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Nigeria’s Leading League Scorers on Trial in Norway
Several of Nigeria league leading scorers led by Lobi Stars striker Anthony Okpotu are currently in Norway on trials.
Okpotu, who has played for top Libyan club Al Ittihad, has so far scored 12 goals in the Nigeria league.
He is undergoing trials at Norwegian club Stabeak, so also Prince Aggreh, who has scored five goals for Kano Pillars this season.
Another Pillars forward, Emmanuel Edmund, is at Norwegian side Haugesund after scoring five goals this season.
The stocky striker has already posted a short stint at Slovak club AS Trencin.
Also on the train to Norway is Bernard Ovoke, who has fired six goals in the Nigeria league for title-chasing Rivers United.
He is trying out at Lillestrom after they sold little known Nigerian striker Fred Friday to Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.
Nigeria stars John Mikel Obi, Chinedu Obasi, Aaron Samuel, Anthony Ujah, Odion Ighalo, Nosa Igiebor, Fegor Ogude and Sulaiman Abdullahi started out in Norway before they moved on to bigger things in Europe.
Top sources told AfricanFootball.com that several NPFL stars could still find their way to Norway before the transfer window in Europe closes on August 31.
“It’s a stable league for Nigerian players to become better professionals ready for sale to bigger leagues in Europe,” remarked a top agent.
“The clubs in Norway are prepared to take the risks to buy these players for very little and sell them for huge profits thereafter.”
In 2006, Ighalo cost Lyn Oslo less than $150,000 when he left Nigeria and eight months later, Italian Serie A side Udinese snapped him up for $1.3 million.
He is now holding his own in the Premier League with Watford after he recently rejected a switch to the lucrative Chinese league.