Over the years, talents have popped up on the Nigerian football scene, showed promise and went on to achieve success in their various careers.
Worthy of mention are the likes of Nwankwo Kanu, Celestine Babayaro, Sunday Oliseh, Daniel Amokachi, Victor Osimhen, Emmanuel Amuneke, Victor Ikpeba, John Obi Mikel etc.
These players helped Nigeria win the Africa Cup of Nations, Olympic football gold medal and also claimed league titles in top foreign clubs.
Some of them went as far as being crowned CAF Player of the Year. Among them are Kanu, Amuneke, Ikpeba and most recently, Victor Osimhen.
Unfortunately, it has not always been all rosy as there have also been others who emerged on the scene with a bang but fizzled out.
In this piece, The Guardian lists 10 Nigerian talents who showed promise but failed to live up to the hypes and expectations of football fans.
ETIM ESIN:
Regarded as one of the most talented player to ever come out of Nigeria Etim Esin, unfortunately, never lived up to the promise he showed in the early part of his career no thanks to off field issues.
The hopes of millions of Nigerians was heaped Esin’s young shoulders as Nigeria’s Flying Eagles prepared for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile in 1987.
Unfortunately, after leaving camp, he was shot by armed robbers in Surulere, Lagos, but recovered in time to make the Flying Eagles squad for the World Cup whose campaign ended in disaster, as they crashed out in the group stage.
“I think the distraction from my gunshot and my inclusion in the team affected us because no one expected me to recover on time and also be able to make the team,” he said in a 2016 interview with The Cable.
“My making the team was a very big distraction for the others. We had one of he best squads
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