Bundesliga: 3 Nigerians to watch out for during the 2021-22 season

The German Bundesliga returns to action this weekend with Bayern Munich looking to retain their title for the 10th consecutive season, this time under former RB Leipzig boss, Julian Nagelsmann. 

Away from Bayern, there will be a lot of competition in the race for European football and also avoiding relegation. Pulse runs down on the Nigerians to look out for.

The 2013 Under-17 World Cup star has been in somewhat of a wilderness since he joined Liverpool from Imperial Soccer Academy in 2015. Unable to get a work permit, Awoniyi spent time on loan at six different clubs, the latest which was Union Berlin last season. 

He appeared 21 times in the Bundesliga for the German capital outfit, scoring five goals, one of them coming in a 2-1 win at home to Borussia Dortmund.

Awoniyi finally secured his work permit this summer but with his future not lying at Anfield, Union Berlin came back for him on a permanent transfer in the region of €7.5 million. 

Awoniyi might not have had a taste of England as many had hoped, but with a third consecutive year in the German top-flight, he’s definitely out to stamp his authority there.

The 26-year-old Munich born player has been a mainstay for the Billy Goats since arriving from Dutch side Zwolle in the summer of 2019.

Ehizibue made 21 appearances and provided an assist as Cologne narrowly faced the drop but pulled through in the relegation/promotion playoffs with a 5-2 aggregate win over Holstein Kiel. 

Cologne will definitely want to improve on their fortunes this season and Ehizibue will be a key cog in that push once again.

The Nigerian defender had a tale of two halves during the 2020-21 campaign. Having featured for 90 minutes in all but three games during the first phase of the season, Akpoguma was sidelined with hamstring and thigh injuries which limited him to just three appearances in the second phase of the campaign.

Hoffenheim finished in 11th which was seen as a disappointment having been in the hunt for European qualification. Akpoguma will hope to put those injury nightmares behind him this time and a better finish on the log also in sight.

Kunle is an avid writer with interest in topics on sports, politics and health. His articles have featured in Goal.com, Opera News and Vanguard News. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in International Relations and is an advocate for people living with Hydrocephalus and other neurological conditions.

Follow him on Twitter: @kfayiga

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