Former Nigeria international Peter Odemwingie has retired from football at the age of 37. Odemwingie represented the Super Eagles at two World Cups and scored one goal in the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. He was also the big heart breaker that lost the decisive penalty in the AFCON semi final against Tunisia in 2004.
The striker played brilliantly for top European teams including French side; Lille, Lokomotiv Moscow in Russia, and English Premier League sides; West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City. His last known club was Indonesian side Madura FC.
He announced the decision to retire finally at the UEFA Equal Game conference at Wembley on Wednesday. “It’s an emotional day, so many memories go through your head,” Odemwingie told the people gathered at the ceremony. “I didn’t know how to do it or where to do it, but I think this is the right place to do it. Wembley is a place with a lot of history in football.”
The former Premier League star also revealed his plans going forward in the game he loves: “The next chapter is slowly building up to a coaching career,” he continued, “and hopefully I will be coaching in the Premier League one day.”
Like most of the former Nigerian internationals; the former Super Eagles’ star began his career with Nigerian outfit Bendel Insurance before moving to Belgium in 2004 to team up with La Louviere. He enjoyed successful stays in France and Russia, with Lille and Lokomotiv Moscow respectively.
Ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, he was already attracting attention from Premier League sides. He joined West Bromwich Albion, where he scored 30 goals in 87 top flight appearances. He had a brilliant start to his Premier League career and won the Player of the Month accolade in September 2010.
Odemwingie left the Baggies under a cloud and went on to don the colours of Cardiff City, Stoke City and Rotherham United before leaving English football for Indonesian top flight side Madura FC in 2017. This was the last football club he played with before retiring.
He represented the Super Eagles at four African Cup of Nations editions; 2004, 2006, 2008 and was captain in 2010. In 2008 he was named as one of the experienced players in the Dream Team V that lost to Argentina at the Gold Medal match of the Beijing Olympics.
Odemwingie also played at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, scoring the winner against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Brazil that ultimately secured the West Africans’ passage to the Last 16. He scored 10 goals in 63 caps for Nigeria.