Turkish club Çaykur Rizespor have mutually terminated the contract of 27-year-old Nigerian midfielder Azubuike Okechukwu.
The former captain of Nigeria's U-23 team, Okechukwu was part of the squad that won the Bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil.
Regarded as one of Nigeria's finest midfielders in the last decade, he has been unfortunate with injuries, which have stalled his expected development.
The midfielder tore his cruciate ligament during preseason in 2023, causing him to miss the entire 2023/24 season. However, after months of recovery, Okechukwu has returned to training and is eager to resume his club career.
Can Azubuike Okechukwu resurrect career at Erzurumspor?
Currently, Azubuike Okechukwu is training with Erzurumspor, a club in the TFF First League, and he is expected to sign a deal with them soon and be registered for the league by the club.
The move would mark the next chapter in his journey through Turkish football, where he has previously played for several clubs, including Yeni Malatyaspor, İstanbul Başakşehir, and Sivasspor.
His most notable achievement came in 2019 when he won the Turkish Süper Lig title with Başakşehir.
Okechukwu's international career includes one cap for the Super Eagles, which he earned in 2016.
Former teammate with the U-23 national team, Ogenekaro Etebo, also recently returned to Turkish football, joining Gençlerbirliği after a lengthy injury lay-off.
Okechukwu is eager to get back to football, telling Afrik-Foot, “I miss football. I cannot wait to get back playing in front of fans again.”
Nigerian midfielders Ibrahim Olawoyin and David Akintola will be the only Nigerians left at the Turkish club after Okechukwu's departure.
