Back in football: Five months after quitting Genclerbirligi, forgotten Super Eagles striker joins Sanliurfaspor

Through official channels, Turkish First League club Sanliurfaspor have announced the signing of Super Eagles forward Olarenwaju Kayode who has been in the international wilderness for more than six years.

Kayode has landed a new club in Turkey five months after his departure from another second tier club Genclerbirligi, for whom he played 20 game and scored three goals in 2023-2024.

Sanliurfaspor have kept the length of contract signed by the Nigerian confidential but noted that the club's manager Müslüm Arıcı attended the signing ceremony.

Kayode is a well known figure in Turkish football, with 144 games under his belt for four different clubs, including 104 appearances in the Super Lig. 

On his football CV, the attacker lists Gaziantep, Sivasspor,  Ümraniyespor and Gençlerbirliği as his previous clubs in Turkey.

A product of Marvellous FC, he has also worn the colours of ASEC Mimosas, Luzern, Maccabi Netanya and Austria Vienna, and took in loan spells at Girona and Shakhtar Donetsk as a Manchester City player.

Kayode was a member of the Golden Eaglets squad at the 2009 Fifa U17 World Cup hosted by Nigeria, where he played in six matches as the national team was beaten by Granit Xhaka's Switzerland in the showpiece. 

He was a key player for the Flying Eagles at the 2011 and 2013 Fifa U20 World Cup, and also earned caps at U23 level, before making his senior debut against Senegal in an international friendly in London back in March 2017.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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