Nigerian Football
Segun Odegbami: Celebrating a double anniversary of a legendary career
By Kunle Solaja
It is a rare moment in football when one date carries two milestones in a player’s career. Yet, for Segun Odegbami, Nigeria’s iconic right winger fondly known as Mathematical, October 30 stands as a day of double remembrance — the day he scored his first international goal and, exactly five years later, played his last match for Nigeria.
This Thursday, October 30, marks 49 years since his first goal and 44 years since his final cap, both coincidentally achieved in FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The Birth of a Star – October 30, 1976
It was at the National Stadium in Lagos on October 30, 1976, that Odegbami first etched his name into Nigeria’s football history.
The Green Eagles, as the now Super Eagles were known, thrashed Sierra Leone 6–2, with the then 24-year-old Odegbami scoring the opening goal — the first of his 21 goals in 43 appearances for Nigeria.
He was not just a scorer that day; he created two more goals in the match that also marked the international farewell of his IICC Shooting Stars teammate and Africa’s then-best left winger, Kunle Awesu.
That performance sealed Odegbami’s place as Nigeria’s undisputed lead striker — a role he held with distinction for the next five years. From that moment on, he was never invited to camp without earning a place in the starting lineup.
The Curtain Falls – October 30, 1981
Ironically, it was on the same date — October 30, 1981 — that Odegbami played his last international match. Nigeria faced Algeria in Constantine in a World Cup qualifier. Though the encounter ended in disappointment, it symbolically closed a golden chapter for one of the most elegant footballers Africa ever produced.
With 21 goals in 43 matches, Odegbami remains one of Nigeria’s most efficient scorers, boasting a strike rate surpassed by Rashidi Yekini, who netted 37 goals in 60 appearances, Victor Osimhen whose goal tally for Nigeria has risen to 29 in 43 matches.
Dreams Deferred
Despite his brilliance, Odegbami’s international career was shadowed by near misses on the global stage.
He played just 45 minutes at the 1980 Olympic Games against eventual champions, Czechoslovakia before being substituted.
Earlier, he missed the 1976 Montreal Olympics after Nigeria joined the African boycott over apartheid South Africa — a tragic turn for a squad many believed was good enough for a medal.
Two World Cup heartbreaks followed: the infamous 1977 own goal by Godwin Odiye that cost Nigeria a ticket to Argentina ’78, and the failed bid to reach Spain ’82, which ended Odegbami’s international journey.
Mr. Mathematical
The legendary commentator Ernest Okonkwo gave him the nickname Mathematical — a tribute to his precision, timing, and balance on the right flank.
Standing at 1.8 metres, Odegbami was not built like the typical striker of his era. Early critics called him “the sluggish striker,” yet his deceptive pace and clinical delivery made him the nightmare of defenders across Africa.
A graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Odegbami started at Housing Corporation FC before joining IICC Shooting Stars in 1974.
He first played as an inside-left behind Moses Otolorin before being transformed into a blistering right winger — a tactical switch that defined his greatness.
The Turning Point
Odegbami himself often points to that 1976 match against Sierra Leone as the defining moment.
Brought on as a substitute for Baba Otu Mohammed in the first leg in Freetown, he impressed coach Father Tiko, who experimented with him on the rightwing during training.
“Coach Tiko asked me to practice running down the flank and cutting inside toward goal,” Odegbami once recalled. “It worked perfectly in the return leg — and that was how I became a right winger.”
He didn’t just score Nigeria’s opener that day; his crosses created goals for Aloysius Atuegbu and Kelechi Emeteole, heralding the birth of a new attacking era.
Memorable Goals and Matches
Of his 21 goals for Nigeria, Odegbami fondly recalls his equalizer in Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire, during a 1977 World Cup qualifier as his best.
Nigeria came from two goals down to draw 2–2 — a match that showcased his courage and flair.
