Ex-international, Osaze Odemwingie, has revealed that friends made fun of him as a youngster when he told them of his intention of playing for Nigeria.
Osaze in a post on Instagram enjoined every individual to keep fighting for what they believe in and not be dissuaded by public opinion.
The ex-player who was born in Uzbekistan to a Nigerian father and a Russian mother revealed that his dream of playing for Nigeria came after watching the Dream Team beat Argentina to win gold at the 1996 summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA.
Odemwingie who was at the time a youth player with CSKA Moscow, said he was mocked when he told his teammates of his intention to represent Nigeria.
“In 1996, when Nigeria won the Olympic gold in Atlanta, I was so inspired I told my teammates one day I will play for Nigeria. They laughed. Later I said I’ll play in the English premier league. Same reaction.
“This may be a message for someone who is doubting himself in any profession,” he concluded.
Odemwingie went on to play for Nigeria and was capped 63 times scoring 10 goals also featuring at the 2008 summer Olympics where he won a silver medal. The forward also had a spell in the English premier league with West Brom, Cardiff and Stoke City.
