- With a statement on their official website, former Czech Republic champions Slavia Prague have announced the signing of Nigerian defender Igoh Ogbu.
A member of the Flying Eagles squad to the 2019 FIFA World Cup, Ogbu joins Slavia Prague from Norwegian top-flight outfit Lilleström on a four-year deal that will keep him with the Slavists until December 31, 2026.
One of EaglesTracker's top Nigerian players to watch in 2023, Ogbu had been on the radar of Slavia Prague for a while and the club was close to sealing a move for the 22-year-old in the summer before the deal fell through.
And club manager Jindrich Trpisovsky has confessed his delight at finally getting his primary target.
"He is a player we have been talking about for a long time, we were already interested in him during the summer transfer window,” Jindrich said.
"He really caught our attention, but unfortunately it didn't work out in the summer for many reasons.
"Our interest continued, we continued to follow him. After long and complicated negotiations, the transfer has now been successful.
"We are really happy about it, he is the player we were looking for typologically."
A centre-back by trade, Ogbu is dominant in ground and air battles, and can also threaten going forward.
The 187-centimeter-tall stopper scored three goals and provided one assist in last year's Eliteserien.
Ogbu equally boasts an excellent range of passes and can accurately find teammates all over the field and in the run-up behind the defense.
He played three matches in the European Conference League qualifiers in the summer, before Lilleström were eventually eliminated by Belgium's Royal Antwerp.
Igoh Ogbu has also represented Nigeria at youth level. He made seven appearances for the Flying Eagles, two of which were at the Under-20 World Cup in 2019.
Ogbu will team up with compatriots Peter Olayinka and Moses Usor at Slavia.
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