By Daily Sports on December 19, 2017
When Saturday Keigho Erimuya was named in the Nigerian under-23 football squad for last year’s Olympics games which held in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, members of his fan base in the Dumez-Upper Sakpoba road axis of Benin City were very excited. Just a few years back in 2013, that same area had seen Isaac Success of BJ Foundation become an international star as he zoomed into the National Golden Eaglets team and subsequently won the cadet World Cup.
Not long after, Success was signing for Granada of the Spanish La Liga. It left the people of his residential community, as well as the whole country feeling proud.
The Upper Sakpoba and Dumez communities were expecting a similar seamless transition for classy defender Erimuya after reports emerged late last year that he had signed for Spanish Second Division outfit Cadiz.
But it wasn’t to be. There were contractual disagreements involved in his move and this delayed his professional career for about a year. It was tough to take for the young lad personally and his family members.
The ordeal has however ended now as Erimuya has just penned a five-year deal with Cadiz. He’s reportedly going to be resuming with the B side of the club in January after a successful medical with the club.
It is so much a relief to see that Saturday has been able to restart his football career proper. One man who is particularly happy is the younger brother of the player, Terry Erimuya. He says: “It’s a great Christmas present for me and my family. I’m so happy and relieved that my brother is now able to play in Europe.”
A renowned football scout Tayo Adeleke praised Erimuya’s spirit while his ordeal of not playing in Europe lasted. “Credit to Keigho. He kept his head and continued training hard. He’s a very humble boy and that humility is one very important quality that has helped him to keep his focus and not rest on his past glories.”
The grassroots coach of Erimuya, Douglas Idahosa of Brain City-based BJ Foundation, who was recently honoured as Grassroots Sports Developer of the Year 2017 by the Nigerian Award for Sporting Excellence, took to social media to say he’s proud of his protégé’s move. Idahosa has every reason to be proud as Erimuya becomes the latest in a growing line of his former players who have gone on to the professional level of football. Other ex-players of his who are now established players in Europe include Chelsea’s Victor Moses and Super Eagles Vice Captain Elderson Echiejile, as well as Vitoria Setubal’s Mikel Agu, among others.
Source Daily Sports
Posted December 19, 2017
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