At club level, he treasures his 1984 African Champions Cup goal against Maghreb Fez of Morocco, a crucial strike that helped Shooting Stars advance 5–2 on aggregate.
There were other unforgettable moments — like the 1977 Challenge Cup final against Raccah Rovers, played on a Sunday morning to beat CAF’s registration deadline.
Odegbami’s goal secured a 1–0 win before chaos erupted, with fans mobbing him and tearing his jersey in jubilation.
Beyond the Pitch
Even at 73, the man from Abeokuta remains a vibrant voice in Nigerian football. His insights on technical, administrative, and political issues in the game are as sharp as his dribbles once were.
Though his attempts to move from the pitch to the boardroom — like Platini and Beckenbauer — haven’t materialized fully, his influence on the sport endures.
Slim, athletic, and still exuding charisma, Odegbami has aged gracefully. His clean-shaven head may hint at time’s passage, but his spirit remains undimmed — the same Mathematical who once danced past defenders with elegant precision.
A Legend’s Legacy
Segun Odegbami’s story is not just one of goals and glory, but of intellect, discipline, and enduring relevance. From his first strike in 1976 to his farewell in 1981, he embodied the beauty of football — skill balanced with thought, artistry guided by purpose.
Forty-eight years on, as Nigeria celebrates his double anniversary, Mr. Mathematical remains a timeless figure — the man who calculated his runs, measured his crosses, and defined an era of Nigerian football that will never be forgotten.
Odegbami’s 21 goals for Nigeria
DATE COMPETITION SCOREBOARD ODEGBAMI’S GOALS October 30, 1976 World Cup qualifier Nigeria 6-2 Sierra Leone 1 goal March 26, 1977 Afcon qualifier Nigeria 2-0 Sierra Leone 2 goals June 25, 1977 Afcon qualifier Nigeria 3-0 Senegal 1 goal July 27, 1977 World Cup qualifier Nigeria 2-2 Cote d’Ivoire 1 goal August 27, 1977 ECOWAS Games Nigeria 2-0 Sierra Leone 2 goals October 8, 1977 World Cup qualifier Nigeria 4-0 Egypt 2 goals January 14, 1978 African Games qualifier Nigeria 7-0 Benin 3 goals January 17, 1978 African Games qualifier Nigeria 2-0 Benin 1 goal March 5, 1978 Africa Cup of Nations Nigeria 4-2 Burkina Faso 2 goals March 8, 1978 Africa Cup of Nations Ghana 1-1 Nigeria 1 goal November 4, 1979 Friendly Nigeria 5-0 Benin 1 goal January 26, 1980 Friendly Nigeria 1-0 Liberia 1 goal March 8, 1980 Africa Cup of Nations Nigeria 3-1 Tanzania 1 goal March 22, 1980 Africa Cup of Nations Nigeria 3-0 Algeria 2 goals
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Nigerian Football
Osimhen Clarifies Absence from Super Eagles Friendlies, Dismisses Transfer Speculation
Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has moved to clarify the circumstances surrounding his absence from the Super Eagles’ forthcoming international friendly matches against Poland and Portugal, insisting that recent comments by head coach Eric Chelle were misunderstood.
The Galatasaray forward will not be part of Nigeria’s squad for the two high-profile friendlies this month, a development that sparked speculation after Chelle suggested that the striker was focused on resolving issues relating to a possible transfer.
While explaining the absence of key players from his squad, Chelle remarked that Osimhen could be on the verge of changing clubs, prompting widespread reports linking the Nigerian star to a move away from Turkish champions Galatasaray.
“We miss two players because Victor Osimhen may be about to change clubs,” Chelle had said.
The comments fuelled fresh speculation about the future of the 27-year-old striker, who has been linked with several top European clubs following another prolific season in Turkey.
However, Osimhen has now sought to calm the situation, revealing that he personally contacted the Super Eagles coach to discuss the remarks and clear up any misunderstanding.
