Portuguese side Boavista have confirmed that Nigeria international Chidozie Awaziem is expected back at the club after spending the 2021/22 season on loan at Alanyaspor.
Boavista officially kicked off the 2022/23 season last Friday, with 21 players, including the three reinforcements Sasso, Bruno Lourenço and Salvador Agra, all available.
The club confirmed that eight players were yet to report to camp, with Awaziem one of the players granted extended holidays.
The 25-year-old centre-back was in the Super Eagles squad that toured the United States, featuring against Mexico and Ecuador but, but was on the bench in Jose Peseiro’s first two competitive games during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome & Principe last month.
The Enugu-born player ended his seven-year spell with Porto after joining Boavista on a permanent deal for €5m last August, having spent a season on loan with the club.
He was, however, shipped immediately to Alanyaspor in Turkey, where he made 22 appearances in all competitions and scored a goal.
The Nigerian looks set to be included in the team’s setup this time after Portuguese daily publication, Record, wrote that Boavista were expecting the player in camp ahead of preparations for the 2022/23 campaign.
“Authorized to return later are Reggie Cannon, Chidozie Awaziem, Yanis Hamache, Ricardo Mangas, Gaius Makouta, Ilija Vukotic, Kenji Gorré and Nathan,” the website wrote.
Since making his European first-team debut for the Portuguese champions in 2016, Awaziem has spent time on loan in France with Nantes, in Turkey with Çaykur Rizespor, and in Spain with Leganes.
