Nigeria Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem has sealed a permanent transfer to Turkish Super Lig club Konyaspor, penning a two-year deal that ties him to the Green and Whites through the 2026/27 season.

The 29-year-old arrives from French club Nantes and will take the No. 15 jersey. The move brings Awaziem back to a country he knows well, having previously turned out in the Turkish top flight on loan with both Çaykur Rizespor and Alanyaspor.

A familiar league

Awaziem's first Turkish chapter came during the second half of the 2018/19 season, when he joined Çaykur Rizespor on loan from FC Porto, racking up 16 league appearances for the club. He returned to Turkey for the 2021/22 campaign with Alanyaspor, contributing one goal in 18 league outings.

A career spanning five countries

The centre-back launched his professional career with FC Porto in 2015, going on to accumulate loan spells at Leganés in Spain, Boavista in Portugal, and Hajduk Split in Croatia before departing Porto on a permanent basis in 2024.

Awaziem then crossed the Atlantic, linking up with FC Cincinnati in Major League Soccer before moving on to Colorado Rapids. Following a brief stint in the United States, he made the switch to Nantes, and from there has now secured this move to Konyaspor.

International recognition

On the international stage, Awaziem was named in Nigeria's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, though he did not feature as the Super Eagles were eliminated at the group stage. He has also been a regular presence in the Nigeria squad at the Africa Cup of Nations, earning call-ups for the 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions of the tournament.

Konyaspor, who finished ninth in the Turkish Super Lig last season, will be looking to strengthen their squad after reaching the Turkish Cup final, where they fell to Trabzonspor.