Femi Opabunmi, one of Nigeria's most celebrated youth football talents, sits down with the Sports Planet podcast to discuss the current state of Nigerian football in Episode 137 of the popular Complete Sports Nigeria series.

Born on March 3, 1985, in Lagos, Opabunmi launched his playing career in Ibadan, Oyo State, before the late coach Musa Abdullahi selected him as part of a 23-man squad to represent Nigeria at the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.

A tournament that made a nation proud

Opabunmi dazzled audiences with his electric runs along the flanks for the Golden Eaglets. Although Nigeria fell to France 3-0 in the final, his individual brilliance earned him the Silver Shoe award as the second-highest scorer of the tournament and the Bronze Ball as its third-best player.

Those performances turned the teenager into a national hero and cemented his place in Nigerian football history.

From Eaglets to Super Eagles

Opabunmi went on to earn senior international recognition, representing the Super Eagles at the 2002 FIFA World Cup — a remarkable achievement that made him the third-youngest player at the tournament at just 17 years of age.

In Episode 137 of Sports Planet, he opens up about his journey through Nigerian football and shares his views on what the country's game looks like today.