Some are late starters, like Chelsea and Senegal AFCON winning goalie, Eduoard Mendy, they rise from obscurity and take the football world by storm.

The description can best be ascribed to rising Nigerian striker, Adewale Olufemi Sapara who plies his trade for Portimonense in the Portuguese first division, where he has continued to be the topic of rave review by soccer pundits, both in Portugal and across Europe.

His rise in the league of foreign footballers in Portugal has been the type that can rightly be described as a steady progression. When he arrived in Portugal in 2018/2019 season, he played in the third division, where he was adjudged the most valuable player in the division. He would follow that dazzling season with another, with a promotion to the second division with Leixoes.

At Lexixoes, Sapara was six times voted MVP in the course of the season and also emerged his club’s highest goal scorer.

The pacy, attacker was once described by a defender as practically ‘unplayable’, and a torment to the opposition, because of his relentless push and gasp inducing skills. It is based on the hot current form of Sapara that many soccer lovers are clamoring that it is about time the player is invited to the national team, especially at a time when we are going to be battling for the ticket to the next FIFA World Cup with our long standing soccer rivals, the Black Stars of Ghana.

Also, considering the shocking manner in which the Super Eagles was eliminated from the just concluded AFCON, in the second round stage, Nigeria needs to invite to camp, players like Sapara who can bring a whole new challenge and dynamics to the fold of the Super Eagles.