From an aspiring Young player to a League winner and eventual sojourner who these days laces his boots for FC Cincinnati in the MLS, the club career of Obinna Nwobodo has been nothing short of see saw.
Once a budding talent and among the best U20 players on the continent, Nwobodo was an exciting prospect.
A midfielder with the ability to play on the flank as an inverted winger. Early on, He also mastered the regista role even before he was established as Enugu Rangers’ virtuoso, go to man.
The sheer capability of the youngster at the time attracted interests, but his choice of Ùjpest FC we as puzzling.
He would go on to spend three full seasons in the Hungarian top flight
– he left at the beginning of the 2020/21 campaign – where he made 144 league appearances with 37 goals involvement (12 goals, 33 assists).
Another stop in Turkey with Goztepe, saw he spend two years, and on the verge of a Men’s NT consideration.
However, those hopes were dashed and the player was overlooked for others in more visible leagues and importantly, who were higher up the pecking order in the most competitive department of the team.
The move to the MLS can only be viewed as a chance at establishing financial security, Nwobodo signed a two-year deal with the option of another year.
So far with FC Cincinnati, he has made six league appearances as the team hopes to finish in the Eastern Conference playoff spot.
However, back to back defeats to New England Revolution (2-3) and Ibrahim Sunusi’s Montreal Impact (4-3) means they’re barely hanging on to 6th spot with three points separating them from the 8th and 11th placed teams.
At 25, the career decision to leave Europe for North America may appear ill-advised from a football perspective, but for a player of his qualities, it could just be the move that propels him on to bigger things.
