VICTOR MOSES IS THE 8TH NIGERIAN TO WEAR THE INTER SHIRT; BUT HOW DID THE OTHER PLAYERS FARE AT THE CLUB?


Victor Moses is now 10 games into his Inter career since his loan move from Chelsea in the January transfer window.

Moses has since taken up the wing-back role after reuniting with Antonio Conte, the coach with whom he won the Premier League and FA Cup titles with Chelsea.

The 29-year-old has not seemed up to speed yet at Inter and whether he would attain the fitness level to harry the right side of midfield as he did at Chelsea is something no one is certain of yet.

But what we all know is what Conte expects the Nigerian player to do.

He did it at Chelsea where the first-half collapse at Arsenal prompted Conte into turning the winger to a wing-back. What happened next has been well-documented.

Moses managed 10 appearances before football got shut down due to the spread of coronavirus and while we are yet to know how much impact he will make at the club, Pulse Sports is looking back at the other Nigerian players who have ever played for the Italian giants.

Kanu Nwankwo (17 appearances between 1996-1999)

Kanu Nwankwo's career at Inter stalled because of his heart problem (Getty Images)

Kanu Nwankwo’s career at Inter stalled because of his heart problem (Getty Images) Getty Images

After helping Ajax to the Champions League in 1995, Kanu further made a name for himself by leading Nigeria’s U23 side to the gold medal of the football event of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Just before that tournament, he had sealed a move to Inter and with the world at his feet, tragedy struck. A medical check-up at Inter revealed a heart defect and he missed the entire season.

He did return in the following season to make 11 appearances in the league and five in Europe. That was his most active season in Italy but ultimately played a little part in Luigi Simoni’s team that helped Inter to mount their first serious shot at the Serie A title since 1989. They eventually finished second.

Kanu, however, got the 1998 UEFA Cup winners medal following Inter’s 3-0 win over Lazio in the final. Kanu was on the bench all through that game.,

The following season, he managed one appearance before he joined Arsenal in the January transfer window of 1999.

Taribo West (64 appearances between 1997 to 2000)

Taribo West was very good in his first season won the UEFA Cup that year (Getty Images)

Taribo West was very good in his first season won the UEFA Cup that year (Getty Images) Getty Images

Out of every Nigerian player that turned out in the colours of Inter, West was unarguably the best. West in his first season for Inter featured heavily for the Simoni’s side that finished second in the Serie A, the highest-place finish since 1993 and also won the UEFA Cup.

In the UEFA Cup, he scored the extra-time winning goal against Schalke 04 in the 1997–98 UEFA Cup quarter-finals and also played in the win over Lazio in the final but was sent off in the 82nd minute.

The following season, he played 21 times in an underwhelming league campaign

He didn’t make an appearance in the 1999-2000 season before he left mid-season to join AC Milan.

Obafemi Martins (136 appearances between 2001–2006)

Obafemi Martins emerged at Inter as an incredibly talented youngster but failed to hit the expected heights (New Press/Getty Images)

Obafemi Martins emerged at Inter as an incredibly talented youngster but failed to hit the expected heights (New Press/Getty Images) Getty Images

Martins emerged from the Inter Youth team with much hype after scoring 23 goals and helping them to win the Campionato Nazionale Primavera, a prestigious Italian youth competition.

Martins quickly caught the eyes as he made his debut for Inter in December 2002. That season, the teenage sensation became a regular and impressed on big nights in the Champions League with goals against Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16 and AC Milan in the semifinals.

The following season, his rise continued with 25 appearances in the league where he scored seven goals but his best season in Italy came in the 2004/2005 when he scored 22 goals in all competitions.

His biggest impact that season came in the Coppa Italia where he scored six goals, including a hat-trick against Bologna in the second stage.

The following season, he managed 13 goals in all competitions as Inter also defended their Coppa Italia title.

Martins had so many highlights at Inter. With his soaring pace and powerful left foot, he caught the eye at a young age with goals against AC Milan in the semifinals of the Champions League. There was also that goal in a 3-0 demolition of Arsenal at Highbury in the Champions League.

Even more memorable was his style of celebrating goals with somersaults which one of them was used in UEFA’s advertisement clip for the following season.

For his time at Inter, Martins won two Coppa Italia and one Serie A title which was handed to Inter after it had been stripped from Juventus.

Isah Eliakwu (No appearance between 2002-2006)

Isah Eliakwu at Inter

Isah Eliakwu at Inter Twitter

Not well-known Isah Eliakwu is a Nigerian footballer who was in the book of Inter for four years although he never made any appearance.

He was signed in 2002 from Reggiana but made no appearance. While on the books of Inter, he went on loan to two clubs.

Obinna Nsofor (11 appearances between 2008 and 2011)

Obinna Nsofor could not compete with more prolific strikers at Inter and left after just 11 appearances Press/Getty Images)

Obinna Nsofor could not compete with more prolific strikers at Inter and left after just 11 appearances Press/Getty Images) Getty Images

Despite being in the books of Inter for three years, Nsofor played only one season with the Nerazzurri before making a couple of loan moves.

In the 2008/2009, Nsofor could only manage nine appearances and 11 in all competitions in Jose Mourinho’s first season at the club. With the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Hernan Crespo, Andriano and Mario Balotelli, a 21-year-old Nsofor could not get game time.

He did manage to get a Serie A medal for that season.

Nwankwo Obiora (Four appearances, 2010–2011)

Nwankwo Obiora won two titles at Inter (Getty Images)

Nwankwo Obiora won two titles at Inter (Getty Images) Getty Images

Nwankwo Obiora was snapped up by Inter in November 2009. After a short time with the youth team, he made his debut in the 2010/2011 season.

He made only four appearances that season but managed to get the FIFA World Club and Supercoppa Italiana medals.

For the FIFA World Club Cup of 2010, the Nigerian midfielder was in the squad but did not make a single appearance.

Joel Obi (65 appearances/2010–2015)

A goal against Milan at San Siro was one of Joel Obi;s highlights at Inter (AFP/Getty Images)

A goal against Milan at San Siro was one of Joel Obi;s highlights at Inter (AFP/Getty Images) Getty Images

Joel Obi was another Nigerian midfielder that played for Inter. He started with the youth team where he was noticed by Jose Mourinho.

Although he didn’t make any appearance under Mourinho, he was promoted to the first team under the next manager Rafael Benitez.

He made his debut in September and was thrown into the starting XI of the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana but went off injured in the second half.

Obi was a decent player most of the time during his Inter days and was highly-rated within the club. Injuries, however, prevented him from hitting the height expected of him.

He moved to Parma on loan in September 2013 and returned to Inter the following season. In 2015, he was finally sold.

He managed to get a medal from Inter’s Coppa Italia win of 2011 and the Supercoppa Italiana of 2010.

He wasn’t included in the squad at the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup.

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