By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian defender Chidozie Awaziem is close to finalizing a transfer from Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids to French Ligue 1 club Nantes on a three-year contract worth approximately €1 million.
The 28-year-old center-back has reached an agreement with Colorado Rapids after a brief six-month stint in the United States following his departure from Portuguese club Boavista.
This move marks Awaziem’s return to Nantes, where he spent a loan season in 2017/2018 while contracted to FC Porto. A previous attempt to join Nantes in 2022 collapsed due to unresolved terms between the French side and Boavista.
Known as a journeyman defender, Awaziem has played for multiple clubs across Europe and beyond, including Rizespor, Leganés, Alanyaspor, Hajduk Split, Cincinnati, and Boavista.
Internationally, Awaziem has earned 33 caps for the Nigerian Super Eagles, scoring once.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
