By Wale Mustapha
Slovenian top-flight club NK Celje have confirmed the signing of talented Nigerian midfielder Papa Daniel from Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side Niger Tornadoes.
The 23-year-old defensive midfielder has signed a three-year contract that will keep him at the club until June 30, 2028. Celje announced the transfer in an official statement released on Wednesday.
“Celje Football Club announces that it has reached an agreement with the Nigerian Premier League club Niger Tornadoes for the transfer of defensive midfielder Papa Daniel,” the statement read. “Papa, welcome to Celje!”
Daniel has been a consistent performer for Niger Tornadoes over the past two NPFL seasons and was instrumental in the club’s strong showings in midfield.
He also featured prominently in Nigeria’s qualification campaign for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), playing a key role in the home-based Super Eagles’ 3–1 aggregate victory over Ghana.
However, he was omitted from the final squad following confirmation of his move to Europe.
Daniel becomes one of the few NPFL exports to make the move to the Slovenian PrvaLiga, as Nigerian talents continue to gain recognition on the European stage.
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.
