Former Super Eagles forward Simeon Tochukwu Nwankwo, widely known as Simy, will return to his roots in Nkpor-Agu, Idemili North L.G.A., Anambra State, on 21 June 2026 to mark an outstanding season with Al-Orobah — and to reconnect with the community that first put him on the path to professional football.

The event, titled The Homecoming, will open with an 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Mass at Holy Cross Parish, Nkpor-Agu, before an all-star novelty football match kicks off at 4 p.m. at the United Primary School football field. Simy is expected to give thanks for a career that has taken him from the streets of Nkpor-Agu to some of football's biggest stages.

A season to remember in Saudi Arabia

Simy delivered one of his most prolific campaigns yet in the Saudi First Division League, scoring 27 league goals and contributing four assists across 27 appearances for the Sakakah-based outfit. He finished as the joint-top scorer with 28 goals across all competitions, helping Al-Orobah to a fifth-place finish in the regular season.

Promotion to the Saudi Pro-League ultimately proved elusive. Al-Orobah fell 2-1 to Al-Ula in the semi-final of the Saudi First Division Play-off — with Simy netting his side's only goal in that defeat.

Stars set to feature in the novelty match

Several familiar faces from Nigerian football are expected to take part in the all-star friendly. Former internationals Uche Nwofor and Ogenyi Onazi are among those scheduled to appear, alongside Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi of Belgian club Oud-Heverlee Leuven, David Nworah of Saudi Arabian club Al-Sinaa SC, and Francis Ezeh of Turkish First Division side Ankara Keçiörengücü.

From Nkpor-Agu to the world stage

The Nanka-born striker — who stands at 6ft 6in — began his professional journey at Portuguese clubs Portimonense and Gil Vicente before building a reputation across Italian football with Crotone, Salernitana, Parma, and Benevento. He now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia.

Among the defining moments of his career, Simy became the first African player to finish as the leading scorer in an Italian professional league, netting 20 goals for Crotone during the 2019/20 Serie B season — a milestone that cemented his place in the sport's history books.

On the international stage, Simy was part of Nigeria's squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, featuring in group-stage matches against Croatia and Argentina before the Super Eagles were eliminated.

From the grassroots pitches of Nkpor-Agu to European leagues and the World Cup, Simy's journey stands as a testament to perseverance — and, as The Homecoming will signal, he believes the best chapters of that story are still to come.