WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Nigeria and Racing Club de Lens midfielder Hamzat Ojediran has been making waves in Ligue 1 with his high-energy performances since moving from Debrecen in Hungary. Despite limited game time—just 357 minutes across 13 league appearances, with only one start—the 21-year-old has already netted his first Ligue 1 goal, scoring in Lens’ 3-2 victory over Moses Simon’s Nantes in November. Hamzat Ojediran with Lens fans after the match against Nantes.#NaijaBoy pic.twitter.com/11hkG40KMd — Ojora Babatunde (@ojbsports) November 9, 2024 Ojediran’s tireless work rate, defensive grit, and physicality have made him an intriguing prospect for the Super Eagles. His chances of a national team call-up received a boost last week when he was reportedly among the players who met new Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle during his European scouting tour. Chelle is assessing Nigerian talents in top leagues as he builds his squad for the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March. However, despite his promising attributes, Ojediran faces a significant hurdle before earning his Super Eagles debut—his disciplinary record. While Ojediran’s aggressive style makes him a formidable presence in midfield, his tendency to commit rash challenges has raised concerns. His disciplinary issues date back to his time in Albania, where he received four yellow cards in only 11 league games for Egnatia Rrogozhinë. In Hungary, he showed improvement, collecting the same number of bookings across 32 league matches for Debrecen. To his credit, Ojediran, a key member of the Golden Eaglets team to the 2019 FIFA U17 World Cup, is yet to be shown a red card in his young professional career. 63′ YELLOW CARD. Ojediran is booked. Jabaar comes for Sai’d. Nigeria 1-2 The Netherlands. #U17WC — The NFF (@thenff) November 6, 2019 However, since moving to France, his discipline has deteriorated again. In just 13 appearances for Lens — 12 of which came as a substitute—Ojediran has already picked up four yellow cards. Worryingly, he has been booked in each of his last three games across all competitions for Lens and will miss the club’s upcoming clash against Nantes due to suspension. Lens manager Will Still is reportedly concerned about the midfielder’s repeated late-game bookings. Ojediran received a caution just six minutes after coming on against Nice and was booked within three minutes of entering the pitch against Montpellier the previous weekend. His inability to control his challenges in the closing stages of matches has become a problem for Lens, with his suspension further depleting an already stretched midfield. Nigeria’s midfield currently boasts proven performers like Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, and Raphael Onyedika—key figures in the team’s run to the AFCON final last year. We got a young Nigeria midfielder playing for Rc Lens in french lique 1. Ojediran Hamzat. He is a very good footballer. Nigeria and NFF he needs an invite in our next subsequent matches. Note: He once represented Nigeria at the U-17 level. pic.twitter.com/uGBMXkSINW — Tosin Mayegun (@chapoo25) September 17, 2024 However, with Ndidi and Onyeka not expected to remain in the team forever, opportunities will open up for younger midfielders like Ojediran. That said, competition for future Super Eagles places remains fierce. Inter Milan-owned Ebenezer Akinsanmiro is thriving on loan at Sampdoria, while Victor Eletu is highly rated at AC Milan. Meanwhile, dual-eligible talents such as Carney Chukwuemeka and Lesley Ugochukwu could still opt to play for Nigeria. Ojediran’s tenacity and physicality make him an exciting prospect, but he must refine his game. If he can curb his reckless challenges and improve his decision-making, he could emerge as a key figure for both Lens and the Super Eagles in the coming years.
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