker. With stoke not ready to offer Odemwingie a fresh contract, speculations about his next port of call has been a subject of discussion, with many being of the opinion that it might be another “missionary journey” this time to the Far East, United States or the Middle East, which is generally considered as a retirement haven for players.
Former Nigerian international, Paul Okuku, in a telephone chat with THISDAY from his base in the US, noted that it’s not totally over for the former Bendel Insurance player as far European football is concerned, just as he admitted that age is no more on his side to contend with the physical and tactical nature of European football.
“Though, I have to admit that age is not really on his side and injury has not really helped matters, with determination and right frame of mind he can still play in top flight European football. He however has to be in the right shape to contend with the physicality of European football.
“After all, we’ve seen players play at the highest level at age 35 and above. Gigi Buffon is still playing in the Euro 2016 competition at the age of 38, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is above 34 and still plays actively. So Odemwingie could still play at the top level in Europe if he conditions himself well.
“However, if he feels it’s time to have a stint in the Far East, America or Middle East; it’s still not a bad idea. After all, there are players in the league in these countries that are still representing their countries very well,” Okoku said.
Odemwingie was born in Tashkent, Uzbek, to a Nigerian father (Peter Odemwingie Sr.) and a Russian mother (Raisa), both of whom were then medical