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Name: Chidozie Awaziem

Position: Center Back

Age: 28

Club: Colorado Rapids

At 28 years old, Chidozie Awaziem has done it all. He was still a minor when he left Nigeria behind for Europe, starting his career off with Porto before bouncing around on loan from Nantes to Çaykur Rizespor to Leganés. He eventually went to Porto’s other club, Boavista, where he didn’t last long before heading out on loan spells at Alanyaspor and Hajduk Split.

After spending time in Portugal, France, Turkey, Spain, and Croatia, Awaziem decided to head across the Atlantic in July 2024, joining MLS side FC Cincinnati. He enjoyed a seamless transition to life in the United States, providing stability and composure in central defense.

He has the positional awareness and anticipation to read the game and intercept passes before it can cut through the backline, whilst he also showcased plenty of value in possession. Awaziem’s calmness and composure enabled him to hit diagonal passes and pick out players in advanced positions, having registered three assists for Cincy. 

After a couple of months in Ohio, he was traded to the Colorado Rapids in December alongside Ian Murphy in exchange for $1 million plus add-ons up to $200,000 in performance incentives. So far, Murphy and Awaziem have been Colorado’s go-to pairing in central defense, starting in each of their first four matches.

Name: Obinna Nwobodo

Age: 28

Position: Midfielder

Club: FC Cincinnati

Unlike Awaziem, Obinna Nwobodo is staying put in Ohio. He began his career at Enugu Rangers, where he emerged as a key figure in central midfield and helped them end their 32-year wait for their seventh league title.

He excelled in distributing the ball from deeper areas and picking out teammates in dangerous areas, whilst he also contributed 7 goals and 10 assists in his first top-flight season, including a lofted chip shot from 40 yards out.

He left Nigeria in 2017 and made the move to Europe, plying his trade at Hungarian side Újpest and Turkish outfit Göztepe, before joining Cincinnati as a Designated Player. At the time of his signing, he ranked first in the Turkish Süper Lig in tackles (121), ball recoveries (432), and pressures (772). Nwobodo became a vital figure in midfield for the Orange and Blue, helping Cincinnati achieve the best regular-season record in MLS and consequently win the Supporters’ Shield.

Similarly to his compatriots John Obi Mikel and Wilfred Ndidi, Nwobodo is a tough-tackling defensive midfielder who helps the team accelerate from back to front. His physicality and timing allow him to win the ball back and facilitate counter-attacks without giving away a dangerous foul, and he’s also capable of carrying the ball up the pitch and dishing it out to his teammates in the final third.

Name: Sunusi Ibrahim

Age: 22

Position: Forward

Club: CF Montréal

You’d be hard-pressed to find an MLS team with a greater West African influence than CF Montrèal. Between Prince-Osei Owusu (born in Germany to Ghanaian parents), Ghanaian forward Kwadwo Opoku and Nigerian defender Michael Adedokun (yet to make his debut), Montrèal are teeming with African talents. Another African who’s making his mark is Sunusi Ibrahim.

Born in Keffi, Nigeria, Ibrahim developed at FC Basira’s academy before joining Nigerian Professional Football League side Nasarawa United. He won the Golden Boot with 10 goals in 22 matches before heading to Lagos-based 36 Lion, where he continued his impressive form. In January 2021, he made the move to Montrèal. Although it took him 19 matches to score his first goal, he has gradually become a key figure for CFM alongside Caden Clark, Bryce Duke and Owusu.

At 22 years old, Ibrahim has already scored 20 goals and 5 assists in 97 appearances for Montrèal and emerged as a fan favorite in Canada, and he looks set to play a pivotal role in attack alongside Clark. So far, he’s only played once for the Super Eagles – a friendly against Mexico in July 2021 – but if he can continue building on his impressive form, it’ll only be a matter of time before he makes his competitive debut.

Name: William Agada

Age: 25

Position: Forward

Club: Sporting Kansas City

One of the original 12 founding members of MLS, Sporting Kansas City has been able to boast a wide range of talented coaches like Peter Vermes and Nikola Popović in their all-encompassing setup, in addition to a number of scintillating footballers like Predrag Radosavljević and Graham Zusi. Yet another Sporting KC player who’s making a name for himself is William Agada.

Having developed with the Mighty Jets, Agada left Nigeria for Israel at the age of 18, bouncing around from Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem to Maccabi Tel Aviv to Hapoel Haifa. In 2021/22, Agada finished as Hapoel Jerusalem’s top scorer with 8 goals and helped them stay up in the Israeli Premier League. This attracted the interest of Sporting Kansas City, who signed him in 2022.

Agada quickly established himself as the club’s attacking talisman, combining a first-rate goal-scoring instinct with an impressive ball retention. His superb ball striking and ability to pop up at the right place at the right team has seen him average a goal every three games (24 goals in 72 appearances). He doesn’t need a ton of chances to capitalize and test the goalkeeper with a superb effort, and at 25, he’s only getting better.

Name: Ibrahim Aliyu

Age: 23

Position: Winger

Club: Houston Dynamo

The Houston metropolitan area boasts the highest amount of Nigerian expats outside of New York City. Thousands of Nigerians have immigrated to Houston in search of work opportunities and a top-notch college education, and now, they have a fellow Nigerian to cheer for in MLS.

Born in Kano, Nigeria, Ibrahim Aliyu made the move to Croatian side NK Lokomotiva Zagreb in January 2020, where he would spend the next three years before joining Houston for 

€2.1 million. It’s been money well spent for Houston, with Aliyu helping them win the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in his debut campaign and reach the Western Conference Final. The following year, Houston reached the MLS Cup Playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2013, whilst they also set club records for points (54) and road wins (8).

Aliyu has the footwork and ball control to maneuver tight spaces, link up with teammates, and make piercing runs into the box. He finished as the club’s joint-top scorer in 2024 with 6 goals in all competitions, but even when he isn’t finding the back of the net, he’s still finding a way to impact the game with his relentless pressing and impressive dribbling skills.

Name: Alhassan Yusuf

Age: 24

Position: Midfielder

Club: New England Revolution

After a torrid season that saw them finish with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, the New England Revolution are keen to return to the postseason, and they’ll be counting on Alhassan Yusuf to step up and deliver the goods in the center of the pitch.

Born in Kano, Yusuf headed to Sweden shortly after turning 18, where he was named the Allsvenskan Newcomer of 2019 and helped IFK Göteborg win the 2019/20 Svenska Cupen. After three years in Scandinavia, Yusuf made the move to Belgium in 2021 and joined Royal Antwerp.

It didn’t take long for him to establish himself as a vital figure for the Great Old, helping them claim their first league title in 66 years. He continued to build on his impressive form and even participated in Nigeria’s run to last year’s AFCON Final – six years after that crushing defeat, he joined New England for a fee north of $2 million.

Yusuf is a modern defensive midfielder who is more than capable of breaking the lines with his long strides and potent dribbling skills. He’s skilled at picking out gaps in the defense and cutting the opposition apart with an inch-perfect through ball, helping to launch his teammates with a high-risk, high-reward pass into the final third. Yusuf also chips in in terms of tracking back and recovering the ball, but it’s clear that his passing are his bread and butter.