Emmanuel Olisadebe’s football story is one of the strangest ever. He was born in Warri, Nigeria, and started his career in the country at Jasper United before an unusual move to Polish outfit Polonia Warsaw.
Olisadebe gained Polish citizenship there and debuted for his national team. Olisadebe did not have any family in Poland, but he had a huge impact nonetheless, scoring eight in nine World Cup qualifiers to help his country qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
He was an important player, helping Poland to their only win in the tournament against the USA, scoring their first goal.
Ballon d’Or Nomination a remarkable
As revealed by Give Me Sport, the Nigerian born star’s meteoric rise hit a new high when he was nominated for the Ballon d’Or, an unlikely feat for a player from a footballing nation not widely known.
He finished joint-18th, alongside legends such as Roberto Carlos and Sami Hyypia and ahead of world class players such as Cafu, Steven Gerrard, Gianluigi Buffon and Patrick Vieira.
He was playing for Panathinaikos at the time in Greece and tallied 36 goals in four seasons, helping to make him one of the game’s most surprising stars.
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Short Premier League Stint, Later Career
The Nigerian born striker joined Portsmouth for a modest transfer fee in January 2006 but, despite having Premier League experience, his time in the top flight proved brief and disappointing.
He left Portsmouth that summer, making just two appearances after he fell out with the club, criticising their facilities and training conditions, which he made public.
“It was a very bad decision to leave a club like Panathinaikos for [one] as small as Portsmouth. They did not even have their own training centre. Changing rooms were in terrible condition.
He expressed regret at the time about leaving Panathinaikos, which had provided more resources and stability.
Olisadebe retired from football in 2012 and later returned to Nigeria.
While he occasionally misses life in Poland, he now enjoys living in his homeland, where he has found success in the housing construction business.
