Chidozie Collins Awaziem MON, born on January 1, 1997, is a Nigerian professional footballer currently playing as a central defender for Hajduk Split in Croatia on loan from Boavista, a club in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
He is 27 years old and was born in Enugu, Nigeria. Standing tall at 1.92 meters (6 feet 4 inches), Awaziem is known for his strong defensive skills.
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Chidozie Awaziem Club Career:
In 2014, Chidozie Awaziem joined FC Porto, one of the biggest football clubs in Portugal. He spent his last year as a junior player there and helped his team win the league title.
Awaziem made his senior debut with Porto’s B team in the Segunda Liga, which is the second division of Portuguese football.
On January 27, 2016, at just 19 years old, Awaziem played his first game for Porto’s senior team. He played the whole match, which was a 2–0 loss against C.D. Feirense in the Taça da Liga, a Portuguese cup competition.
His first appearance in the Primeira Liga, Portugal’s top football league, was on February 12, 2016. He started the match and helped Porto to a 2–1 win against S.L. Benfica, one of their biggest rivals.
Awaziem got the chance to play because many of Porto’s regular defenders were injured. In the 2017–18 season, Awaziem was loaned to FC Nantes, a French club.
His first match in Ligue 1, the top French football league, was on August 6, 2017. He came on as a substitute in the 74th minute during a 3–0 loss to Lille OSC.
In January 2019, Awaziem was loaned to Çaykur Rizespor, a Turkish club, for the rest of the season. Later that year, on August 15, he moved on loan again, this time to CD Leganés, a club in Spain’s La Liga.
Awaziem returned to Portugal for the 2020–21 season, signing a temporary deal with Boavista F.C., another club in Porto.
This deal included a commitment for Boavista to sign him permanently for four years on June 30, 2021. However, on September 8, 2021, Awaziem was loaned out again, this time to Alanyaspor in Turkey’s Süper Lig.
Most recently, on August 1, 2022, Awaziem was loaned to HNK Hajduk Split, a club in Croatia. This deal included an option for Hajduk Split to make the move permanent at the end of the season.
Chidozie Awaziem International Career:
Chidozie Awaziem started his international career with the Nigerian national football team when he was just 19 years old.
He got his first call-up for friendly matches against Mali and Luxembourg on 27 and 31 May 2016. Awaziem made his senior debut for Nigeria on 1 June 2017 in a friendly game against Togo, where Nigeria won 3-0.
In 2018, Awaziem was part of Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the FIFA World Cup held in Russia. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to play in any of the matches, and Nigeria was eliminated in the group stage.
Despite this setback, Awaziem continued to be a key player for Nigeria. He was also selected for the Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in 2019 and 2021.
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Chidozie Awaziem Market Value:
Chidozie Awaziem’s market value has seen some changes over the years. Currently, his market value stands at €3.00 million. This is the latest update as of June 6, 2024. At one point in his career, Chidozie’s market value was much higher.
The highest value recorded for him was €6.00 million, which was on March 20, 2018. This shows that while his value has decreased since then, he is still considered a valuable player in the market.
Chidozie Awaziem Honours:
Porto B
- Secured the LigaPro Title: 2015–16
Porto
- Triumphed in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2018
Hajduk
- Victorious in the Croatian Football Cup: 2022–23
Nigeria
- Finished as Africa Cup of Nations Runner-up: 2023
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