The Olisehs
Sunday Ogorchukwu Oliseh (born 14 September 1974 in Abavo, Delta State) is the more popular of the Oliseh brothers. He is a former Nigerian footballer and coach.
A physical, technical defensive midfielder, Oliseh played for well known clubs such as AFC Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus F.C. Oliseh played 63 international matches and scored four goals for Nigeria, and played at the Football World Cups of 1994 and 1998. Oliseh also participated in the Olympic gold medal winning team of 1996.
He is mostly remembered for scoring the winning goal in the group stage match against Spain in the 1998 World Cup, as Nigeria prevailed 3–2. In January 2006, at the age of 31, Oliseh retired from professional football after playing a half season for Belgian top club K.R.C. Genk.
Azubuike Oliseh (born 18 November 1978) is a former Nigerian football midfielder. He is the younger brother of retired Nigeria captain Sunday Oliseh and the older brother of the former AS Nancy and QPR midfielder Egutu Oliseh; another brother is Churchill Oliseh and his nephew is Sekou Oliseh.
He last played for Ermis Aradippou in the Cypriot First Division. Azubuike joined his compatriots Celestine Babayaro and James Obiorah at Anderlecht, as a 16 year old. Looking for regular first team action, Oliseh was loaned out to Royal Antwerp for the 1998-99 season, before moving to the Dutch Eredivisie the following year.
The Nwankwos
Nwankwo Kanu, OON (born 1 August 1976) is a retired Nigerian footballer. He was a member of and later captained the Nigerian national team for 16 years from 1994 until 2010. His name, Nwankwo, means Child born on Nkwo market day in the Igbo language.
Kanu has won a UEFA Champions League medal, a UEFA Cup medal, three FA Cup Winners Medals and two African Player of the Year awards amongst others. He is also one of few players to have won the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal.[5] He made the second-most substitute appearances in Premier League history, appearing from the bench 118 times.[6] He is also a UNICEF ambassador.[7]
Christopher Kanu (born 4 December 1979) is a Nigerian football defender. His current career goal tally stands at 10 goals in 317 league games for 8 different clubs. An 11th strike, which was not scored in a league game, proved to be a match winner for his old club Sparta Rotterdam in an early UEFA Cup knockout round against Hamburger SV in 2002.
The other 9 have all been notched for Nigerian club Eagle Cement in the league, and the tenth goal came on his league debut for Owerri Stampede Nigeria FC. He is the younger brother of Portsmouth striker Nwankwo Kanu. In addition he is the stepbrother of Oghab midfielder Anderson “Anders” Gabolalmo Kanu and Henry Isaac.
The Uches
Kalu Uche (born 15 November 1982) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for El Jaish in the Qatar Stars League, as a forward or an attacking midfielder.
He spent most of his professional career in Spain, mainly with Almería, with which he amassed La Liga totals of 117 games and 27 goals. A Nigerian international in the 2000s, Uche represented his country at the 2010 World Cup.
Ikechukwu Uche (born 5 January 1984) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Villarreal CF in Spain, as a striker. Known for his acrobatic goal celebrations, he spent most of his professional career in Spain, having arrived in the country before the age of 20.
The Utakas
John Chukwudi Utaka (born 8 January 1982) is a Nigerian footballer who currently plays as a striker for Turkish side Sivasspor of the Süper Lig. He is the older brother of Peter Utaka, who plays for Beijing Guoan in China.
Utaka has played for several clubs across three continents, first for Arab Contractors and subsequently Ismaily of Egypt, then spending a season playing for Al-Sadd of Qatar, before joining Racing Lens and later Rennes in France. During his career he has mainly been utilised as a pacy winger making a very effective element in a team’s counterattacking.
Utaka plays for Nigeria and was a participant at the 2002 World Cup. He started four of Nigeria’s six games in the 2006 African Cup of Nations, in which Nigeria finished in third place. He was also part of the Nigeria squad that participated in the 2010 World Cup but was an unused substitute in the tournament.
Peter Utaka (born 12 February 1984 in Enugu) is a Nigerian footballer with a Belgian passport currently playing for Chinese club Beijing Guoan. He is the younger brother of John Utaka, who currently plays for Sivasspor in Turkey.
Utaka moved to Croatia as a 16-year old to play in Dinamo Zagreb. In 2003 he moved to Belgium from Dinamo and signed for K. Patro Eisden Maasmechelen of the third division. KVC Westerlo moved to sign him the following season, and in his first season in the top flight.
He joined Royal Antwerp FC in January 2007 where he became a first team regular, and he helped Antwerp qualify for the playoffs, finishing second. On 21 September 2009, national coach Shaibu Amodu selected Peter for the Nigerian national football team. Utaka made his debut for Nigeria months later in a 5–2 home win over Congo DR on 3 March 2010.
The Sodjes
Efetobore Peter “Efe” Sodje (born 5 October 1972) is a professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Conference National side Macclesfield Town where he is also the club’s assistant manager.
Idoro Akpoeyere Ujoma “Akpo” Sodje (born 31 January 1980) is an English footballer of Nigerian heritage who plays for Tranmere Rovers in League One. A journeyman striker, he is usually an instantly recognisable figure on the pitch due to his original – and most of all colourful – hairstyles.
With Queens Park Rangers in 2001, he was loaned out to Stevenage Borough, before beginning a career in non-league football with Margate in 2001. He spent the 2006–07 season with Port Vale, before becoming a Sheffield Wednesday player. He found success and popularity at both clubs, before he joined Charlton Athletic in 2010, after two loan spells.
Born in Greenwich, London, his family originate from Warri, in Delta State, Nigeria. Sodje has four brothers who also play football; three of them professionally and one semi-professionally. Sam and Efe have represented Nigeria at international level. Steve, has never played a Football League game. Another brother, Bright, used to play rugby league and rugby union. His cousin Onome Sodje, also played professionally in England.
Samuel Okeremute Sodje (born 25 May 1979) is an English-born Nigerian footballer who plays as a defender. Sodje also represents Nigeria at international level. Although born in England, Sodje’s family originate form Nigeria so was eligible to represent both England and Nigeria national football team, he chose to represent Nigeria the same as his older brother Efe.
In November 2005, Sodje made his debut for Nigeria in a 3-0 friendly defeat to Romania in Bucharest, playing the full 90 minutes. After some impressive performances for Leeds United Sodje was recalled to the Nigerian squad for friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and France at the end of the 08/09 season
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