Nigeria 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup top scorer and most valuable player, Sani Emmanuel has come out with startling details of his grace to grass story, even as he laments over the line of issues and battles with Achilles tendonitis that saw him hang his boots prematurely, megasportsarena.com reports.
While fellow silver-medalist at the 2009 Cadet Mundial in Lagos and Abuja, in which Nigeria lost to Switzerland in the final, Kenneth Omeruo is still waxing strong with the Super Eagles, Emmanuel disclosed that he had to call it quit after failing to get help in his desire to rebuild his career after several battles with injury.
He recounted how he had to start running from pillar to post in search of financial assistance from colleagues, ex-internationals, soccer fans and other stakeholders, all in a futile bid to help him overcome a chronic injury that bedeviled him even from his days in the Golden Eaglets’ squad that also produced Eddy Ogenyi Onazi.
Born December 23, 1992 in Edo State, Sani Shehu Emmanuel started his playing career with My People FC of Lagos, which was run by Synagogue Church of Nations (SCOAN), then joined Bodens BK of Sweden, where he stayed for only a few months as FIFA rules stated that he had to be 18-years-old before he could get an international transfer.
In 2011, Emmanuel signed for SS Lazio of Italy, where he lined out for their youth squad until 2012, when he moved to U.S. Salernitana in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione on a co-owned basis, but made his only appearance for the fourth tier Italian side against Chiete Calcio as a 58th minute substitute in a 4-1 defeat.
On February 16, 2013, Emmanuel signed on loan with FC Biel-Bienne of Switzerland, then made his debut for the club on March 16, 2013 against Wohlen, going on in the 72nd minute of a 1-0 loss for his team, for which he scored a hat-trick in a 7–0 victory on May 12, 2013.
He then scored two more goals for Biel-Bienne on May 30, 2013 against FC Winterthur in a 2-2, but moved to Beitar Jerusalem of Israel in October 2014 but only three weeks later, after playing just 24 minutes for the club, Emmanuel was released.
After leaving Jerusalem, Emmanuel tried out at FK Sarajevo of Bosnia, but failed to get a deal, and his success story soon imploded into a wanton tale of transformation from fame to shame, as the lad, whose breakthrough at Nigeria 2009 saw him undertake successful trials at Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur as well as a stint with SS Lazio of Italy, is now going round cap in hand.
Emmanuel told Leero Sports News: ”I had problems on my foot, even during the tournament in 2009. I often came on in the second half because the pain was unbearable. After the World Cup, I could not play at all because I had played too much with pain. Then I had to stop my career.
“Even today, I always feel hurt on the foot. I tried to contact a lot of Nigerian international players, but I never got an answer and it was very difficult to get money. I returned to anonymity, without work, without anything. I wanted to set up an academy, but I never managed to get help and I’m still looking for it.”