By Dayo Awoniyi
Tunisian Ligue 2 side Avenir de La Marsa have bolstered their squad with the signings of Nigerian players Philipe Onjongwa and Kalu Godwin, following the duo’s unsuccessful trials with top-tier club Étoile du Sahel.
Godwin, a midfielder, joins from Israel’s second division, where he played for Hapoel Raanana last season. Onjongwa arrives from Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side Abia Warriors, adding depth to the club’s midfield options.
Both players had initially targeted moves to Ligue 1 giants Étoile du Sahel but were not offered contracts after trial periods.
Despite the setback, the pair have secured deals with Avenir de La Marsa, who are undergoing a squad rebuild ahead of the new season. The club also confirmed the signing of Ivorian forward Ricky Hans as part of their recruitment drive.
The management at La Marsa views the new additions as key components in their push for promotion to the Tunisian top flight.
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.
