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| Image Source | Image By – Arsenal.com |
The midfielder moved to north London after starring for his country at under-age level but administrative issues prevented him from playing
There are several reasons why a player can fail to live up to the ‘wonder child’ status. Bad conduct, injuries, a bad relationship with a boss, the wrong decision at the wrong time, obligation stresses, the list goes on.
Any of those boxes might be ticked by Kelechi Nwakali, but the key explanation why the Nigerian midfielder is yet to live up to the hype is a term that hits terror into any heart-paperwork.
In 2016, as a youth, Nwakali signed for Arsenal, having played a leading role in the victory of Nigeria at the Under-17 World Cup in Chile the year before.
Nigeria were the competition’s undoubted champions, scoring 23 goals in seven games, including a 5-1 group stage mauling of Chile’s hosts, thumping Australia 6-0 in the 16th round, beating Brazil 3-0 in the last eight, beating Mexico 4-2 in the semis before crushing Mali 2-0 in an all-Africa final.
Victor Osimhen, who won the Golden Boot with a mammoth 10 goals, and Nwakali, the midfield dynamo who picked up the Golden Ball for best player, had two key stars in the side.
Nigeria were the competition’s undoubted champions, scoring 23 goals in seven games, including a 5-1 group stage mauling of Chile’s hosts, thumping Australia 6-0 in the 16th round, beating Brazil 3-0 in the last eight, beating Mexico 4-2 in the semis before crushing Mali 2-0 in an all-Africa final.
Victor Osimhen, who won the Golden Boot with a mammoth 10 goals, and Nwakali, the midfield dynamo who picked up the Golden Ball for best player, had two key stars in the side.
Several players who went on to be big stars, including Landon Donovan, Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos, have won the award.
Nevertheless, while Osimhen last summer was one of the most in-demand strikers in world football, making a big-money move to Napoli having impressed Lille, Nwakali fell off the world football radar instead.
In fact, the 22-year-old is now on loan from La Liga club Huesca to Spanish second division side Alcorcon.
He joined Arsenal from the Diamond Football Academy in Nigeria, but problems with work permits prevented him from ever playing in the Premier League, and he had to spend time with MVV Maastricht and VVV-Venlo on loan in the Netherlands instead.
Nwakali was left in limbo because of paperwork problems after arriving in England from outside Europe without any experience at senior international level, yet he says he was targeted by some fans, who mistakenly saw his lack of playing time as he wasted his talent.
His own U17 manager, ex-Nigeria international Emmanuel Amuneke, seemed to echo these claims over Nwakali’s attitude, telling Goal in April 2020: “There is nothing to doubt about Nwakali’s talent.
“All he needs to do is counsel himself and realise that when you forget the root that took you to success, you start to lose the beauty of what made you who you are.
“A lot of Nigerians are expecting his progression, but it is unfortunate because of what he has passed through over the years. He also needs to check the kind of lifestyle he is living and know that without football, he is a nobody.”
These personal criticisms were dismissed by Nwakali, claiming that there was nothing he could do about his failure to break through as a youth at Arsenal.
“It was difficult mentally not playing for a year, so going through all of that and coming on the internet to see someone say I am gallivanting, was hurtful,” he told the BBC in September 2020. “A lot of Nigerian fans had the impression that I am just sitting doing nothing.”
In 2018-19, a loan to Porto was meant to be his opportunity to step into the European limelight, but he never featured in the first team of the Portuguese side, making only 16 Porto B appearances.
In March 2019, when he was marooned in Nigeria due to even more visa issues, things got even worse.
In a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, manager Gernot Rohr had called up the player to face Seychelles. Nwakali never played, and soon found himself once again at the mercy of the administration.
“I didn’t have a Portuguese resident card, it wasn’t ready before I left, but I had to come to that game because that was my first official call-up for the Super Eagles. I was stuck in Nigeria for three months,” he told the BBC .
“It was difficult getting a visa back to Portugal, I couldn’t get back to my club for three months and by the end of the season no one wanted to take me, they said I hadn’t been playing.
“I learned a lesson that it is important you do well at your club side first, the national team is important, but some important decisions need to be made, that will help my career in the future and I didn’t make the right one in the right moment.”
Eventually, Arsenal appeared to conclude Nwakali’s troubles were more hassle than they were worth and he was allowed to leave in September 2019.
The player himself appeared to be unable to tolerate any ill will, writing on Instagram: “I’ve gained a lot from my time here and I’ve been great with everyone involved with the club.”
“I just want to say a big thank you and goodbye, because it is time to move on, time for another chapter and another challenge.”
He admitted in an interview with TribalFootball last year that it was a wrench to leave Arsenal, but that the need to establish himself and set down roots as a first-team player were more important.
“It was difficult for me to leave because they wanted me to stay,” Nwakali said. “But at the same time, I needed to get a place where I can call my home, where I can continue to develop my game.”
Nwakali is taking small steps to that goal now.
Settled in Spain with a three-year Huesca contract and the prospect of regular football for the rest of the campaign at Alcorcon, Nigerians will now hope that one of their most promising players of recent years can finally start to come good.