6 Nigerian players in the Bundesliga, the first top league back

Competitive football is finally back. And Germany’s top tier football league, otherwise known as the Bundesliga, is setting an example.

In play since 16th May, the Bundesliga is Europe’s first major football league to bounce back following a long break caused by coronavirus.

As it stands, this Bundesliga campaign is scheduled to finish by 27th June — giving us a few more weeks of competition, and a chance to enjoy online sports betting once again.

Better still: there’s an impressive representation of Nigerian players in Europe, and especially in Germany’s top tier. So who are these home-grown players to watch? And what are the most popular bets in Nigeria? Online sports betting site betPawa gave us a rundown...

Nigerian players in the Bundesliga

Nigerians have been involved in the Bundesliga for a long time. Indeed, some of Nigeria’s best ever players we’ve ever seen have excelled in German clubs.

Jay-Jay Okocha — arguably Nigeria’s greatest player of all time — spent six years playing in Germany. During his four years and 90 appearances with Eintracht Frankfurt, he scored 16 goals.

Another prominent Nigerian player, former Super Eagles captain and midfield enforcer, Sunday Oliseh, represented FC Koln, Bochum and, most famously, Borussia Dortmund.

When you consider these players’ popularity, it’s easy to see why Nigerian football fans have long held an active interest in the Bundesliga.

Fast forward to today, and we’re seeing an even bigger influx of young Nigerian football players across Germany. These guys below are six to look out for.

Paderborn defender Jamilu Collins

Every Nigerian football fan has heard of Jamilu Collins.

Playing as a left back for Bundesliga strugglers Paderborn, Collins is probably the Bundesliga’s best current Nigerian player — in terms of stats and overall performance.

Sure, his team may be sitting bottom of the Bundesliga table, a sure candidate for relegation. However, fans appreciate Collins for his incredible tackling and interception skills. And as someone who should have a future at this level next season even if his team are demoted.

The Kaduna-born, 25-year-old defender has played 26 Bundesliga games for his team this season, all as starts. That’s more than every other Nigerian in the league. He’s even contributed a goal and two assists to his team’s tally.

Defensively, Collins has earned five clean sheets, two of them since action restarted, and averages 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game. He’s received only seven yellow cards throughout 2019/20 too, not bad for a frequent starter representing a struggling side. It’s no surprise he’s top of our list.

Union Berlin forward Anthony Ujah

Ujah has certainly earned his title as a Bundesliga veteran. At 29 years old, he’s been playing in Germany since 2011 (albeit with a brief hiatus to China in 2016/17).

Currently signed to Union Berlin, Ujah has also played for established Bundesliga sides like Werder Bremen and Mainz, and spent three years playing for FC Koln.

Ujah is an unstoppable striker, when he wants to be, reaching double figures twice before as a Bundesliga frontman. But unfortunately, this hasn’t been one of his most impactful campaigns.

As a result, Ujah is often used as a substitute. He’s made a total of 20 appearances for Union Berlin this season, but was only named a starter for eight. He’s scored two goals, and the most recent of those came against Borussia Monchengladbach last November.

Mainz forward Taiwo Awoniyi

The Liverpool loanee and potential next big thing of Nigerian football has made his biggest impact since the season restarted.

The 22-year-old initially struggled to replicate what he’d shown for Royal Excel Mouscron and at youth level for Nigeria.

However, the forward scored five minutes after coming on in their first game back against Koln. This launched his team’s comeback from 2-0 down to earn a point.

He’s appeared in all five post-break fixtures, compared to just six out of 25 previously. Even better, he’s started three in a row, lasting a full 90 minutes in the last two. He’d started once before this.

Three more Nigerian players in the Bundesliga

Augsburg winger Noah Sarenren Bazee

The German-born winger was called up to represent the Super Eagles in 2017 but missed out through injury. Like Awoniyi, his presence has grown since things resumed, appearing in every Augsburg game and scoring at Schalke.

Union Berlin forward Suleiman Abdullahi

The capital club signed Abdullahi permanently last June after his impact on loan in their promotion season. He’s yet to make his mark on this top division though, starting once and being picked a mere four times in total.

Fortuna Dusseldorf goalkeeper Maduka Okoye

Okoye hasn’t got further than the bench for Fortuna Dusseldorf, despite first choice Zack Steffen being out injured since December. That’s not too big a problem aged 20 though, and he made his Super Eagles debut against Brazil in October.

Win BIG betting on the Bundesliga with betPawa

Now the Bundesliga is back, there’s never been a better time to bet online on football with betPawa in Nigeria. Bet small from ₦1 and win BIG with a 250% win bonus on bets with 30 legs. You can sign up in seconds and start winning right away.

But what should you watch out for? Almost all predictions have Bayern Munich beating Borussia Dortmund to first place. It’s less clear which two of RB Leipzig, Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen will join them in the Champions League.

The other question is whether Werder Bremen will be relegated after 39 straight years in the Bundesliga. It’s looking ominous and you can make your predictions and place your bets from ₦1 with betPawa.

Or try online football virtual sports betting from ₦1

No live football? No problem. Visit virtual sports pawaLeague at betPawa to find 30 matches every 10 minutes, 24/7. Online betting in Nigeria has never been more dynamic. With a minimum stake of ₦1, the 250% win bonus still applies — could you be their next BIG winner?

Terms & Conditions apply. Bet responsibly. 18+. Licence No: 00-3633.

This is a featured post.