This article highlights five former Super Eagles players whose sons also play football for professional clubs and youth teams

By Efosa Taiwo

Football in Nigeria has given us spectacular players who, with their skills, have immortalized their names in the history books of the country’s most popular sport.

Read Also: DANGOTE: If we knew the magnitude of what we were going into, we would have . . .

Some of these players have not only left legacies with their skills but also have their sons following in their footsteps to become footballers.

This article highlights five former Super Eagles players whose sons play football for professional clubs and youth teams:

Wesley Okoduwa

Wesley Okoduwa is carrying on the legacy of his father, former Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Okoduwa. The promising 15-year-old wingback could make his Premier League debut for Wolves this coming season after being on the bench against Newcastle and Arsenal last season.

He is the third son of Emmanuel Okoduwa, who made a name for himself with the U23s at the 2003 African Games hosted by Nigeria.

Wesley has seven England U16 caps, including featuring against Belgium at the recent UEFA Development Tournament in Spain. In February, he was part of the England U16s who won the Football Federation Cup. Besides holding British citizenship, he also has an American passport as he was born in the USA. He is eligible to play for Nigeria as well.

Godswill Enyeama

Vincent Enyeama, the former Super Eagles goalkeeper, recently celebrated his son’s promotion to Lille’s U-18 squad. The young Enyeama has been promoted ahead of the new season, continuing the family tradition of excellence in goalkeeping.

Daniel Aiyenugba

Daniel Aiyenugba, son of former Super Eagles goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba, is also a goalkeeper like his father. He plays for Beyond Limits Football Academy. Both father and son started their football careers at a young age; Dele began amateur goalkeeping with Kwara Stars in 1998 at the age of 15, while Daniel started making headlines in 2021 at just 12 years old. In August 2023, both players met when their teams, Kwara United and Beyond Limits, clashed in a pre-season tournament.

Kevin Martins

Kevin Martins is the son of former Super Eagles striker Obafemi Martins. Obafemi made 42 appearances for the Super Eagles and scored 19 goals. He also featured for top clubs like Inter Milan and Newcastle United. Kevin, a 19-year-old forward, currently plays for Monza in Italy, aiming to make his mark in European football.

Reuben Shakpoke

Reuben Shakpoke is the son of former Super Eagles defender Jero Shakpoke. During his playing days, Jero made six appearances for the Nigerian national team and played for several clubs in Europe, including Nice, Reggiana, and Bologna. Reuben started his professional journey at Norwich City at the age of 11 before moving to Aston Villa at 16. The forward has also been called up to train with the Young Lions in the past and has featured for Aston Villa’s youth teams.

Vanguard News