In a statement posted on his Instagram Story, the Nigerian international stressed that Chelle’s comments had been taken out of context and did not reflect any intention to create controversy surrounding either his future or Galatasaray.
“I just got off the phone with Coach Eric Chelle regarding the comments about me in his recent interview,” Osimhen wrote.
“Unfortunately, his words have been taken out of context and blown out of proportion. He has great respect for Galatasaray, follows most of our games, and never intended to create any controversy.
“I appreciate the conversation, the opportunity to always represent my country, and I look forward to continuing to work with him. He is a great coach whom I respect a lot, and I kindly ask everyone to disregard the speculation surrounding this matter.”
Osimhen’s statement effectively confirms that his absence from the friendlies against Poland and Portugal should not be interpreted as a sign of tension with the national team setup. Rather, it appears to be a mutually understood arrangement as the striker manages personal and professional commitments during the transfer window.
The former Napoli star remains a central figure in Chelle’s plans as Nigeria continues preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
For now, the Super Eagles will take on Poland and Portugal without their leading marksman. Still, Osimhen has reaffirmed both his commitment to Nigeria and his strong working relationship with the national team coach.
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Nigeria’s leading football investor and proprietor of Remo Stars Football Club and Beyond Limits Football Club, Hon. Kunle Soname, has redeemed his promise to reward the Flamingos after the team’s six-goal demolition of Guinea in their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier.
Soname had pledged a bonus of N750,000 for every goal scored by the Nigerian girls during the return leg of the second-round qualifier at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
Following the Flamingos’ emphatic 6-0 victory, the businessman fulfilled his commitment by rewarding the team with a total sum of N4.5 million.
The gesture came after the Flamingos produced another outstanding display to complete an 11-0 aggregate victory over Guinea and advance to the final qualification round for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The young Nigerians entertained the home crowd with goals from Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, who scored twice, captain Harmony Chidi, who also bagged a brace, Queen Joseph, and substitute Precious Oscar.
Soname’s reward was widely applauded by football stakeholders, who viewed it as a significant morale booster for the team ahead of the decisive final-round clash against the Benin Republic.
Over the years, the Remo Stars owner has built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s foremost sports investors through his sustained support for football development, youth programmes and grassroots initiatives.
His latest gesture further highlights the growing role of private sector involvement in Nigerian football and the importance of incentivising young athletes as they strive for international success.
The Flamingos will now shift their focus to the final qualification hurdle against Benin Republic, knowing that victory will secure another appearance at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
With confidence high and financial encouragement coming from prominent supporters such as Soname, the young Nigerian side will be hoping to continue their impressive march towards Morocco 2026.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Femi Azeez etched his name into Nigerian football history on Tuesday after becoming the 62nd player to score on debut for Nigeria.
The forward achieved the feat during Nigeria’s Unity Cup clash against the Zimbabwe national football team at The Valley, home ground of Charlton Athletic F.C.
Azeez opened the scoring in the sixth minute to hand the Super Eagles an early lead before adding a second goal in the 63rd minute to cap a dream debut and secure his place in the long list of Nigerian debut scorers dating back to 1949.
By scoring twice on his debut, Azeez also became the first Nigerian player in 55 years to net a brace in his maiden appearance for the national team. The last player to achieve the feat was Mathias Obianika, who scored twice in Nigeria’s 4-0 defeat of the then Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso, in November 1971.
Sports Village Square recalls that only five Nigerian players have scored two goals on debut for the Super Eagles. The list began with Friday Okoh, who scored twice in Nigeria’s 5-0 victory over the then Gold Coast on October 20, 1951. Patrick Noquapor followed with a brace in Nigeria’s 3-3 draw against Ghana on October 27, 1957, while Abudu Buraimoh achieved the feat in a 3-2 victory over Ghana on October 25, 1958, before Obianika’s memorable double in 1971.
