{"id":862478,"date":"2025-07-14T21:12:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T02:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/14\/we-are-interested-forgotten-super-eagles-star-set-for-shock-return-to-europe-with-cypriot-champions\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T21:12:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T02:12:51","slug":"we-are-interested-forgotten-super-eagles-star-set-for-shock-return-to-europe-with-cypriot-champions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/14\/we-are-interested-forgotten-super-eagles-star-set-for-shock-return-to-europe-with-cypriot-champions\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWe are interested\u201d \u2013 Forgotten Super Eagles star set for shock return to Europe with Cypriot champions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Soccer <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Super Eagles defender <a href=\"https:\/\/Soccernet.ng\/tag\/Awaziem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chidozie Awaziem<\/a> could be on the move again, with Cypriot champions Pafos FC publicly declaring their interest in signing the experienced Nigerian centre-back, <a href=\"https:\/\/Soccernet.ng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Soccernet.ng<\/a> reports<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Currently plying his trade in the United States with Colorado Rapids, the 28-year-old is being closely monitored by Pafos as they prepare for their maiden campaign in the UEFA Champions League.<\/p>\n<p>The club&#8217;s press officer, Christoforos Mattheou, <a href=\"https:\/\/sportime.sigmalive.com\/podosfairo\/kypros\/a-katigoria\/503579_ta-posa-poy-grafontai-gia-ivoysits-den-einai-makria-ap-tin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">confirmed the interest,<\/a> stating:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cHe (Awaziem) is also a player being considered by the planning committee. It is a difficult case, but we are indeed interested.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_151118\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151118\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/app\/uploads\/2025\/02\/imago1042650938-750x500.jpg\" alt=\"Soccer Nigeria Super Eagles and Colorado Rapids defender Chidozie Awaziem. Photo by IMAGO\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\"  ><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-151118\">Nigeria Super Eagles and Colorado Rapids defender Chidozie Awaziem. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Awaziem has already enjoyed a globetrotting career, having previously featured in Portugal, France, Spain, Turkey, and Croatia.<\/p>\n<p>His European pedigree, which includes spells at FC Porto, <a href=\"https:\/\/Soccernet.ng\/tag\/Nantes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nantes<\/a>, Leganes, and Hajduk Split, makes him an attractive target for a Pafos side eager to bolster their defence ahead of a demanding continental campaign.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_151116\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151116\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/app\/uploads\/2025\/02\/imago1039548468-750x499.jpg\" alt=\"Soccer Nigeria Super Eagles and Colorado Rapids defender Chidozie Awaziem. Photo by IMAGO\" width=\"750\" height=\"499\"  ><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-151116\">Nigeria Super Eagles and Colorado Rapids defender Chidozie Awaziem. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Get Our Sports News First \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VagMHLcA89MZvw0Btc21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!<\/a><\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/Soccernet.ng\/tag\/Nigeria\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nigerian<\/a> defender only joined Colorado Rapids in December 2024, signing a one-year deal with an option to extend until 2027. Prior to that, he spent a brief spell at FC Cincinnati, where he made 14 appearances and provided three assists.<\/p>\n<p>So far in the 2025 MLS season, Awaziem has featured 19 times for the Rapids, contributing a solitary assist but also delivering a number of solid defensive performances. His impact in the backline has not gone unnoticed, with Pafos now leading the chase for his signature.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_151113\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151113\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/app\/uploads\/2025\/02\/imago1014049193-750x500.jpg\" alt=\"Soccer Nigeria Super Eagles star Chidozie Awaziem. \" width=\"750\" height=\"500\"  ><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-151113\">Nigeria Super Eagles star Chidozie Awaziem. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Awaziem\u2019s move to Europe, should it materialise, would see him join a Pafos side riding high after a historic season.<\/p>\n<p>The club, founded just over a decade ago in 2014, won their first-ever Cypriot First Division title and reached the Round of 16 in the UEFA Conference League, edging out AC Omonia 3\u20132 on aggregate. That encounter was the first all-Cypriot meeting in European competition history.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_151112\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151112\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/app\/uploads\/2025\/02\/imago1013942931-750x500.jpg\" alt=\"Soccer Nigeria Super Eagles star Chidozie Awaziem \" width=\"750\" height=\"500\"  ><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-151112\">Nigeria Super Eagles star Chidozie Awaziem. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Keen to make a statement in the Champions League, Pafos see Awaziem\u2019s blend of experience, physicality, and versatility as essential to their European project.<\/p>\n<p>The Nigerian has earned over 30 international caps and was part of Nigeria&#8217;s squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, as well as the 2019 and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He made his international debut in 2017 against Togo, a year after being invited for friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg.<\/p>\n<p>Despite his strong CV, Awaziem has yet to receive a call-up under new <a href=\"https:\/\/Soccernet.ng\/tag\/Super-Eagles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Super Eagles<\/a> head coach <a href=\"https:\/\/Soccernet.ng\/tag\/Chelle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eric Chelle<\/a>, who has overseen five matches since taking the reins.<\/p>\n<p>Still, his future at international level remains open \u2014 and a strong European campaign could yet re-establish him in the national team frame. For now, though, all eyes are on whether Pafos can pull off the move.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/2025\/07\/super-eagles-europe-cypriot.html\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a>Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Soccer Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem could be on the move again, with Cypriot champions Pafos FC publicly declaring their interest in signing the experienced Nigerian centre-back, Soccernet.ng reports. Currently plying his trade in the United States with Colorado Rapids, the 28-year-old is being closely monitored by Pafos as they prepare for their maiden campaign [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":862479,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30232,39587,2005],"tags":[43884,12938],"class_list":{"0":"post-862478","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-interested","8":"category-we","9":"category-soccer","10":"tag-we","11":"tag-interested"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=862478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862478\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/862479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=862478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=862478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=862478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}