Osaze Odemwingie is one of the most complete Super Eagles forwards in recent history. Osaze had it all, from pace, power, skills, and composure in front of the goal. If Osaze had played in the current era of football, he would have been a great asset for any manager because he could play as a traditional winger on both flanks and be used as an inside forward or a false 9.
He was one of the fans’ favorites during his time with the national team. His commitment to the Super Eagles was unwavering, and he is fondly remembered for scoring the goal that gave the Super Eagles their first win at the World Cup since 1998 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
He was one of the few players of Nigerian descent who opted to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria early enough before the likes of Victor Moses, Williams Troost-Ekong, Leon Aderemi Balogun, Alex Iwobi, among a list of others, followed suit.
Odemwingie has since retired from football but has taken up other endeavors. First, he is a devout Christian as he uses his social media channels to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Recently, Osaze Odemwingie completed the PGA course in golf, and he is now a professional golfer.
This post takes a look at the background of Osaze Odemwingie, his first contact with football, his career in the Super Eagles and Europe, net worth, relationship status, social media presence, his golf career, among other aspects of his life.
Osaze Odemwingie Background
Peter Osaze Odemwingie, the former Super Eagles winger, was born in Tashkent, also known as Toshkent, the largest city and capital of Uzbekistan,n to a Nigerian father and Russian Tatar mother on 15 July 1981. His parents were both medical students, and he grew up in the capital before he and his parents relocated to Nigeria when he was just two years old. Odemwingie went back to Russia to complete his secondary education before returning to Nigeria to start his professional career as a footballer. It is interesting to know that Osaze Odemwingie played for a Nigeria Premier Football League side before moving to Europe.
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How old is Osaze Odemwingie?
Osaze Odemwingie is currently 43 years old. He was born on the 15th of July 1981.
Osaze Odemwingie’s height?
Odemwingie is 6ft and 0 inches tall. He used his height to great effect in offense and defense for the national team and the club sides he played for.
Career
Osaze Odemwingie started his career at AS Racines of Lagos at the age of 17 on his return to Nigeria. Chief Emmanuel Ibru, Chairman of the club, discovered Osaze and gave him his first shot at football in the county before he joined Bendel Insurance. While living in Russia, Odemwingie played for youth teams of two Russian clubs, Kamaz and CSKA Moscow, before moving back to Nigeria.
Odemwingie scored 19 goals in 53 matches for Bendel Insurance between 2000 and 2002 before moving to Europe. He had an unsuccessful trial at Anderlecht but later signed for La Louvière and won the Belgian Cup with the club in his first season. He also helped the club qualify for the UEFA Cup that season and scored against Benfica.
His impressive display at La Louvière attracted the attention of Lille, and the Ligue 1 side beat other clubs in Europe to get the services of the Super Eagles winger. Osaze scored 26 goals in 100 matches for Lille in his three-year stints at the club.
Lokomotiv Moscow
Osaze Odemwingie returned to Russia in the summer of 2007 and put pen to paper for Lokomotiv Moscow for a fee reported to be in the region of $14 million. He was one of the most important players for the club during his stay in the Russian capital and contributed 23 goals in 80 matches.
Bitter-Sweet Experience at Westbrom
His time at Lokomotiv Moscow came to an end when Westbrom signed him for an undisclosed fee in August 2010. Osaze scored on his debut as he grabbed the winner in the 81st minute against Sunderland. He went on to score in the 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium five days later. Odemwingie had a fantastic debut season for Westbrom as he finished the 2010/2011 season as the club’s top Premier League scorer with 15 goals and two Player of the Month Awards. He is the first Westbrom player to score in four consecutive Premier League matches – a feat he achieved in his first season at the club.
Osaze’s first two years at Westbrom were amazing as he helped the club maintain Premier League status and scored a handful of goals, which earned him his third Premier League Player of the Year Award for February 2012 after he scored his first Premier League hat-trick and a brace against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland, respectively.
Unfortunately, Osaze Odemwingie’s last season at Westbrom ended on a bitter note. He accused the club of “reaching into his pocket” in a lengthy rant on his Twitter page while expressing his desire to move elsewhere. The backlash between him and Westbrom reached its height after Odemwingie tried to force a move to Queens Park Rangers during the January transfer window of 2013. Osaze left Westbrom and parked in front QPR stadium with the hope of signing for the club. Even though Harry Redknapp wanted to sign Osaze, Westbrom and QPR could not reach an agreement before the close of the window.
