Chidozie Awaziem
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 Awaziem with Nigeria in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Chidozie Collins Awaziem[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 1 January 1997[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Enugu, Nigeria[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Nantes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | El-Kanemi Warriors | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Porto | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Porto B | 62 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | Porto | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | → Nantes (loan) | 22 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | → Çaykur Rizespor (loan) | 16 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | → Leganés (loan) | 26 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | → Boavista (loan) | 27 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Boavista | 27 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | → Alanyaspor (loan) | 18 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | → Hajduk Split (loan) | 28 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | FC Cincinnati | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Colorado Rapids | 20 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Nantes | 22 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017– | Nigeria | 40 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:41, 22 March 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:41, 17 January 2026 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Chidozie Collins Awaziem MON // ⓘ(born 1 January 1997) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Ligue 1 club Nantes and the Nigeria national team.
Porto
Born in Enugu, Awaziem joined FC Porto from Portugal in 2014, where he spent his last year as a junior and won the corresponding league title.[3] His senior debut was made with the B team in the Segunda Liga.[4]
On 27 January 2016, aged 19, Awaziem appeared in his first competitive game with the main squad, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 away loss against C.D. Feirense in the Taça da Liga.[5][6] His maiden appearance in the Primeira Liga took place on 12 February, as he again started in a 2–1 win at S.L. Benfica due to an injury crisis to the defensive sector.[7][8]
Awaziem was loaned to French club FC Nantes for the 2017–18 season.[9] His first match in Ligue 1 took place on 6 August 2017, when he came on as a 74th-minute substitute in a 3–0 defeat away to Lille OSC.[10]
In January 2019, Awaziem joined Çaykur Rizespor on loan until the end of the campaign.[11] On 15 August, in the same situation, he moved to CD Leganés.[12]
Boavista
Still owned by Porto, Awaziem signed a temporary deal with Boavista F.C. – also in Portugal and the city of Porto – ahead of 2020–21, with the obligation of a permanent four-year contract on 30 June 2021.[13] He returned to the Turkish Süper Lig on 8 September that year, being loaned to Alanyaspor.[14]
On 1 August 2022, Awaziem was loaned to HNK Hajduk Split with an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.[15] During his tenure, he scored a career-best five goals and also won the Croatian Football Cup.[16]
FC Cincinnati
Awaziem joined Major League Soccer side FC Cincinnati on 25 July 2024, on a two-year contract with the possibility of an extension through 2027.[17] He totalled 14 appearances during his spell at TQL Stadium, recording three assists.[18]
Later career
On 9 December 2024, Awaziem signed a one-year deal with Colorado Rapids, extendable until the end of the 2027 season.[19] He returned to Nantes in summer 2025, on a three-year contract.[20]
International career
Aged 19, Awaziem was called up by Nigeria for friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg, on 27 and 31 May 2016.[21] He made his senior debut on 1 June 2017, starting in a 3–0 win over Togo in Paris in another exhibition game.[22]
Awaziem was included in Gernot Rohr's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia,[23] being an unused player as the tournament ended in group stage exit. He was also picked for the 2019,[24] 2021,[25] 2023[26] and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.[27]
