Major League Soccer club, FC Cincinnati has secured the services of Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem from Portuguese club Boavista FC, the team announced in a statement.
The contract with Awaziem extends through 2025, with additional options for 2026 and 2027. His inclusion in the squad is contingent upon the receipt of his P-1 visa.
Awaziem, 27, has accumulated nearly 300 professional appearances across European leagues since joining FC Porto in 2015, making his debut for the first team in January 2016.
“We’re delighted to have Chidozie join the club,” remarked Chris Albright, FC Cincinnati General Manager. “He’s a talented defender with extensive experience at the European and international level. His quality, character, and leadership will be a valuable addition to our group, and I’d like to welcome him to Cincinnati.”
The 6-foot-2 center back from Enugu, Nigeria, shares his hometown with teammate Obinna Nwobodo.
He has earned 33 caps for the Nigerian National Team, including a spot on the 23-man roster for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
In 2024, he made four appearances for the Super Eagles, including one in the Africa Cup of Nations, contributing to Nigeria’s run to the AFCON Final.
“It’s been a wonderful time I’ve had with Cincinnati,” Awaziem said. “I see the love the fans and everybody has for soccer. I see all the games that Cincinnati have been playing, and this has motivated me a lot to be part of this team and to feel like what it is to be a player for FC Cincinnati and represent this wonderful and amazing club.”
In the 2023/24 season, Awaziem made 27 appearances, 25 of which were starts, for Boavista FC, despite interruptions due to international duties for the World Cup qualifiers and the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.
Awaziem joined Boavista at 23 ahead of the 2020/21 season from FC Porto. His loan spells include Turkish Süper Lig club Alanyaspor in the 2021/22 season and Croatian First League side Hajduk Split in the 2022/23 season, where he scored a career-high five goals and helped lift the Croatian Football Cup.
He played a full 90 minutes in their 2-0 final victory over Šibenik.
Before Boavista, Awaziem made 15 first-team appearances for FC Porto, including a UEFA Champions League Group Stage match in December 2018, coming on as a substitute to secure a 3-2 win against Galatasaray.
His previous loan spells included FC Nantes in France, Çaykur Rizespor in Turkey, and CD Leganés in Spain. Over his nine-year career, Awaziem has scored 10 goals and provided seven assists.
On the international stage, Awaziem has played in seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, starting in six matches during the 2019 AFCON, where Nigeria finished third. His only international goal was scored during a 3-0 win over Seychelles in an AFCON qualifier on September 8, 2018.