The Unity Cup once again lived up to its reputation as a platform for emerging talents in the Super Eagles, with no fewer than four players making their senior national team debuts. Among them were Rangers International F.C. duo Chibueze Oputa and Kenneth Igboke.
By scoring on his first appearance, Azeez joined an elite list that began with Balogun Tesilimi, who scored on debut against Sierra Leone in Freetown on October 8, 1949.
Other prominent Nigerian players who scored on debut include Finidi George, Julius Aghahowa, Obafemi Martins, Joseph Aribo and Bryan Idowu.
Azeez also became the first Nigerian player to score on debut since Jerome Akor Adams achieved the feat against the Lesotho national football team in October 2025.
The achievement further highlights the youngster’s attacking promise and adds another memorable chapter to Nigeria’s rich football history.
OTHER NIGERIA’S SCORING DEBUTANTS SINCE 1949
Player Match Date Venue Country 1 Balogun Tesilimi Sierra Leone 0-2 Nigeria October 8, 1949 Freetown Sierra Leone 2 Okoh Friday – 2 goals Nigeria 5-0 Gold Coast (Ghana) October 20, 1951 Lagos Nigeria 3 Asoluka Cyril Nigeria 5-0 Gold Coast (Ghana) October 20, 1951 Lagos Nigeria 4 Anieke Peter Nigeria 5-0 Gold Coast (Ghana) October 20, 1951 Lagos Nigeria 5 Okere Titus Nigeria 5-0 Gold Coast (Ghana) October 20, 1951 Lagos Nigeria 6. Okwudili Daniel Nigeria 3-0 Gold Coast October 27, 1956 Lagos Nigeria 7 Longe Julius Nigeria 3-0 Gold Coast October 27, 1956 Lagos Nigeria 8 Ejor Hubert Nigeria 3-0 Gold Coast October 27, 1956 Lagos Nigeria 9. Noquapor Patrick 2 goals Ghana 3-3 Nigeria October 27, 1957 Accra Ghana 10. Ijeoma Patrick Ghana 3-3 Nigeria October 27, 1957 Accra Ghana 11 Buraimoh Abudu – 2 Goals Nigeria 3-2 Ghana October 25, 1958 Lagos Nigeria 12 Onyali Elkana Nigeria 3-1 Ghana October 10, 1959 Lagos Nigeria 13. Ohiri Christopher Nigeria 3-1 Ghana October 10, 1959 Lagos Nigeria 14. Chukwumah Egwuonu Tunisia 2-2 Nigeria December 10, 1961 Tunis Tunisia 15 Egbuonu Johnny Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria January 1 1963 Yaoundé Cameroon 16 Uduemezie Chris Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria January 1 1963 Yaoundé Cameroon 17 Olatunji Lasisi Nigeria 2-2 Guinea July 27, 1963 Lagos Nigeria 18 Anieke Sunday Gabon 2-2 Nigeria August 28, 1965 Libreville Gabon 19. Mordi Bobo Gabon 2-2 Nigeria August 28, 1965 Libreville Gabon 20. Olowo-Oshodi Samsideen Nigeria 3-2 Congo DR November 5, 1966 Lagos Nigeria 21 Aghoghovbia Joe Nigeria 1-1 Cameroon December 7, 1968 Lagos Nigeria 22 Obianika Mathias – 2 Goals Nigeria 4-0 Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) November 27, 1971 Lagos Nigeria 23 Oyarekhua Sunny Nigeria 4-0 Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) November 27, 1971 Lagos Nigeria 24 Popoola