We have to dig into the memories of Nantes to find traces of Chidozie Awaziem. Like Jean-Charles Castelletto this year, he was the only Canarian representative at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He had played the competition in Nigerian colours, but hadn’t played a single minute. Today in Hadjuk Split (Croatia), he remains to this day the last Nantes player to have played at this international level.
A painting under Conceicao.
During the 2017-2018 season, the young Nigerian defender (20 years old at the time) convinced the observers. He was then loaned out for a year by FC Porto, with a purchase option (12 million) that the canaries had not activated. After a match won by the FCN against Monaco (1-0), Valentin Rongier had sued, for Ouest-France, a player “very complete, very tough in the duel and very intelligent”.
Four years earlier it was Alejandro Bedoya, whose fame is second to none, who represented the Yellow House at the Brazilian World Cup. With the United States national team he had reached the second round and had failed against Belgium (2-1p). Bedoya, unlike Awaziem, had played in all four matches.