Osaze Odemwingie returned to Westbrom and was criticised by the then club chairman Jeremy Peace for his “unprofessional behavior” despite being under contract. Odemwingie faced disciplinary action but continued to play under Steve Clarke but mainly as a substitute until he left at the end of the season. Osaze left Westbrom remains the club’s top scorer in the Premier League with 30 goals.
Odemwingie went on to play for Cardiff City, Stoke City, Rotherham United, Bristol City (loan), and Madura United in the Indonesian League, where he scored 15 goals in 23 matches before he announced his retirement from professional football in 2019.
Osaze Odemwingie Super Eagles Bromance
Odemwingie made his debut for the Super Eagles as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Kenya in a friendly match in 2002. He scored his first goal for Nigeria against Angola in a 2004 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Angola. Osaze Odemwingie bagged a brace in the 4-0 win over South Africa in the group stage of the tournament. He also scored in the third-place match as Nigeria beat Mali 2-1. Odemwingie also represented Nigeria at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2008 Olympic Games in China as one of the overaged players as the Dream Team won Silver.
Osaze Odemwingie captained Nigeria to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, where the team finished third again. Osaze openly criticized Shuaibu Amodu’s tactics, which led to the semi-final loss against Ghana. Nevertheless, Odemwingie was named in the tournament’s best eleven.
At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Odemwingie played the first two matches against Greece and Argentina but was benched in the final match against South Korea. Osaze went on to criticize the Swedish coach publicly.
Odemwingie would have been part of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations triumphant squad, but a reported rift between him and late Super Eagles coach Steven Keshi led to his omission from the squad. However, he reconciled with Keshi and made the trip to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where his goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina helped the Super Eagles record their first win at the FIFA World Cup for the first time since France 1998.
Osaze Odemwingie Achievements
La Louvière
- Belgian Cup: 2002–03
Nigeria
- Summer Olympics silver medal: 2008
- Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2004, 2006, 2010
Individual
- Premier League Player of the Month: September 2010, April 2011, February 2012
Net Worth
Osaze Odemwingie’s net worth is estimated to be in the region of $5m as of 2023. He made most of his earnings during his active days playing for Premier League sides and the other teams he played for. Odemwingie lives a very modest life.
Osaze Odemwingie Golf.
Odemwingie started playing golf in 2019 but graduated from the Professional Golfers Association school in June 2024. He says his dream is to see Nigeria participate in the sport on the European or PGA tour. He added that he would love to introduce Nigerians to the sport and see them participate in the Olympics.
“One of my dreams is to see a Nigerian Flag on the European Tour or PGA Tour.”
“Hopefully, my story will encourage people to start participating, encourage parents to take their kids, and give them a feel of golf. I’m sure many of them will fall in love with the game just like I did.”
“If I cannot play as a golfer, I can at least be in the team of a golfer who will play there,” he told BBC Sport Africa.”
“I want to introduce people to the game and build a generation of golfers, from Nigeria in particular, that will participate in the Olympics.”
Is Osaze Odemwingie married?
Odemwingie is married to Sarah Fallon. They got married on 26 May 2012 at a church in Northampton after two years of dating. Osaze Odemwingie and his wife have two sons and a daughter. The names of his sons are Noah and Theo. He revealed that he will encourage his children to play football in an interview with Premium Times in 2020. He also applauded the level of talent in the country despite not having proper football academies like the Europeans.
“I will encourage them. Even though they have different roots, British, Russian, Nigerian, but I am encouraging them and preparing their minds towards representing Nigeria.”
“The true passion of Nigerian fans, it’s not something you learn, you are born with it. It’s a raw talents in Nigeria and if you look at performance of players like Taribo West, Sunday Oliseh or Taye Taiwo, their performance is not something you learn, we don’t really have such academies like we have in Europe, but the players still come out with their raw talents, that’s why I enjoyed a lot my time in the Super Eagles because of the talents in the team.”
Social Media
Osaze Odemwingie is Instagram as @Odemwingie1981.
The former Super Eagles winger shares scriptural passages, his golf practice videos, pictures of his children, and videos of him playing the guitar.
Osaze Odemwingie’s career is undeniably enviable. Although he didn’t win many laurels, he was nevertheless an absolute delight for both the Super Eagles and the clubs he represented. Moreover, he stood out as a dynamic winger, skillfully operating across the forward line with remarkable aplomb. After hanging up his boots, he successfully transitioned into another sport. In addition, he has been actively using his online platforms to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, passionately embracing his role as a devout Christian.