Ben Nigeria 2-0 Côte d’Ivoire July 18, 1974 Lagos Nigeria 25. Ibeabuchi Ogidi Ghana 1-2 Nigeria August 21, 1974 Accra Ghana 26. Usiyen Thompson Kenya 1-1 Nigeria February 7, 1976 Nairobi Kenya 27. Godwin Iwelumo Nigeria 7-0 Benin February 14, 1977 Lagos Nigeria 28. Onwuachi Martins Benin 1-1 Nigeria October 14, 1978 Cotonou Benin 29. Boateng Leotis Nigeria 2-0 Tunisia July 12, 1980 Lagos Nigeria 30. Emmanuel Osigwe Nigeria 2-0 Tunisia July 12, 1980 Lagos Nigeria 31. Nwokocha Chris v Tanzania 0-2 Nigeria December 20, 1980 Dar-es-Salam Tanzania 32 Ali Bala Nigeria 1-0 Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) July 18, 1981 Lagos Nigeria 33 Adeshina Ademola Ethiopia 0-3 Nigeria March 7, 1982 Benghazi Libya 34 Omughele John v. Ghana Ghana 1-2 Nigeria October 30, 1983 Accra Ghana 35 Sadi Dahiru Nigeria 3-1 Kenya April 20, 1985 Lagos Nigeria 36. Balaraba Abubakar Guinea 1-1Nigeria April 9, 1989 Conakry Guinea 37 Adekola Adeolu v. Nigeria 3-0 Guinea April 22, 1989 Ibadan Nigeria 38 Oyekanmi Taju Nigeria 2-0 Cote d’Ivoire January 25, 1990 Kaduna Nigeria 39 Okechukwu Uche Nigeria 2-0 Côte d’Ivoire January 25, 1990 Kaduna Nigeria 40 Lawal Dimeji Nigeria 3-0 Togo August 18, 1990 Lagos Nigeria 41 Finidi George Nigeria 7-1 Burkina Faso Faso July 27, 1991 Lagos Nigeria 42. Taiwo Wasiu USA 3-2 Nigeria June 11, 1995 Boston USA 43. Fatusi Tesilimi Czech 2-1 Nigeria Dec, 11, 1996 Casablanca Morocco 44. Zeigbo Kenneth Cameroon 0-1 Nigeria August 7, 1997 Tunis Tunisia 45 Garba Ahmed Iran 0-1 Nigeria January 28, 1998 Hong Kong Hong Kong, China 46. Aghahowa, Julius Nigeria 2-0 Morocco February 3, 2000 Lagos Nigeria 47. Ishola Shuaibu Nigeria 3-2 Malawi June 4, 2000 Kano Nigeria 48. Agali Victor Nigeria 1-0 Zambia January 13, 2001 Lagos Nigeria 49. Opabunmi Femi Nigeria 3-0 Kenya May 4, 2002 Lagos Nigeria 50 Ogochukwu Ileagwu Senegal 2-2 Nigeria October 12, 2002 Dakar Senegal 51. Ogechukwu Uche Ghana 0-1 Nigeria December 15, 2002 Accra Ghana 52. Akwueme Emeka Nigeria 2-0 Jordan April 28, 2004 Lagos Nigeria 53. Martins Obafemi Ireland 0-3 Nigeria May 29, 2004 London Britain 54 Makinwa Ayodele South Africa 2-1 Nigeria Nov. 17, 2004 Johannesburg South Africa 55 Akabueze Chukwuma v. Kenya Kenya 0-1 Nigeria May 27, 2007 Nairobi Kenya 56. Peter Utaka v. Congo DR Nigeria 5-2 DR Congo March 3, 2010 Abuja Nigeria 57 Osas Idehen Nigeria 5-2 DR Congo March 3, 2010 Abuja Nigeria 58 Ehiosun Ekigho Nigeria 2-1 Sierra Leone February 9, 2011 Lagos Nigeria 59. Bryan Idowu. Argentina 2-4 Nigeria November 14, 2017 Krasnodar Russia 60 Joseph Aribo v. Ukraine Ukraine 2-2 Nigeria September 10, 2019 Dnipro Ukraine 61 Akor Jerome Adams Lesotho 1-2 Nigeria October 10, 2025 Polokwane South Africa
62 Femi Azeez Nigeria 1-0 Zimbabwe May 26, 2025 London
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