The debut of Marvin Park this weekend represents a landmark for Nigerian players at the pinnacle of European football
Marvin Park is one of the major talking points on this week’s African Football HQ podcast, as Ed Dove and Malek Shafei dissect the youngster’s route to the top.
The Nigerian-Korean wonderkid made his debut for Real Madrid at the weekend, making a late cameo against Real Sociedad as the reigning La Liga champions sought to take all three points in top flight action.
The 20-year-old caught the eye with his pace against Sociedad, but his route to the top also makes for fascinating reading, with the starlet taking the unlikely route from the island of Mallorca to Merseysiders Tranmere Rovers.
An unlikely breeding ground for future Real Madrid starlets, perhaps, but Dove runs through a few of the Prenton Park heroes who won over admirers on the Wirral before—sometimes—going on to bigger and better things.
Park’s debut isn’t the only hot talking point on the pod this week, as the boys also examine two fascinating debuts at the weekend—Victor Osimhen for Napoli and Mohammed Kudus at Ajax.
The duo also turn their attention to Egypt, where Al-Ahly won a 42nd title last week, but question what the future holds for both the Red Devils and their eternal rivals SC Zamalek…both of whom appear to be undergoing a change in management.
With an eye on the Premier League, Shafei and Dove launch the first AFHQ Player of the Week segment, with Wilfried Zaha and Tariq Lamptey the two players in the spotlight.
Which of these two widemen has impressed you more since the start of the new campaign?
Edouard Mendy arrives at Chelsea, but is he the answer to the Pensioners’ problems between the sticks? It’s one of several pressing topics also looked into in some depth in this week’s episode.
Finally, Gernot Rohr’s latest Nigeria squad—ahead of the international break next month—also comes into sharp focus.
Shafei has major questions about why veteran wideman Ahmed Musa continues to be selected by the German coach despite a raft of quality wingers available to the Super Eagles.
There’s a return to the fold for Dele Alampasu, while Chidera Ejuke and Cyriel Dessers could both finally make their debuts when the West African giants return to action in October.
